Energy price crisis: "It is frightening” - Sheffield residents fear increase in energy bills

The UK Government's energy price cap is due to be revised by Ofgem (the industry regulator) in February, with the increase put onto customers' bills from April.

Money-Saving expert Martin Lewis is calling on the government to intervene now to avoid a crisis in the energy market and has warned that a dramatic increase in bills may leave some people choosing between buying food or heating their homes.

Mr Lewis said: “We need to look at what we can do now and how we can protect those people who will need to choose between heating and eating.

“There are already some who are having to make that choice. We need to look at the whole structure of the energy market.”

According to Cornwall Insights, an energy sector specialist, bills could rise from £1,277 a year under the current price cap to £1,865 a year when the next revision is announced - a rise of 46 per cent.

We’ve spoken to residents in Sheffield to find out how they would feel about a huge rise to energy bills.

One resident said: “Everybody has got to be worried haven’t they, especially when you’ve got your own house. It is frightening.”

Another said: “I’m worried like everybody else is, but there’s not much we can do about it. I can’t see what the government can do apart from subsidise it, but we’re in enough debt as it is.”