Hartlepool woman offers free homemade meals for people struggling due to energy price rise

Sid Bell has offered to even deliver them to people struggling as a result of the increase in energy prices.

Industry regulator Ofgem last week announced that the energy price cap will rise to a record £1,971 for a typical household.

This 54% increase will affect around 22 million households across Great Britain from the beginning of April, adding £693 to typical annual bills.

Sid, 54, said: "I can’t bear the thought of people having to make a decision between whether they are warm or whether they buy food.

"I find in this day and age that people having to make that choice in our country, it’s a bit shocking that people can’t afford to do both.

"The price increase is going to affect everybody.

"People who have additional difficulties with mental health or suffer with depression, this is just one more added stress that they don’t need.

"I thought I can’t bring people into my house to get them warm, but I could provide a meal for somebody who can’t afford to have a proper balanced meal.”

Sid has said it will not be a “one meal wonder” as she will be doing it on a regular basis, adding: "All my meals are home made, all from scratch. I’m very varied.

"I do spaghetti bolognese to roast dinners and spicy food.”

She continued: "I do cook a lot and I cook every day and I always have extra food.

Since making her offer on Facebook, people have reached out wanting to help as well and she hopes it will increase community spirit.

"Life’s going back to normal, but here’s still quite a lot that we can do to help each other,” said Sid.

The social worker added: “If I can do it and then just take it round to people, and it’s hot, and they can eat it straight away, then that’s like a little bit extra they can put on their heating, isn’t it?”

Separate figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy show an estimated 6,292 households in the area experienced fuel poverty in 2019 – the latest statistics available.

Contact Sid on Facebook if you’d like to take up her offer.

Support your Mail and become a subscriber today.

Enjoy unlimited access to all of our news and sport, see fewer ads, experience faster load times, test your brain with daily puzzles and get access to exclusive newsletters.

Your support for our journalism means we can continue telling Hartlepool’s stories for generations to come. Click here to subscribe - and click here to get a snapshot of the Mail’s news and sport to your inbox through our email newsletters.