With winter now here, and more price rises on the horizon, we are concerned about how families with a seriously ill child at home will manage their energy costs.

Many of the families we support at CHAS simply have no choice but to use substantially more energy than the average household. This can be because of:

• Heating the home for children who cannot control their body temperature.
• Running life-saving equipment like ventilators and suction machines.
• Running assisted living and mobility equipment like air mattresses, hoists and wheelchairs.
• Lots of extra washing and drying of bedding, towels and clothes due to continence issues.

And the impact on their bills is staggering.  

Many of the families we support face bills that are double that of an average household. 

Running a ventilator – an essential piece of medical equipment - costs £26 per month, while a humidifier (used alongside a ventilator) adds another £15 per month. Washing and drying costs alone can be over £180 a month.

And all of this is before they've even turned on the heating.

That’s why we want to see families get a tailored package of support from the Scottish Government in December’s Budget.

Our call is simple: we are asking the Scottish Government to provide a fixed sum of £25 a week to each eligible family of a child with a life-shortening condition, to help cover their energy costs. 

Looking after a sick child is stressful enough without worrying about money. 

Please join us in asking the Scottish Government is help power precious lives, in its December Budget.