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Announced energy bill hike causing uncertainty before wintertime

Today’s announcement from Ofgem on the average household energy bill rising to £3,549 a year from October, has left many families worried up and down the country.

Cameron Stocker Consultant 26/08/2022

This hike in energy bills coupled with increased inflation has left many to speculate how they will be able to heat their homes come wintertime.

As inflation sores, wages have stagnated, creating a so-called ‘Summer of Strikes’

Almost nine in ten (88%) say they are concerned about the rising cost of living, according to a new survey from Savanta ComRes, while 55% say they are very concerned. On the other end of the spectrum, only one in ten (11%) say they are not concerned about the rising cost of living, including only 2% that say they are very unconcerned.

The poll, which asked the public their views on the rising cost of living prior to today’s announcement from Ofgem, found that only a third (32%) say they would be able to comfortably afford energy bills if they rise again this autumn. Half (53%) say they would not.

The main factors causing worry among the public are:

  • The cost of energy bills rising (60%)
  • Increasing cost of food (12%),
  • Increasing prices of petrol/diesel (8%)
  • Increasing rent/mortgage rates (6%).

Only 4% say the government are doing a lot to slow inflation, while three in ten say they are not doing anything (29%). This figure includes one in five (21%) Conservative voters, indicating the new Prime Minister may have to act quickly upon entering office.

As inflation soars, wages have stagnated, creating a so-called ‘Summer of Strikes’. Six in ten (60%) say businesses should increase wages at the same rate of inflation, while only a quarter (23%) say they should not. However, the proportion who say the government and charities should not increase the wages of civil servants and their employees rises to around three in ten (32% and 30% respectively).

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