Gas bills rise 80% in Britain and anticipate a harsh winter

Jennifer Jones is paying more and more for her energy bill. But there is never enough money. And when she can’t pay, she immediately feels the impact: in her London home, the electricity has suddenly gone out three times.

Like her, millions of people in Britain are suffering the brunt of inflation, which will now get worse after a Increase of 80%. on the gas and electricity bill.

Like millions of others, Jones, 54, is struggling to get by the prices of energy and food are skyrocketing during Britain’s worst cost of living crisis in a generation.

This former head teacher has health problems and is dependent on government subsidies to survive, but those social benefits aren’t enough to cover her growing bills.

“I’ve always had problems, but not that many,” he said. “Everything is getting more and more expensive. I can’t pay the rent, I can’t pay the city taxes, I can’t afford anything. I keep wondering, what should I do?”

And the situation is getting worse. Britain’s residents will see an 80% increase in annual energy bills, the regulator announced Friday, after a record 54% increase in April.

This will bring the average cost to the customer from £ 1,971 ($ 2,332) per year to £ 3,549 ($ 4,184).

difficult winter

The new price cap – the maximum that gas suppliers can charge customers per unit of energy – will take effect on 1 October, at the beginning of the coldest months. And the bill is expected to rise again in January to £ 4,000.

The fault of the increase is the increase in the price of natural gas caused by the Russian war in Ukraine, which affects consumer prices and affects European economies that depend on this fuel to heat homes and generate electricity.