I AM a seventy plus pensioner living in a one-bedroomed flat in a sheltered home.

My energy company (of whom have now changed hands), first doubled my direct debit from forty to eighty pounds and have now sent me an email saying my bill will rise to one hundred and thirty three pounds a month.

The strange thing is that a couple of days before I received a sixty pound rebate from my payments yet now they are telling me that I need to pay more?

Even before all this energy crisis began I agreed to have a ‘smart-meter’ installed on the promise I would receive a lower tariff. I even elected to have online billing to save their costs on printing and mail. My direct debit plan is also another great saving for them.

My daily needs only counter for one person.

I don’t have a washing machine, tumble dryer or even a cooker let alone a dishwasher.

I use a slow-cooker to prepare enough meals for four days in which I freeze then use a microwave oven for about ten minutes each but not everyday.

Since having a ‘smart-meter’ I carefully watch my energy use.

I only put on my hot water twice a week for thirty minutes each time and my storage heating is fully switched off. I boil a full kettle each morning to make a pot of tea for three cups and use the extra for a sink wash. I am careful with my lighting and rarely switch on my TV.

Now I ask my energy company, of whom have just given me a sixty pound rebate and despite being allowed ‘warm home discount’ plus so called ‘energy cap’ from our government who now determine from their records that I am using far more electricity energy than expected. How much more do they suggest I should cut back on to keep my bills lower?

We’ve all heard of ‘austerity’ and now ‘cutbacks’ to recoup costs – is the truth with our present government for the elderly, disabled and poverty stricken is now just simply a ‘cull?’

CHRISTINE PETERS

Wellington Road, Bournemouth