Snell is not the only resident in the town that is concerned about struggling to afford heating and other essentials this winter.
Another pensioner, Lorraine Stevenson, said she was already limiting energy use where possible.
“I live on my own, and I live in a small house, so I struggle because obviously, just on a pension, it’s not easy,” she said. “Any reduction helps.
“I look forward to getting the winter fuel payment. People say it doesn’t really help, but it does help through the winter months because obviously you’re paying a lot more.”
She added: “You don’t keep the house really warm, but you can’t be cold, can you? Especially as the older you get.”
Among others worried about the rise is Najibullah Rahimi, who came to the UK from Afghanistan with his family about a year ago.
He told the BBC he is currently seeking work and is expecting his benefits to be capped, leaving him concerned about how his family will manage as household costs continue to rise.
“The gas bill and electricity bill and internet bills and money for the children are difficult now for me,” he said.
The additional pressure of higher winter energy bills, he said, would make an already difficult situation even more challenging.
Kelly Birkett, an accountant from Redditch, works from home. She is a mother of two and her husband is self-employed.
While they are both earning, the cost of energy is continuing to place pressure on the household income, and they are reining in family experiences.
“It’s heartbreaking how much money you don’t have to actually live your life – not just survive, but to live it and have those memories with your family and your friends and your children.
“As a family we work really hard and we wonder why? I don’t think the politicians ‘get it’ and because they don’t get it, they think they’re doing enough but they’re not.”
