‘How can we cope if bills rise again?’

KIRSTY DEVINE and her family are already having to make cutbacks around the home after their monthly energy bills soared by 50 pc.

Although they live in a fairly energy-efficient house, their monthly bills rose from £90 to £135. The family, who live in Halifax, no longer run baths and take only three-minute showers.

Takeaways and dinners out were the first luxury to go, and Kirsty, 36, says her son Jack, 14, won’t be able to go on his school skiing trip next year. Nor are they going on any holidays.

Kirsty, who runs her own home décor business, says she is not sure how they will manage if their bills rise again.

She says: ‘I can’t imagine getting a £200 bill. I dread to think what will happen in October when the price cap is set to rise again. I am self-employed and my husband Darren is in training after being made redundant. Our energy account was always £190 in credit, which gave us a buffer, and now we are relying on our savings to see us through.’