Struggle of single mum landed with a £760 energy bill
A SINGLE mum whose energy bill soared to £760 a month can’t afford to heat her home and uses candles for light. Nicola Elson, 32, has lived in the two-bed flat in Hamilton for the past year and spends the majority of her salary on electricity costs. She says she sits with candles on at night with the heating off in a bid to save the pennies – which means her two children often have to stay elsewhere. Nicola said: “There have been times I have had to pick food or electric, or I have had to borrow off friends and family to get things I have ran out of, or even to put the electric on. “My children’s grandparents have to pay for my children’s shoes, coats, bags, lunches, sometimes clothes because everything I have goes on my meter.”
Nicola moved in in March 2021 and says she initially needed to put about £140 on her Pay As You Go meter every week to see her through.
Her supplier, ScottishPower, told her the cost was high because of her appliances – but she only had a fridge-freezer, TV, kettle and cooker at the time.
Nicola also heats her house using electricity with plug-in storage heaters.
She added: “I have five children but three of them live with their father, they come to stay with me but it has been less because of this problem.
“My younger two have to be with their dad and siblings because I can’t afford to have the heating or lights on at night.”
While she gets help from Universal Credit, Nicola buys £100 worth of food when she pays her rent and struggles to get anything extra after she has forked out for her electricity.
Cleaner Nicola added: “I can’t do nice things with the kids or give them what a mother should be able to. I’m constantly worrying.”
Her bills have increased over time to up to £190 a week, which comes to more than her rent of £475 a month.
A ScottishPower spokeswoman said: “We’ve been actively investigating the issues raised by Ms Elson, which are complex and involve a number of factors including whether the meter she had fitted is the best one for her type of property and energy use, the significant level of top-ups provided to the account – which require to be repaid – and resolving outstanding billing issues.”