A-MUM-OF-TWO faces being forced to rifle through rubbish bins as she can’t afford to buy food due to her skyrocketing energy bills.
Lauran Warren and her husband Martyn have been desperately struggling to make ends meet after the energy price cap was lifted by the government.
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Despite living frugally, the couple’s gas and electricity bill has doubled this month.
After previously being in credit and paying around £220 a month on their gas and electricity, the couple now spend £411 a month.
The mother from Leeds has even thought about buying an air rifle to catch food for her family.
Speaking to LeedsLive, she said: “We have always lived frugally and worn slippers and jumpers in the house. The heating is on a thermostat anyway and it only comes on for about four or five hours a day.
“I’ve started thinking about skip-diving when the shops close. I’ve never considered doing it myself and I had never even thought about doing this a year ago. I don’t want to do it but I will if I have to.
“I’ve even started considering getting an air rifle to get things to eat. I’m a survivor by nature.”
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Lauran admits the family were already struggling in the early months of the year, but thought their financial concerns would ease after Lauran landed a job as a trainee chef last month.
However, most of her money will now be spent on covering the rise in energy bills.
Despite Martyn’s salary from his job as a reptile specialist, it has left the family struggling to put food on the table for their two daughters, aged eight and 10.
Lauran’s admission comes after thousands of families took part in a poll run by Facebook group leedsplace about their energy bills.
More than half of all people (58 per cent) who responded said they are likely to pay more than £2,000 a year on gas and electricity alone.
But Lauran and Martyn now face paying almost £5,000 a year on their bills, according to the latest statement from their provider.
Last month, money-saving expert Martin Lewis said he was “nearly out out of tools” to help struggling households.
He tweeted: “So many people at crisis point. Govt must intervene.”
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