I can’t afford my bills so I just sit in the dark and cold with a flask of tea… I don’t think I’ll be alive by Christmas

A VETERAN fears he will be dead by Christmas as he is forced to choose between eating or heating after the energy price hike.

George Ford, 75, currently owes more than £1,400 to energy firms and claims he has no idea how to pay for the rise in fuel.

The pensioner has now lost two stone in a month as he makes the agonising choice between heating his home or food.

He also spends his evenings sitting at his home in Hull in the darkness to save money on his bills.

George told : "I sit here until about 10pm with no light on. I make a flask of coffee or tea to last me all the time so I'm not using so much but my bills never seem to go down, I can't afford it.

"I know the things I suffer, COPD, heart trouble, I've got no feeling in my hands or my legs.

"I don't think I'm going to be alive by Christmas because I can't afford to keep myself warm.

"I feel sorry for a lot of pensioners round here, It is going to hit them very much. It is going to hit the foodbanks more. I'll be honest, I just feel like dying."

Despite his woes, kind-hearted George still volunteers at a local foodbank to help others.

But he refuses to take advantage of the scheme as he believes he is not as needy as some.

The Army veteran said: "I won't take anything from the foodbank because there's families that need it, there's children that need it more than I do."

George is one of around five million Brits who fear they will not be able to pay their energy bills from April, Citizens Advice reports.

Charities have also warned 2.5million households are facing "fuel stress" as prices rocket.

The price cap will go up by nearly £700 this month from £1,277 to £1,971.

The government is trying to help people with rising energy bills as part of wider package on tackling the cost of the living crisis.

From October, all domestic energy customers will get a £200 rebate on their gas and electricity bill.

But it will need to be paid back from April next year with an extra £40 per year added to bills for five years.

Low-income households and those on benefits can also access energy bill support.

This includes the Winter Fuel Payment, which gives people over 65 between £100 and £300 towards the cost of keeping their homes warm during the colder months.