Cost of living crisis: Reaction and advice from Sheffield expert as October price cap could see average bills skyrocket to £3,358

Energy prices in the UK are expected to skyrocket once more as people feel the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

The expectation is that the October energy price cap will rise by 70 per cent or more, which could see the average bill in the UK cost a staggering £3,358.

Dr Robert Marchand, Director of Undergraduate Education at the University of Sheffield and Founder of the Fuel Poverty Research Network, has given his thoughts on the October price cap rise and what it means for the people of Sheffield.

"It is a very worrying concern,” said Robert, “as it is getting so much colder by that point of the year everyone will be turning on their heating, so at the minute you’d say that we are not really feeling the pain as much as we could have been as we haven’t had the call for heating whilst we have had some excessive heat.

"The cold is coming and it is going to be much more of a challenge when the winter comes on and people start upping their gas usage.

"It is a genuine concern for all sectors of society.”

Robert says that the original definition of fuel poverty was spending more than 10 per cent of your household income on energy, and this price cap will see most households paying 10 per cent or more of their household income on energy, a real concern for the people.

"People are going to be spending more than ten per cent of their household income on energy this winter, or more concerning, they won’t be (spending it).

"It is also going to be costs for the NHS because, as soon as your house drops below 18 degrees, there are increases in respiratory problems and the colder it goes, you get more cardio problems too, so not only do we have individuals feeling cold, we have got increase challenges for society and an already overstretched NHS.”

On why he believes prices are increasing at such a staggering rate, Robert says: “I think we’ve got the geo-politics as a background to all of this, with the Ukraine crisis, and increasing likelihood of other conflicts – any time there is a potential war, we see fuel prices increase due to the inevitable increase by military.

"Against all that, you’ve got record profits for organisations like BP who are spending heavily on advertising that they’re investing in green energy but actually when you look at the proportion of their income they’re spending on that, it is miniscule.

"They are not putting in the effort to make our energy supply more sustainable, presumably because it works well for their shareholders.

“I think what we are seeing is profiteering from energy companies and a lack of investment in renewable and low-carbon sources that would have shielded us from some of this impact."

Dr Robert Marchand has offered some advice on how to save money with energy prices rising, via his article on The Conversation:

Use your curtains – Open your curtains and let the sunlight in during the day to make use of this free heat. When it gets dark, shut your curtains, which act as another layer of insulation and keep warmth in your rooms.

Turn down the dial – The World Health Organisation previously recommended a minimum temperature of 21°C in the living room, but Public Health England revised this to 18°C in 2014. And research shows that turning your thermostat down by 1°C could cut your heating bill by up to 10%.

Block out draughts – Even a simple solution such as a making your own sausage dog draught excluder will help keep the warmth in your home. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that DIY draught-proofing your doors, windows and cracks in the floor could save £25 per year.

Reflect the heat – Radiator panels are relatively cheap, easy to install, and ensure that heat from your radiators warms up your room and not your walls. They work by reflecting the heat back into the room.

For more money-saving tips from Dr Robert Marchand, visit The Conversation here.