We write to you to formally highlight our extensive concerns regarding the consequences of your extortionate energy price increases. We note your profits, and the personal bonuses being paid.

As a charity which runs a national helpline supporting whistleblowers and families of vulnerable elderly people in care, we have seen a marked increase in calls regarding these issues.

We must make it clear at this point that this charity does not take funding from unethical sources, and we are writing to you solely to voice our serious concerns.

We ask that you note the following facts;

Community Care Staff

Care staff who work and travel in the community visiting vulnerable people, people who are completely reliant on these care staff for vital care.

• These Care staff travel long distances especially so, in rural areas
• Staff working in this sector are notoriously low Paid and will not be able to afford energy efficient vehicles. These staff will also be struggling to pay their own household energy bills.
• Some of these staff receive a milage allowance that completely covers their costs, but many do not and are already struggling
• Some care agencies who employ these staff will not survive the increased milage costs and will go bankrupt, but many others will try to rake back increased running costs by increasing the numbers of clients to be visited by staff who are already stretched to breaking point
• Vulnerable people on the end of these increased client lists, will have to wait many hours longer each day for an exhausted carer to arrive at best, at worst, no one will arrive at all. Asking staff to do the impossible is not sustainable
• Vulnerable people who are totally reliant on that Care will suffer. Imagine being really hungry or thirsty, being unable to access food or fluids without care staff. Waiting hour after hour for staff to arrive.
• Many vulnerable people need care but are denied funding due to local authority cuts, only the most extremely vulnerable receive a care package, these people are completely reliant on care staff.

Care Home Staff

• Our helpline already receives calls from care home Whistleblowers regarding care home owners trying to economise on heating bills by turning down the thermostat or in some cases turning the heating off. This situation will escalate due to the energy profiteering crisis.
• Vulnerable care home residents are at high risk Of hyperthermia due to compromised mobility and health conditions, people will die
• Many care homes are not easily accessible by public transport, care staff will struggle to run a car and the knock-on effect of this is that staff will leave an industry that is currently in an unprecedented recruitment crisis

Vulnerable People at Home

• Vulnerable people in their own homes are at even more risk, they are at high risk of hyperthermia are not being monitored by anyone and this is the place where the deaths from cold will be highest.
  Vulnerable people will not be choosing to heat or eat, they cannot afford to do either.

We ask all those who are making massive profits or receiving personal bonuses from this energy profiteering crisis to consider the next time they raise food to your lips, complacent they will never go hungry, to remember all those who cannot because care staff did not arrive.

Please do not state your costs have gone up because that is not reflected in your profits and as for investing in infrastructure, that is an excuse pleaded for many decades with scant evidence of any such investment having taken place considering the profits involved.

A company is entitled to make as much profit as it likes as long as it does not result in loss of life and widespread human suffering. Making profit in the way you are currently doing is not only immoral it is a serious infringement of human rights.

Please note, we do not wish to hear that you have given money to charities to help those in need because, there is too much need, and many will not receive help and vital funds and time will be spent on admin.

We are asking that you take responsibility for your actions in causing that need in the first place.

We look forward to your response and will publish all responses in line with our policy.

Eileen Chubb