SURGING energy costs - resulting in  a staggering 195 per cent rise in bills - are putting Havens hospices under severe pressure "pushing it to its limits".

Havens Hospices, a charity which supports both Fair Havens and Little Havens hospices, has said “they can’t escape these costs” as energy bills continue to rise.

They expect their energy bill will rise by 195 per cent, to £250,000 in the next year.

READ MORE >> Police helicopter circling: Man arrested after being ‘seen with firearm’ in Southend

A spokesman said: “That is another quarter of a million pounds that we need to raise from our community through things like events and donations.

“We can’t escape these costs – our hospices still need to stay warm and well-lit for our patients, as well as run the vital equipment we need like oxygen and provide meals for those staying with us.

“There is an increased demand for our hospice care, and our energy, food and staffing bills are increasing, but there are signs that fundraising income is declining – both the number of people who can afford to donate to our charity and the amount they’re able to give.”

In 22/23, they cared for 16 per cent more patients than the previous year.

Havens Hospices said despite this they are “not at the stage where our care services are at risk”.

However, add they are now having to ensure the income is best spent on support patients and families who need them most.

One family is Elijah, four, and his mum Natasha Oakley, who are both supported by Little Havens at the hospice in Thundersley, and their home in Grays.

Natasha said: “I can see how children's hospices have been pushed to their limits with fundraising during this cost-of-living crisis.

“Yet hospices are still expected to provide the same level of care without the same level of funds coming in. They're literally pushed to their limits.”

Bosses of Hospice UK has said hospices across the UK are having their finances stretched “to the extreme” and is urging the Government to step in.

Southend MP Anna Firth said: “It is very sad to hear that Havens Hospices are struggling with the current cost of living.

“I have visited Fair Havens and know of the fantastic care that it delivers to residents and families at the most difficult of times, all the staff who work there are exceptional.

“The Government is doing all it can to support hospices and all palliative care institutions through the current crisis.

“Hospices have benefitted from the Government's Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS), which has reduced expenditure on energy and offered certainty over their budgets. The EBRS ended in April and has since been replaced by the Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) which will run until March 2024.”