CAMPAIGNERS are calling for more to be done to help thousands who cannot afford to stay warm in their homes with one woman sleeping in a tent in bed.

The Brighton and Hove Energy Services Co-operative Ltd (BHESCo), cited latest available figures showing that 12 per cent of households (15,000) in the city cannot afford their fuel costs.

One woman told The Argus she took to sleeping in a tent on her bed in order to try and stave off the cold in a rented flat.

Kayla Ente, founder and CEO of BHESCo, said the problem was partly due to low quality housing stock driving up energy bills.

She said: "It breaks your heart. I would like to see the council and landlords working with community groups to develop solutions, and we would like to see more support for renewable energy."

Experts say that health risks from cold weather include heart attacks, strokes, influenza, depression and carbon monoxide poisoning.

In 2013/14, the latest available figures, there were 50 excess winter deaths in Brighton and Hove, lower than in the rest of the south-east.

Kay Woodley, 49, has lived in rented accommodation in Brighton for years and recalled pitching a tent on her bed last year in Sackville Road, Hove, where heating cost £5 to top up via a metre card available from the letting agent.

She said: "I just could not get warm - I had five water bottles. I just thought, 'what am I going to do?' It was warmer outside than it was inside. I thought I could make a warm micro-climate with a tent. At the tent shop I think they thought I was going up a mountain. It helped a little to begin with."

She called for more oversight on the standard of rented accommodation to check heating was working and was affordable.

Rita Newman, 71, from Portslade, said she was also struggling after being told she was in arrears on her energy bill; she believes this is a mistake and is challenging the bill with BHESCo's help.

She said: "I don't like this hanging over me. It means I am hesitant with the heating now; I cannot afford to end up with any more sudden costs."

BHESco has started a new energy assessment service to help people to keep their homes warmer at a lower cost.

Visit bhesco.k-hosting.co.uk for more information.