Every weekday, Andrew Merkin comes to the Downham Market Library for books, wifi and – most importantly – warmth.
Mrkin, 63, who receives disability benefits, lives in a bungalow in Norfolk, and as his energy bills rose this winter, he decided to heat only one room for two hours a day.
“I come to the library in the winter to keep warm,” he said. “I like to get up early. But sitting at home is unhappy in the cold. ”
On weekends, when his local library is mostly closed, he has few options. “In the winter, I just sit at home with my coat and blanket,” he said. “I was wearing two T-shirts, two jumpers and a coat inside. Many of my friends do the same. “
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The plight of Elsie, a 77-year-old who eats one meal a day and travels by bus to keep warm, has become a landmark in the cost of living crisis after Boris Johnson ran into her story in a Good Morning interview in Britain. . Her case highlighted the challenges facing older people who cannot cover the costs of growing bills.
At Downham Market, near King’s Lynn, the library is a lifeline for older and more vulnerable people looking for a warm place to spend their time without spending money.
In the south of the city there is the ward with the highest share of retirees in England and Wales, with 57% over 65 years. Many of them rely on the library.
Mrkin is the first person to arrive at the Just a Cuppa session on Friday morning, a weekly event offering free tea and biscuits.
He worked as a welder before his diabetes and mobility problems two years ago made it too difficult. “It’s hard to handle the money you get from benefits,” he said.
He has moved his bed to the living room, so he only needs to heat one room. “I go to bed much earlier than before, just to keep warm,” he said.
Items such as clothing, soap and sanitary items are distributed to visitors to the city library to help reduce bills. Photo: Si Barber / The Guardian
This winter, the library unveiled free Keep Warm and Go bags, full of everything anyone who needs to fight against the cold may need, including gloves, thermal underwear, a scarf, a blanket and a hat.
Fran Valentine, the library’s manager, said it had proved popular. “We had a lot of people coming and taking them,” she said.
When Joan Mulholland, 89, realized last month that her energy bills needed to be raised again, she panicked. I called the company and said, ‘I can’t afford £ 200 a month.’
She is on a state pension and worries that she will not have enough this winter. “I’m thinking of suspending my TV license to pay for heating,” she said. “My weekly food bill went up by about £ 2 a week and I reduced it as much as I could.”
Her late husband, Adrian, produced electrical parts and was also retired from the state. Since he died of cancer three years ago, it has been harder for her to bear the cost of running the bungalow they share in the south of the city.
“It’s very difficult because I live alone. I have to watch things like not put too much water in the kettle. Starting the oven for one meal is very expensive when there is only one of you, so I will switch to salads and not cook too much. ”
Jean Mulholland: “Reduce as much as I can.” Photo: Si Barber / The Guardian
She tries to heat the house as little as possible to save for the coming winter. As you get older, you feel the cold a lot more, and sometimes it’s very difficult to sit there and think, “Well, I can’t turn on the heat.”
Alex Coates, who runs the city’s food bank, says demand has risen since March as the price of petrol, food and energy has risen.
“It’s not just people receiving benefits, it’s families with two parents who both work and struggle to decide whether to feed their children, refuel their car or heat their homes. This is the dilemma that many families face, “she said.
Most of the people who come to them are parents with children and she is worried that the pensioners are silent.
Downham Market in Norfolk. The southern part of the city has the highest share of people over 65 in the country. Photo: Si Barber / The Guardian
“This age group is very proud. We really only know about them if they have been referred to us by a doctor or social services for adults, “she said.
They plan to buy wholesale hot water bottles to distribute before next winter, “so that when people make their tea kettles, they can put the water left in them to keep them warm.”
Jill, 69, a former kindergarten worker, is the second to arrive at the tea library. She has little savings and relies on her pension. She cut it right away to collect the costs.
“The heating and hot water are on for only one hour in the morning and then I go out in the garden and dig,” she said. “I go to bed early with an electric blanket. If I didn’t have it, it would be awful. “
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