‘The future’s quite bleak’: Consumers react to 54% energy price cap hike

Consumers have described their worries for a “bleak” future because of another rise in energy prices.

One mother said she was “absolutely horrified” by a 54% increase in the price cap announced by regulator Ofgem, which will see bills rise by £693 for millions of households from April.

And a man who has spent the winter largely confined to one room in his flat in an attempt to keep his bills down described how things are “going to get even harder”.

Melanie, who lives with her partner and six-year-old daughter in Flintshire and did not wish to give her surname, said: “If things keep rising the way they are, we’re going to be in a terrible predicament where yeah, we are gonna have to start considering using food banks.

“We pride ourselves on every time we do a food shop, we buy at least one thing for the food bank – the tables are going to turn where we’re having to possibly ask them for help after April.”

Because of a degenerative spinal condition, 47-year-old Melanie – a former purchaser for the NHS – is no longer able to work and is cared for by her partner.

She was unimpressed by Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s support package – which he said will amount to £350 for most households – and said the Government should do more to help.

She cited the money written off by the Government in recent weeks around Covid support claims and unusable or overpriced protective equipment during the pandemic as proof money is available.

“It’s just really infuriating,” she said.

“To see people just being able to write off billions of pounds worth of fraudulent claims and fraudulent awards, Government contracts, and you think ‘we’re struggling to find money for gas and electric and other people are just quite happily partying, enjoying themselves, getting on with life like there’s nothing wrong, nothing going on’.

“And it just seems to me that the wealthy are laughing at the rest of us that are not in that position.”

She added: “I just feel very let down and almost like those of us in need have been set adrift without a life buoy being thrown to us when it could be. It almost feels like we’re there bobbing about on our raft, trying to tread water while they sail on by in their yachts drinking champagne.”

Marvin Williams, 40, said he had had to rely on food banks over the winter as well as receiving support from fuel poverty charity National Energy Action to help pay his bills.

Mr Williams, from Manchester, told the PA news agency: “Over the winter I’ve literally just been living in one room just to try and keep warm.

“If I were to put all the storage heaters on in the other room to try and keep constantly warm all day long, it just wouldn’t be viable.”

Mr Williams has reduced movement because of degenerative arthritis and is currently unemployed.

He described the 54% rise as “absolutely disgusting” and said it left him feeling worried about what was to come.

Mr Williams said: “I’m just not feeling confident about the future anyway because obviously it’s going to get even harder, isn’t it?

“The future’s actually quite bleak at present.”