I’m allergic to the COLD… this new energy price hike could make my life hell
A MUM who is allergic to the cold fears the new energy bill price hike will make her life hell.
Nyree Clark, from Derbyshire, suffers from painful rashes all over her body and breathing difficulties when temperatures plunge because of a rare condition known as Severe Idiopathic Cold Urticaria.
The mum-of-two, who has suffered from the illness for ten years, needs to keep her home at 20C to prevent her from potentially going into anaphylactic shock.
Nyree says she already struggles to stretch her wages to cover bills and worries she may fall into debt as the fresh energy price cap, which comes into effect on April 1, will take the average household bill to £1,971 a year.
The 40-year-old has now been forced to drop her heating to a "dangerous" level to stay on top of her bills.
"For a lot of suffers, it's going to become a life-or-death situation," she said.
"It's scary, obviously. We are having to reduce the heating. It puts us in the danger zone as the house has to be kept at 20C.
"We have lowered it down, and it's not fun. Yesterday, I was sat in a scarf and woolly hat as I have to keep at a certain temperature."
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Nyree, an NHS worker from Chesterfield, said that she first found out she had the chronic illness in 2012, after going for a dip in the sea.
She said: "I went in the sea, and when I came out, my legs were all hived up.
"It's just got worse and worse over the years."
Nyree said her current symptoms can cause her face and limbs to swell, leaving her in pain for hours at a time.
"The way I would describe it is like I am on fire," she added.
"It's extremely itchy and painful. It's like nettle stings, and when cold wind enters my airways, it causes irritation inside me, and I can't breath."
"I also can't take anything out of the fridge or freezer because of the cold, I have to get someone to do it for me."
Another woman who suffers from the same allergy says she has to inhalers and tablets when a reaction strikes.
Jackie Thompson, who lives in Scotland, told : "We are not just allergic to cold - it’s much more than that our bodies struggle to cope with different temperatures.
"Some of us - myself included - have periods of excessive sweating where the cooled sweat reacts and makes us itch."
It comes as millions of Brits will see their energy bills soar by a record £693 a year after the new price cap was confirmed this week.
The cap has soared by 54 per cent - more than was predicted by analysts - and will impact around 22million households.
It climbed to £1,277 in October, but this week was increased again as suppliers and households alike struggle to cope with soaring costs.
Meanwhile, prepayment meter customers will see an increase of £708 from £1,309 to £2,017.
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The price cap is also expected to go up again in October.
