Disabled Bristol residents fear energy cap could pose risk

Lisa Braiden said she was worried her limbs would seize up in her cold home

A woman with chronic arthritis says she fears April's energy cap will leave her home cold, meaning she could seize up.

The amount suppliers can charge households for energy has been cut by regulator Ofgem but bills will still rise in April as government help eases.

Lisa Braiden, from Bristol, said it means her fixed energy rate, which finishes in April, could triple.

She said she could no longer buy fresh food because it was too expensive and she relied on her heated blanket.

"I'm cutting back on things that I would incorporate as part of my diet, using cheaper alternatives.

"Fresh fruit and veg is now too expensive," she said.

"For example, I'm buying more frozen stuff now than ever before because it makes life just a little bit cheaper.

"I have my heating on and then when I go to bed I have an electric blanket on for a while to warm my limbs and then I turn it off, because otherwise I'm totally immobile.

Georgina Moore has cut down on leisure activities to save money but said it would make her feel even more isolated

"It would just make me seize up, so I can't be cold."

To keep up with her payments she said she would have to force herself into debt "which isn't good".

Georgina Moore, from Bristol, is a wheelchair user and needs 24-hour care.

She said her equipment used "a lot of energy".

Loneliness

"The government's handouts have helped me not worry so much about not being able to charge my wheelchair or the hoists running out of power and things like that," she said.

"The essential things I'm not worrying about now, which is a relief, but I still haven't got those luxuries.

"I'm also now more isolated, because I'm not going out to the cinema, I don't have my cinema pass."

The government has said it will provide up to £1,000 for people who have disabilities who need support with rising energy rates.

For others, the winter fuel support programme will come to an end in April.