Darren Douglas says he is dreading the winter as he doesn’t know how he is going to afford to pay his rising energy bills.
The 42-year-old from South Shields, Tyne and Wear, spent seven months in hospital recently after a life-altering brain injury rendered him disabled – but after coming out this February, he’s been unable to work.
Since then, greater energy usage and rising prices have left him struggling each month to pay for what he’s using.
Before going into hospital, he said he was paying around £100 a month via direct debit for his energy -but he estimates this has tripled after he returned home.
From July, the Ofgem price cap has risen by 13 per cent – partly due to the increase in oil prices that has resulted from the war in Iran – with a typical household now paying £1,862 a year for their energy. Households who use more will pay more.
