Household energy bills set to rise

18 May 2012

Posted by John King

Householders are under a huge amount of financial pressure at present as the economy falters and unemployment remains stubbornly high.

With the government banking on growth in the long-term, people are being urged to hunker down and wait for the cost of living to start falling.

However, new research from uSwitch.com shows that energy bills are going to continue rising in the coming years - climbing by as much as 140 per cent between now and 2020.

In its survey, the price comparison website found that energy affordability is now the top concern for cash-strapped consumers.

The firm's director of consumer policy Ann Robinson said: "Energy now accounts for a significant slice of household income which is why the numbers rationing their energy use have risen so steeply in recent years.

"But going cold or without is a short-term and potentially harmful fix and not a long-term solution."

However, the rising cost of energy is no reason to rein in spending on green energy initiatives, it has been claimed.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change believes that energy bills could fall by as much as £94 if the government sticks with its low-carbon plans.

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