Energy UK urges government action on bills this winter

Why Energy UK says winter bills are rising again

Suppliers' trade body Energy UK says ministers must act now, or face a bigger, costlier crisis later.

The warning follows October's 4% rise in the Ofgem price cap, which took the typical dual-fuel bill to £1,723 a year.

Forecasters expect a further 16% rise by January, when the cap next resets for 20 million households.

Cutting costs before then might start with whether it's cheaper to leave the heater on low all day.

It's one of several household costs rising fast, alongside the council's plan to hike council tax by 'outrageous' 94%.

How much energy bills are expected to rise - what the government is considering

Energy UK accepts the government has already helped, citing Thursday's VAT cut on electricity, but it says high wholesale costs.

Partly driven by Middle East conflict, disruptions of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have wiped out those savings.

Cornwall Insight expects the typical bill to reach £1,999 in January, close to 2022's Russia-driven peak.

"We cannot afford to wait for the same scale of crisis before acting again," said Energy UK chief executive Dhara Vyas.

"We must heed the lessons from that time."

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the government was looking at any measure to ease the pressure on households, according to the BBC.

Energy UK says unpaid customer debt already adds an average of £67 a year to everyone else's costs.