25% of Britons are considering turning off the heat in winter

Around a quarter of British households are so worried about their electricity bills that they are considering spending the next heating season without heat or hot water, according to a survey by Citizens Advice. suggested.

The concern follows plans by the national electricity market regulator to raise the bill cap by a further 9.2% to £150 or $195.

The Citizens Advice report said the percentage of those worried about their electricity affordability was substantially higher among households with children, where the percentage was 31%, and low-income households, where 39% were worried about the upcoming heating season.

The consumer advocacy group also reported that 48 percent of respondents to its survey said they would need to turn down the heat or turn it off to survive the winter financially. Another 34% said it would be difficult for them to afford food, mortgage payments or childcare this winter because of higher electricity prices.

Citizens Advice called on the authorities to find a way out, saying that “while plans to focus the energy market on renewables could reduce energy bills in the long term, households in desperate need cannot afford to wait until then”.

The specific move the Keir Starmer government was able to make, according to the organisation, was to increase the amount of state aid on energy bills for low-income households.

Earlier this year, energy consultancy Cornwall Insight predicted UK electricity costs would average £113 per MWh this year — double the historical average, City AM. reported in January.

This week the BBC reported that Ofgem, the market regulator, was likely to raise the cap on energy bills by 9%, citing Cornwall Insight as the source of the forecast, as electricity suppliers’ wholesale costs have risen by 20% in recent months. Ofgem will decide the limit in October.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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