'We can't just pop an extra jumper on': The Rutland boy living with Anaemia in the energy crisis
Cutting corners on energy usage could be life-threatening for Charlie
Millions of households are now facing a renewed spike in energy bills next spring, but one Rutland family will be unable to cut corners on gas and electricity usage.
Melina, from Oakham, has a 12-year-old son named Charlie who has chronic kidney disease and is in renal failure.
As a result, he is severely anaemic and struggles to properly regulate his body temperature, which means Melina is left with no other option but to keep the heating on full:
'Whilst other families can hold off putting the heating on and can simply layer-up with extra clothing, we don't have the luxury of just popping on an extra jumper just to keep warm. Charlie is reliant on the heating', she said.
Essential electricity
Powering Charlie's vital dialysis machine for ten hours every night and keeping the heating on to make sure he's comfortable, is contributing to household energy bills costing over £5,000 for Melina.
That figure is double the Government's current Energy Price Cap Guarantee - which the chancellor said would now only span until April, rather than lasting for two years.
READ MORE: 12-year-old Rutland hero with Chronic Kidney Disease goes viral this #OrganDonationWeek
It means households will now be subjected to pay whatever price cap energy regulator Ofgem brings in, after April, next year - with the figure likely to be a sharp increase.
But with Melina already paying such a high amount to look after Charlie, her concerns sit elsewhere.
Winter blackouts
Blackouts pose a life-threatening risk to hundreds across Stamford and Rutland with conditions similar to Charlie's, Melina says.
The boss of National Grid warned that households could be without power between 4pm and 7pm in January and February next year, if gas imports are reduced - but the Government doesn't think it's likely.
Melina says they've been preparing for power outages as best they can, but if they're left without heating and electricity for too long - Charlie could be in serious danger:
'People that are using home dialysis are in serious danger of medical complications if there was a power cut during use, it could lead to anything due to blood loss and serious implications for their health.'
'It's something as a family we've been making previsions for - we've been buying extra blankets for Charlie, heated gilets with power packs to keep them charged, and portable gas hobs to heat water for hot water bottles.'
The Government says "targeted" measures will be brought in to help the most "vulnerable" when the energy price cap guarantee runs out in Spring.