Pensioner on deathbed left with no heat for over a week

A 72 year old, dying pensioner Ellen Eden was left without heating for more than a week in her Harold Hill council flat following a gas meter mix up. Ellen, who has cancer, was discharged from hospital last week where she was treated for pneumonia to return back to her flat on one of the coldest weeks of the year.

Social services in charge of dealing with Ellen’s care, had mistakenly believed she had heating. The bedridden pensioner, who has been in and out of hospital for 5 weeks with chest infections and pneumonia, needed blankets and hot water bottles to keep her warm. The problems started for Ellen and her husband Ken when British Gas installed a pay and go electricity meter on November 19, along with a £10 Credit.

The problem arose when the credit ran out, and as the couple had not received a meter key or top up card, they were unable to buy more. She said: “I’ve never felt so bad; I can’t get out of bed. I’m freezing, I need help, I’m dying from cancer and I can’t even keep warm.”

While Ellen was in hospital, Ken decided to open the electricity meter with pliers to check their credit limit, and found it empty. When Ellen mentioned to the social services that her flat had no heating, and that the windows wouldn’t close properly as the handles were broken, they told her, “to go home anyway.”

“So I’ve been in bed covered in blankets and hot water bottles for nine days. I’ve still got pains in my chest,” Ellen stated.

A council spokesman said Mrs Eden’s husband had told them the couple had access to heating, which they deny. Mrs Eden, who requires two carers a day to help her, has an aggressive form of ovarian cancer which has seen her haemorrhaging blood for nine months. She also has heart problems and arthritis.

Following the incident, British Gas has provided the Eden’s flat with emergency heating along with a top up card and key on its way. Catrin Millar, from British Gas, said, “... we are sorry for any stress or concern... there was a delay in sending a payment card.” While the council had fixed the problem with the window, Cllr Lesley Kelly said, “We will get in contact... so that everything is working as it should be.”