£100 FUEL BILL SHOCK

Brits facing ‘heat or eat’ crisis

FIFTEEN million of Britain’s poorest homes will have to find almost £100 more for energy.

Campaigners warned hiking the annual price cap to prepandemic levels could leave them having to choose between heating and eating.

Simon Francis, of the End Fuel Poverty campaign, said: “While the price cap rises may seem small to officials, for ordinary people it means the choice between heating or eating becomes even starker.”

Richard Neudegg, of Uswitch, said: “News of the price cap rising by an average of £96 from April will be a bitter pill to swallow for the 11million default tariff customers with standard meters.

“With more of us at home, usage remains high and there’s a very real danger it will end up trapping households on default tariffs into a vicious circle of energy debt.”

Power regulator Ofgem says for six months from April 1 the maximum price suppliers can charge for electricity and gas will rise from £1,042 a year to £1,138.

The £96 cap increase will hit around 11m households on a standard dual-fuel energy tariff. Around four million pre-payment meter customers will also see bills rise by £87 to £1,156 per year.

The increase will wipe out a £95 annual saving announced in October.

The best value fixed deal on the market is £945-a-year from Avro Energy – £193 less than the new price cap.