'Helpless' mother faces energy bill of £350 a month because her daughter is allergic to the cold

A mother whose daughter suffers from an allergic reaction to the cold says she is "petrified" because her energy bills are set to double to £350 a month.

Nikki Britton, 36, a mother-of-four, faces an annual energy bill of £4,200 a year this winter as she tries to keep her daughter, Summer-Angel, warm to prevent her from breaking out in hives.

The 10-year-old has been diagnosed with cold urticaria, which means she suffers an allergic reaction, in the form of rashes and hives when exposed to low temperatures.

Ms Britton, a full-time carer, must keep the heating on 24/7 at her home in Seaford, East Sussex, to ensure Summer-Angel stays warm.

If the temperature drops below 20C, her daughter develops itchy rashes and hives.

Ms Britton, who receives Universal Credit and visits a food bank each week, estimates that her energy bills are about to double from about £6 a day to £12.

Energy regulator Ofgem is set to announce the latest price cap on Friday, with predictions it could rise from £1,971 to about £3,600, as the cost-of-living crisis continues.

Watch: Labour calls for energy bills freeze

The latest market research predicts that average annual energy bills could top £6,000 by next April.

"When Summer has a reaction, it's incredibly painful for her," said Ms Britton.

"It doesn't even have to be that cold for her rashes to come up, so in winter the heating is on all the time without question.

"I'm expecting my energy bills to double in winter and we just won't be able to have the heating on, full stop.

"I can't even really afford what we're paying at the moment. I'm nearly £700 in debt and we haven't even had the heating on recently.

"I'm petrified what will happen to Summer. I feel so helpless.

"What am I supposed to tell her when she says she is cold? All I can do is give her a coat and hot water bottle, but it might not be enough. It's just really, really worrying."

Ms Britton lives with her partner, James Broadway, 35, and their four children aged 10, seven, two and 11 months.

Summer-Angel was diagnosed with cold urticaria when she was one but her mother said it's been almost impossible to control the condition over the years.

She is prescribed antihistamine medications and sometimes her throat will swell up when she has a cold drink.

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According to the Mayo Clinic in the US, cold urticaria "is a skin reaction to cold that appears within minutes after cold exposure".

It added: "Affected skin develops itchy welts (hives).

"People with cold urticaria experience widely different symptoms. Some have minor reactions to the cold, while others have severe reactions. For some people with this condition, swimming in cold water could lead to very low blood pressure, fainting or shock."

Symptoms include hives on the area of the skin exposed to the cold, as well swelling of the hands while holding cold objects and swelling of the lips while consuming cold food or drink.

In severe cases, it can cause swelling of the tongue and throat and some sufferers may even go into anaphylactic shock.

Ms Britton said: "It's quite a rare thing, not a lot of people know what the condition is.

"Parents snigger when you say your daughter is allergic to the cold, until you explain it's actually really serious.

"Summer asks me, 'Why do I have this? Why am I different from all my friends?' and gets quite upset.

"People stare at her when her allergies are up because her rash comes out so much.

"I already suffer with anxiety but knowing winter is coming makes me feel more anxious than ever.

"How will I keep her warm? What am I supposed to tell her when she says she is cold?

"We've always managed but now the prices getting are sky-high and we just don't have the money to pay for it. I feel very helpless."

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