Of all the price rises affecting householders, energy hikes are the most striking. On April 1 the energy price cap will increase by an average of £693 for householders on default tariffs - and there are 22 million of them in the UK - taking the average annual gas and electricity bill to £1,971. It's a rise of 54%.
A further hike has been widely predicted when the cap is adjusted again. Some analysts reckon £3,000 is not beyond the realms in October. Just as winter is looming and boilers whir back into life.
People in towns like Pontarddulais in Swansea, whose population of around 6,500 is not that rich and not that poor, are taking notice. Everyone not on a fixed-term energy contract has a story to tell. And a sense of powerlessness.
