Do we heat or do we eat: The Hobson’s choice forced on Britain’s poorest by the government

OfGem’s energy price cap rises in October and it is proving hard to find better on the market as wholesale prices continue to soar. With the cost of food similarly surging, and the government cutting universal credit, low-income Britons are being forced into an impossible situation, writes James Moore

Energy bills are rising fast in Britain (PA Archive)

The harsh reality for Britain’s poorest citizens this winter is that a resurgent pandemic could be the least of their problems.

Food prices are rising fast, universal credit is slated to fall, and energy prices are about to deliver the coup de grace.

OfGem’s price cap is slated to increase sharply in October for the 15 million customers it protects, the consequence of surging wholesale energy prices. The regulator’s illustrative figures show that a typical customer on a default tariff paying by direct debit can expect to see an annual increase of £139 to £1,277. A typical prepayment customer’s bill will be £153 higher at £1,309.