The scale of the squeeze Britons face on their incomes has been laid bare, with the energy price cap confirmed to increase average bills by more than 80 per cent in October – and forecasts predicting annual costs of £7,000 by April.
Regulator Ofgem has revealed that the price cap, which is supposed to protect consumers from unfair energy bill increases, will rise to £3,549 per year for an average household – more than three times last winter’s level. That is expected to leave some 8.9 million households in fuel poverty, charity bosses have said, with a “real risk” that children will go hungry as Britain’s poorest see almost half of their income taken up by gas and electricity.
