Stacey Solomon is concerned that she might not be able to afford to pay the energy bills on her beloved Pickle Cottage amid the cost of living crisis.
The former X Factor star shares the sprawling £1.2million home with new husband Joe Swash and their children – Zachary, Leighton, Rex, Harry, and Rose.
But as bills soar across the country, the Loose Women panellist is worried their newly-renovated home could become ‘beyond their means.’
DIY queen Stacey has shared the whole process of moving into their cottage, and has taken on much of the interior design work herself.
The gorgeous abode features a swimming pool, as well as a games room, which Stacey designed as a present for former EastEnders actor Joe.
However, like much of the population, she’s fretting about not being able to live comfortably with the price of gas and electricity on the rise.
Speaking to the Guardian, Stacey said: ‘If our energy bill doubles, then it might well be beyond our means in the future.’
Noting that she’s in a more fortunate position than most, she added: ‘I’m not saying it is the same for us as someone on the breadline, ’cos it blooming well isn’t. But it’s such a scary time.
‘How have we allowed the country to get to this point? How can the government not be prepared for it?’
Stacey’s comments come ahead of the energy price cap coming into place tomorrow (October 1), meaning the typical household energy bill will be frozen at £2,500.
But, a household’s actual energy bill could be more or less than the £2.5k, as Prime Minister Liz Truss’ Energy Price Guarantee caps the cost per unit.
Stacey – who is loved by many for her down-to-Earth nature – recently made headlines for other matters relating to finances, as she voiced her confusion over why the country pays into the monarchy.
Also in her Guardian interview, Stacey shared her belief that the country has its priorities wrong and the money going to the Royal Family should be instead going to people in need.
‘I have nothing against the monarchy and the Queen seemed like a lovely lady, but I don’t understand why we pay a contribution to one of the wealthiest families in the world,’ she said.
Her comments come after an old Loose Women clip resurfaced around the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, in which Stacey said she didn’t get the ‘obsession’ with the royals.
Reflecting on the historic clip, the singer added: ‘Some of our kids weren’t even getting school lunches, and to know a huge amount of money is going to somebody who doesn’t need it, I just couldn’t get my head around that.’
The Essex star has a solution, though: ‘It would be cool if there was an opt-in opt-out version and you can opt to give it to somebody else.’
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