Yorkshire Coast disability action groups welcome lower energy price cap
It's claimed the disabled community is affected much more than those who are able-bodied
People with disabilities on the Yorkshire Coast are welcoming the lower energy prices.
Regulator Ofgem says the price cap will fall from almost £3,300 to just over £2,000 from July. It means the average gas and electricity bills should drop by around £430.
Tim Vasey, Manager of Scarborough Disability Action Group, said: "We know as a group we've seen first hand the big hike in energy prices has hit the disabled community much more than the non-disabled community.
"It's because of their medical condition and a need to keep constantly warm and to have the heating on for most of the day. They also need to run and maintain specific pieces of disability equipment which depends upon electricity."
Dale Milne is a volunteer at Whitby Disability Action Group and he said: "I'm on a little bit of the luckier side because I don't have a lot of equipment but overall it has affected us. I have a hospital bed that's plugged in all the time, I have a hoist that I use, I have a CPAP machine which are plugged in continuously, they're always turned on, so we have seen a spike since the price rise.
"I'm a quadriplegic. I broke my C4 and C5 vertebrae and it's incomplete so I have a little bit of movement but I don't have much movement. I can't reposition myself and I can't sit myself up etc.
"The hospital bed that I have allows me to, when positioned, put my head up, put my knees up, raise the height of the bed so I can see if I'm wanting to watch TV or talk to people, I can be put into a position that is more comfortable and I'm able to acknowledge the people around me or what it is I'm wanting to do.
"If I don't have it plugged in then the bed itself won't work, the electric mattress has a pump that inflates and deflates so there's a constant change in pressure. If it's not plugged in then again that won't work. If I'm in bed all day then I need that on.
"I have to make sure my wheelchair is charged up quite frequently. I'll be able to use it without having to put it on charge for a couple of days but I'll have to put it on overnight and I'll do that two maybe three times a week."