MORE than 100 cancer patients in Worcester may have gone to bed early in the last year to keep their energy bills down.

Macmillan Cancer Support and Npower have joined forces to highlight the issue as the energy giant has pledged a further £3 million to help keep cancer patients warm.

They aim to help people with cancer focus on getting better rather than worry about their bills.

In Worcester alone, there are at least 570 people living with cancer and 37 per cent of people diagnosed with cancer nationwide in the last two years say they feel cold more and one in five that energy bills have increased due to cancer.

Npower, whose HQ is in Worcester, has pledged the £3 million over the next three years to the Npower Macmillian Fund.

Npower head of community Clare McDougall said: "Macmillan do such vital work and that's why our employees have been supporting them for the last decade.

"Committing to another three years means Macmillan can count on our support to help keep people warm without them having to worry."

In a survey carried out by the fund, one in five people diagnosed with cancer in the last two years say they have turned the heating off when they needed it on, to keep bills down while 17 per cent also said that they had worn a coat indoors to keep warm.

With Npower’s help, Macmillan gives out an average of 41 heating grants every day with an average value of £194.

Katie, aged 47, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2015 said: “I wanted to have the heating on all of the time but was struggling to cope financially.

"I’d go to bed wearing a dressing gown and a woolly hat and still not feel warm.

“Eventually I called the Macmillan Support Line and because I was an npower customer, I was put on Npower’s Macmillan Fund. The advisor actually told me to go and put the heating on straight away! It was such a relief. They wrote off an outstanding payment and capped my bills to a manageable amount."

Fran Woodard, executive director of policy and impact at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “People going through cancer treatment are often at home more and also need to turn their heating up to deal with side effects such as weight and hair loss and circulation problems, all of which can make people feel colder.

"In addition, chemotherapy itself can have a side effect of making people feel cold. This all means that their energy use goes up whilst their income may be reduced.

If you’re living with cancer and struggling to pay your energy bills, call Macmillan Cancer Support on 0808 808 0000 Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm or visit macmillan.org.uk/keepwarm for more information.