The move to freeze energy bills at an average of £2,500 a year means the poorest households will spend as much as 32% of their entire budget on gas and electricity, though the previously announced £400 discount will help relieve some of the financial pain, figures produced for the Guardian show.
However, up to 47% of their total budget would have been swallowed up by energy bills if Ofgem’s price cap had leapt 80% to £3,549 a year in October, as was originally planned.
