Lead

Millions of households in Great Britain will be pushed into fuel poverty as the quarterly energy price cap rises by 13% from Wednesday, adding more than £220 a year to typical bills, according to campaigners and industry data.

The cap, which sets the maximum charge for gas and electricity, will rise to the equivalent of £1,862 a year for an average household, the steepest summer increase in four years, as reported by The Guardian.

Coverage Comparison

The Guardian’s coverage highlights the human impact of the rise, quoting fuel poverty campaigners who warn that the number of households forced to spend more than 10% of their income on energy bills will increase to 13.5 million, up from almost 11.3 million in April. The End Fuel Poverty Coalition, which calculated the figures based on research by the University of York, said almost 5.5 million homes would face bills equivalent to about 20% of their income, up sharply from 4.3 million in April.

The newspaper also notes that the government has taken £150 off energy bills for the years ahead, but critics argue this is insufficient. The tone of the reporting is critical of the government’s handling of energy costs, with words like “financial nightmare” and “impossible choices” used to describe the situation for households.

Key Claims

  • The quarterly cap on gas and electricity charges will rise by 13% from Wednesday to the equivalent of £1,862 a year for an average household.
  • Unpaid energy bills have climbed by £240m in the past three months, according to data released by the industry regulator Ofgem, reaching an all-time high of almost £4.8bn.
  • Wholesale energy prices have surged due to the war in Iran, which has disrupted oil and gas shipments via the Strait of Hormuz for the past four months.
  • Good Energy has set out a proposal to cut household costs by £270 annually.
  • 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.
  • Almost 5.5m homes will face energy bills of about 20% of their income, up sharply from 4.3m in April this year.
  • The union Unite has planned protests across the country to call for an immediate and deep cut to energy costs and a plan to renationalise energy companies.

Perspectives

Government: The government has taken £150 of costs off energy bills for the years ahead, a measure it says helps households. However, the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has previously ruled out offering the universal energy support provided by Liz Truss’s government in 2022.

Campaigners and unions: Fuel poverty campaigners, including the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, warn that the rise will push millions into fuel poverty, forcing them to spend an unsustainable share of their income on energy. The union Unite has planned protests across the country to demand immediate and deep cuts to energy costs and a plan to renationalise energy companies.