Cost of living crisis: Older people hit by heating price increases

Evelyn Thompson doesn't eat dinner every day because of rising costs.

The pensioner from Coleraine, County Londonderry, says she can't afford to heat her home either.

She sits in her kitchen with a halogen heater and if she's feeling particularly cold, puts a hot water bottle at her back.

"I wouldn't have a dinner every day. I would make myself toast and a hot drink and that's it. As long as I'm getting something," she says.

Evelyn says it got her down, particularly during Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

"You feel, is this all there is to life now? You're sitting here and you can't afford to do things."

Bills have doubled

Evelyn's friend Frances Curran says her own heating bills have doubled since last year.

"I have a heart condition and COPD which means I need to keep warm," she says.

"Last year £30 a week would have covered me for a full week with my heating on all the time at a low setting. This year I couldn't do that."

The friends meet once a week at a lunch group which is organised for older people by Age Concern Causeway.

Frances, 72, says she knows of others who stay in bed to keep warm.

Evelyn Thompson and Frances Curran say other friends are choosing not to socialise to save money

"It's disgusting that anybody should have to do that in this day and age, especially elderly people.

"What does that not do to your mental health?" she asks.

"All of our group are young at heart. All of them want to get out and socialise and enjoy themselves, especially after lockdown.

"We have the time of our lives when we get together, but there is going to be people who can't do that because of the cost of petrol.

"And when they can't come out they'll have to lie in bed to keep warm or sit about in a fleecy dressing-gown," Frances adds.

Commissioner for Older People Eddie Lynch says the impact of rising costs on older people is a "genuine crisis".

"We're hearing stories about people going to the libraries, about people going to the shopping centre for a number of hours just simply to stay out of the house, where they don't have to put their heat on.

"It's a very sad position for people to be in and it's also a position many older people don't feel comfortable with.

"It's a genuine crisis," says Eddie Lynch

Mr Lynch says the options for older people getting out of the house are much less now due to Covid-19.

"People are fearful about getting on public transport and using their bus pass. Even library settings could be crowded as well.

"That is leading to a growing fear among many older people about how they're really going to cope.

"I was speaking with older people this week who are still shielding and still not going out. All of this means if you're sitting at home, if you're an older person, that's going to have a huge pressure on staying warm.

"The way energy prices are going, there's simply no way that they're going to meet those costs with the income that they're on."