A WOMAN said she cannot afford to have a hot bath after her bills rose from £97 to £535.
Josie, 35, said she was shocked at how much her energy costs have risen since October and is now struggling to make ends meet.
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And she is furious that her EDF smart meter said the most energy she used since October was £135 in January. It said she used £91 last month.
Josie, of Consett, Co Durham, told Chronicle Live: “We’re just an ordinary couple living in a completely ordinary mid terraced three bedroom house.
“We don’t do anything out of the ordinary that would make our energy consumption any different than anyone else’s.
“We are a lot luckier than some people – we know that. But it’s so dispiriting to cut back and cut back, yet our wages are still disappearing faster every month.
“What use are three-minute showers and value groceries when you get hit with bills like this? We are cutting back and cutting back until I don’t think there’s much left to cut back on.
“We both work full-time – we shouldn’t have to consider whether we can afford it if one of us fancies a hot bath.”
She added that she is terrified of what her bills will be like when winter comes back around.
EDF said the £523 direct debit is made up of £453 towards ongoing usage and £70 towards the arrears.
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A spokeswoman added it was lowered to £306 per month after conversations with Josie.
But EDF warned that may not be enough to cover energy use over the next year.
The next review is due in October.
Josie adde: “It’s a complete mess and I’m terrified to turn anything on now.
“I’ve had a breakdown off all available tariffs and the projected cost, including the standard variable, and they are all less than they’re telling me I have to pay.
“The standard variable is predicted at £302 a month and a fix until May 2024 is £360, so I don’t now where the £453 has come from.
“There are a couple of more expensive ‘full service’ tariffs or one including boiler care at over £400 a month but I don’t want these and I’ve not asked for them.
“I just want to be on the cheapest rate available and am happy to pay off the arrears separately.”
