A Derry resident was left shocked when they discovered a can of coca-cola had frozen because they cannot afford to heat their home.
Thousands across Northern Ireland cannot afford to turn on their heat as temperatures dropped to as low as -6C in some parts of the country on Tuesday.
A concerned neighbour, who didn't want to be named, spoke to MyDerry outlining how a nearby resident's home was so cold that the soft drink had completely frozen, distorting the aluminium can when left beside the kitchen window.
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The resident, who lives in the Carnhill area, is on job seekers allowance and lives on £65 a week, leaving them unable to fill their gas up as regularly as it demands.
"It's heartbreaking, it really is," the concerned neighbour said. "I was speaking with them about this and I was shocked. I couldn't believe it.
"I would try and help this person out now and again if I can, but because of the current situation, you can only do so much.
"They get around £130 a fortnight and they manage their money really well, but it's really difficult at times. I don't think some people realise that there are people out there surviving on £65 a week to eat and heat themselves.
"This is a real situation in 2022 and people are really struggling. This particular person would be lucky if they could put £20 in their gas meter a month.
"They have been doing that for years and it was already a struggle, but because of the really bad weather in the last few days, and the current financial climate, they can't afford it anymore.
"They just happen to have two cans of coca-cola and they put one in their fridge and another one they had left, by mistake, on the window sill in their kitchen.
"When they came downstairs, they discovered that the coke can was completely frozen and the can was distorted. That's how cold it is in their kitchen, that's disgraceful.
"This is how people are living in the current times. This person stays in their bedroom underneath the bed covers just to stay warm because they can't be in any other room in the home because they can't afford to put on their heat.
"I took this person out to the shops one day to try and help them out because they were really struggling, and I didn't want to see them go hungry.
"I pointed at an uncooked chicken and they told me that they couldn't use it because they couldn't afford the electricity. I was heartbroken when they said that. They only wanted cooked foods because they could eat those.
"It's absolutely heartbreaking and I wanted to highlight this story because people are struggling bad and they don't know where to turn."
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