After death of Haverhill man, 96, who caught hypothermia in unheated house, people are urged to ‘get help with your energy bills’

The tragic case of a 96-year-old who developed hypothermia brought on by failing to heat his Haverhill home and who later died in hospital has triggered a call for people to ‘not suffer in silence’ but get help with their energy bill.

An inquest held earlier this month into the death of Arthur Tickridge, of Stockley Close, found that when he arrived at Addenbrooke’s Hospital he was suffering from hypothermia.

The inquest was told that due to the cost of living crisis, the heating was not switched on during the day in Mr Tickridge’s home leading him to become hypothermic. He died on December 19.

Cllr Tony Brown, within whose Haverhill ward Mr Tickridge lived, said after learning of the tragedy: “It’s a very sad case. A 96-year-old man frightened to put the heating on.

“The sad thing is that there is help out there. A lot of people just don’t ask for help, they just soldier on. I always think, especially at 96, he possibly was a World War Two veteran or something like that and did what a lot of that age group did and just battled on and in this day and age, with technology and everything, people like that are just slipping through the net and it is a shame. There is help out there. Don’t suffer in silence. Just pick up the phone.”

Haverhill welfare charity, REACH Community Projects, says they have seen an increase in the number of people concerned about the winter months ahead.

Diana Allin, Community Outreach Advisor at the charity, said no help had yet been announced for those struggling financially as we look ahead to the colder months.

“It’s very much a situation whereby people are thinking ‘what do we not eat or not do?’

in order to afford to put the heating on, which only exacerbates health issues,” said Diana. “There’s certainly a sense of fear about what the next couple of months could bring as the colder weather approaches.”

REACH says its overriding message to anyone who is worried about the cost of energy this winter, or those with elderly friends or relatives who may be too afraid about the cost of having their heating on, would be to encourage them to get in touch.

“Do get in touch. One ten-minute chat will tell us whether there is something they could be claiming in order to help with the rising costs of energy this winter. Please don’t suffer,” said Diana.