A frightened mum-of-four says she now eats just one meal a day so her children and animals don't starve.
Helen Somers, 52, is "sickened" that she will be paying more than £500 a month for her energy from January - and now can't even afford a cheese omelette dinner.
A huge rise has left her with no alternative but to slash her food intake to save money, LincolnshireLive reports.
The parent, who has myalgic encephalomyelitis, will only be able to eat a school lunch she gets for a reduced price due to her job as a teaching assistant.
But she is going without at home in a desperate attempt to make ends meet and settle the crushing bills.
She says that the family have always lived "from hand to mouth", but things has never been this bad.
The worried mum adds: "I didn’t honestly think as I got older I’d be worse off than I was.
"I didn’t think I’d be worse off now than I was when I first became a single parent.
"I had four children and we could afford to go out, we could afford to do things.
"Whereas now, it’s school holidays and I can’t afford for us to go anywhere. I’m sickened really, I am. I’m really low with it."
Helen says that she is checking her bank every day to see if she has any money in it and "watching every penny".
She has described the situation as "ridiculous" and said that she does not feel that she should be living like this at her age.
"Every day I’m checking my bank to see whether I’ve got anything in it. You’re watching every penny you spend, you’re watching the petrol in the car before you go anywhere. It’s ridiculous", Helen says.
"I shouldn’t be doing this at my age. I love the fact that all my children are earning more than me, but I shouldn’t be feeling like this at my age.
"We’ve always lived from hand to mouth. I’ve got four children, I’ve raised them on my own. Now I’ve just got my youngest son living with me.
"He’s 18, he’s been doing his A-levels this year. We’re basically living on his tax credits and child benefit. I come home with about £840 a month.
"I do get, at the minute, working tax credit but all that will stop, when Charlie’s classed as not being a student anymore.
"Do I pay the water bill or do I pay the community charge? Whatever I pay, I’m going to be in debt to someone."
Helen has noticed her food shop steadily creeping up, so much so that meals she previously considered "cheap" eats - like beans on toast or an omelette - are not so, anymore.
But the biggest concern for Helen is being able to afford to run her home, as her meter readings have predicted a staggering rise in energy costs for her.
She explains: "I put my meter readings on and it gave me a forecast of how much (my energy bill is) going to go up.
"At the minute I’m paying £197.45 a month for gas and electric. Last year I was paying £70 a month for both.
"By October, it’s telling me it’ll be £293.67 a month. November, it’s saying I should be paying £380.72 a month. December, £459.57 to keep on top of it. January, £511.98."
Now, Helen is calling on the Government to do more to help families like hers.
She says that the country needs a person who understands the situation, so that they can help.
"We need someone that does understand the cost of living. Someone that knows how much things cost.
"Not someone that gives us false promises, someone that will actually do something. We’re not wanting handouts, we all work hard", Helen says.
"It’s going to get worse before it gets better. That’s the hardest thing, there’s no end in sight, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel on this one is there?"
