Pensioner in shock after testing gas price hike at her home in Milton Keynes

The 71-year-old has a gas meter and for some time has put £20 a week into it to cover her heating, hot water and cooking using a gas stove at her small city estate home.

"The £20 usually lasts me the week, a full seven days. It works out to roughly £3 a day to be comfortable. I put another £20 in my electricity meter and that lasts the week too.”

On April 1 the energy price cap increased for approximately 22 million customers and the pensioner wondered how her weekly budget would change as a result.

"To check out the value for money I put £10 in the meter. Then I switched my heating off, used a gas kettle for my cuppas and cooked two meals.”

The result was worse than the pensioner ever feared.

“Two days later and the £10 was GONE. And that was with no heating or hot water,” she said.

“I guess I’m now looking at £5 a day for gas, which equals £35 a week. That’s an increase of £15. But if I want heating and hot water heavens knows what it will be - probably over £40.

“Now, if the electric is going to run at a similar pace and double itself I’ll be looking at around £80 a week for my gas and electric. That’s £320 a month.

“How on earth am I going to pay my other bills or run my car, or buy Xmas and birthday gifts, or have any holidays or any quality of life?

“It seems I’ll be living hand to mouth until I die.”

The pensioner approached the Citizen to apply for a paper delivery round to help make ends meet.

“I delivered your papers for 10 years when I was younger. I’d like to apply again,” she told us.

Meanwhile, she is fuming with the fuel companies.

“The providers of all this are not knowing what to do with all their billions. It’s just sheer greed,” she said.