A Dundee pensioner has warned many elderly and vulnerable people in the city could die this winter due to the soaring cost of energy.
Lochee residents staged a protest march on Friday as Ofgem confirmed an 80.06% rise in the energy price cap, which will send the average household’s yearly bill from £1,971 to £3,549 from October.
Jim Elder, 83, from Dundee Pensioners Forum, was among those making his voice heard.
He said: “The energy prices are going to hit some pensioners extremely hard. Some are on basic state pension and will not be able to pay the bills that are coming out.
“There are going to be deaths and it’s going to affect the mental health of many who are housebound.
“They have to keep the heating on to keep warm and there’s no way that some will last over the winter.
“Scottish winters last a long time and some are not going to last. It’s just terrible.”
Bills of up to £4,000
Locals walked from the community larder to High Street to take a stand against soaring costs.
Eamonn Custance, 29, a student, fears for the wellbeing of his mum.
He said: “I depend on my student loan. Not only do I fear about what will happen with me but I’m also worried about my mother.
“She is on the state pension, lives by herself and has problems with her circulation so needs the heating on a lot.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the middle of the winter and she’ll be forced to pay bills up to £4,000.
“I’m concerned for myself, the people I love and how people are going to react to this. Nobody is going to be left untouched by this.”
People ‘on the verge of suicide’
Volunteers from Lochee Community Larder also took part in the march.
Chairperson Samantha Bruce said: “We have quadrupled our figures at the larder.
“I’m one the one who handles the emotional support of our customers and we have had people come in who are at crisis point.
“We’re supposed to be working for the few but now we feel that we are working for many.
I don’t understand why people in Dundee have been forced to be in such a position and something must be done
“People have come to us at breaking point and have said that they are on the verge of suicide and don’t want to live any more.
“I don’t understand why people in Dundee have been forced to be in such a position and something must be done.”
Stewart Fairweather, chairperson of Dundee Trades Union Council – who led the march – told The Courier: “Lochee and other parts of Dundee have a history of being hit hard and there are high levels of poverty in the city.
“We don’t think increased energy prices is going to help that, it’s going to have a negative impact on people’s health, mental health and their life in general.
“We feel that there should be a different approach. Houses should have better insulation, energy companies have to be nationalised and in the public hands and there should be an approach that doesn’t see so many Dundonians in poverty.”
Conversation