‘I have to put duct tape on my windows to keep the cold out because I can’t afford to heat my home’
For many, winter time brings family joy based on Christmas celebrations; But for Claire and Gareth Ferris, this year’s festive season brings only fear of cold weather.
The couple say rising energy bills and poor home insulation, along with plummeting temperatures outside, have meant they have had to turn off the heating and bundle up in blankets and duvets in their living room.
Unable to afford expensive window and door replacements, the couple even has to put duct tape over the cracks to keep some of the heat in.
But despite their best efforts to keep their three-bedroom home in Warwickshire insulated, it’s a losing battle that’s affecting their mental health.
The couple’s story emerged this week as the mercury dropped in many parts of the UK, triggering cold weather warnings from the UK Health Safety Agency.
Mrs Ferris, 52, said: “We’re getting by but it’s making us depressed. We’re just trying to stay warm under duvets and blankets. We can’t afford to have the windows and doors redone. There’s always a draft in the winter and the house freezes.”
“The windows are over 30 years old now and all the condensation happens between the panes – some days you can’t see out.”
He added: “We have to put duct tape around the windows in the winter…sometimes it feels warmer outside than inside.”
Mr Ferris, 64, earns £1,200 a month working 12-hour shifts as a shopping center security guard, while the couple earn around £14,500 a year. Ms. Ferris is unable to work due to health problems.
But since the pandemic and the rise in energy bills, they have seen their monthly electricity bills jump from £57 a month to £85 a month in 2020.
In October, the energy price cap was increased by 2 per cent by regulator Ofgem; This means a typical household in England, Scotland and Wales now pays £1,755 a year for gas and electricity, an increase of £35.
They said they kept the heating off despite government support, including a one-off grant of £150 through the Warm Home Discount Scheme and cold weather payments of up to £25 a week, and despite the couple switching utility suppliers.
It’s so cold inside the house that the temperature can drop below freezing and they can see their own breath while sitting on the couch.
Ms Ferris said: “Sometimes it’s hotter outside than inside. I wish it were cheaper – it keeps going up.”
According to a government survey of adults by the government’s Office for Energy Security and Net Zero, published last month47 percent of people were “worried” about paying their energy bills; This rate is down from 66 percent in 2023, when prices increased following the invasion of Ukraine.
A report by the Money Advice Trust earlier this year to create It was stated that 7 million adults in the UK are behind on at least one household bill and 35 per cent of people say they have reduced their energy use, such as heating.
And last week, energy watchdog Ofgem in question Domestic consumer energy debt increased by 20 percent compared to last year, reaching £4.4 billion.
The body provides a list of ideas For customers looking to reduce bills, including turning down the heating in empty rooms, setting the washing machine to 30°C and closing the curtains at night to keep warm air in the house.
