The bills are mounting for Maureen Hart, a former librarian living on a fixed income after hip and back pain from a fall forced her into an early retirement.
The gas and electric bill for her bungalow in Clacton-on-Sea, a seaside town east of London, more than tripled in April, as utility bills did throughout Britain when a government cap on energy payments loosened. To save money and afford the help she needs to wash her hair and clean, Hart, 77, is cutting back on taxi rides to visit her son several towns away, and keeping the heat off, even if it aggravates her pain.
“You really don’t think you will be one of those that cannot afford to heat yourself,” Hart said. “There must be thousands more people who are like me thinking: What went wrong?”
