PRICE HIKE
Bitter blow to pensioners stripped of cold weather payments as winter fuel bills set to soar by £140
Energy bill increase comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the axing of the winter benefit
WINTER fuel bills are set to soar ten per cent — in a particularly bitter blow to pensioners stripped of cold weather payments.
Ten million old people who no longer get help of up to £300 a year will now be among those facing a £140 annual jump in energy costs.
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Regulator Ofgem will reveal its latest price cap — the maximum suppliers can charge for gas and electricity — in less than three weeks.
It will come into force in October.
Analysts at energy consultancy BFY Group forecast it will rise ten per cent, from the current £1,568 to £1,700.
Cornwall Insights predict a similar leap.
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It comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the axing of the winter benefit, ranging from £100 to £300 depending on a pensioner’s age and whether they live alone.
The payment had been in place since 1997.
The government decision was slammed by charity Age UK, which warned two million poorer pensioners “will be in serious trouble as a result”.
Its protest petition has more than 270,000 signatures.
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Energy bills have fallen dramatically from their peak of £2,500 last year — but still remain at least £500 more than the average level in 2021.
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Consumer experts have recommended trying to save money by finding a fixed energy deal to cushion any price cap increase.
But price comparison website Uswitch warned customers to check if such deals had exit fees before signing up.
And several big energy firms have already withdrawn their cheapest fixed-rate deals.
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