Energy price cap rise ‘will push millions in Great Britain into fuel poverty’

Millions of households in Great Britain will be pushed into fuel poverty after months of volatility on the global gas markets as energy bills rise by more than £220 a year under the government’s price cap from Wednesday. As the cap on gas and electricity rates rises to the equivalent of £1,862 a year, the number of households forced to spend more than 10% of their income on energy bills will increase to 13.5m from almost 11.3m in April, according to fuel poverty campaigners. The End Fuel Poverty Coalition warned that the steepest summer rise in energy charges in four years would leave almost 5.5m homes facing energy bills of about 20% of their income, up sharply from 4.3m in April this year. The charity calculated the figures based on research by the University of York. Simon Francis, the coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “These figures show the reality behind the headline price cap figure: a growing number of households are spending an unsustainable share of their income just to heat their homes in winter and keep them cool in summer.” Francis added that the situation could get worse. “With energy costs rising over the summer, any chance households had to reduce energy debts or build up reserves before the winter heating season will be wiped out,” he said. Energy prices are expected to remain high as the cooler months begin, analysts say. …