Energy bosses warn of ‘truly horrific’ October price rise and call for ‘massive’ package of support

Energy bosses today demanded Chancellor Rishi Sunak offer ‘unprecedented’ help for Britons as they warned of a ‘truly horrific’ situation in October when gas and electricity bills are set to soar again.

Households, who have already seen a huge rise in their bills this month, are braced for another massive hike in six months’ time due to the ongoing energy crisis.

Appearing before MPs today, the bosses of the UK’s largest energy companies urged the government to prepare for yet another shock increase by offering further support to hard-pressed Britons.

They detailed ‘a huge amount of anxiety’ among their customers, warned more than one-third of Britons could be pushed into fuel poverty, and said the worst-hit could end up paying as much as £1 in every £6 on their energy bills.

MPs also heard how debt levels were already soaring, even ahead of October’s expected next increase.

The energy bosses called on Mr Sunak and the Treasury to extend existing help for households, but also to go further by scrapping green levies on energy bills, cutting VAT on gas and electricity and also to consider a deficit fund to remove £1,000 from the bills of the most vulnerable.

The bosses of the UK’s largest energy companies urged Chancellor Rishi Sunak to offer further help for hard-pressed Britons ahead of another expected hike in bills