Energy ‘will be unaffordable in three years’ as bills soar
Millions of families will be unable to pay to heat their homes within three years as energy bills soar past the £1,500 barrier, figures show.
One in three households is likely to find gas and electricity costs have become unaffordable by 2015.
They have already seen bills more than double in the past eight years, according to consumer groups.
Further increases at the same rate could reach the tipping point of £1,582 in three years and £2,766 by 2018.
Ann Robinson (no relation!), from uSwitch.com, which compiled the figures, said: ‘The UK is hurtling towards a cliff beyond which the price of household energy will become unaffordable.’
An estimated 6.5million people already live in fuel poverty, where they have to choose between paying for heating or for other daily essentials.
As bills climb further, three-quarters of families say they will have to ration energy and six in ten are likely to go without adequate heating, uSwitch.com estimates. ‘Time is running out – if pricing trends continue we will hit “crunch point” in less than three years,’ Ms Robinson added.
The predictions also do not include any extra costs added to bills by power companies investing in technology to make their fuels greener.
Maria Wardrobe, from fuel poverty charity National Energy Action, said: ‘It is time to utilise some of the revenues from carbon taxes and the increased revenue from VAT on bills to pay for a programme to protect the most vulnerable.’
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/900610-energy-will-be-unaffordable-in-three-years-as-bills-soar#ixzz1x61A59cp
