Electricity and gas companies EDF and E-on were among the companies that came under fire on social media, with one saying its bill had nearly doubled. Earlier this week experts warned that the average household bill could rise to £4,266 a year in January. That figure was eclipsed by an even gloomier forecast from consultancy Auxilione on Thursday, which said they could rise to more than £5,000 by April. Are you experiencing such huge jumps in direct debits? If so, please email [email protected] Ofgem, the regulator, is due to lift the current price cap in October. It is expected to fetch over £3,500. However, one Twitter user, using the handle @AFMLambie, said his bill had already risen from £252 to £473. “This is not acceptable @edfenergy How do you expect people to find £473 every month?” the person wrote. “£252 a month is almost impossible to find and you’re increasing your direct debit by almost 88%”. Another Twitter user, Neil J Edmonds, said his bill had shot up to £959.12 a month for a “two-bed semi”. “Explain yourself @eon_next,” he added. See my attachments. July usage was 199kWh billed at £103.63. I refuse to pay it as you continue to set the fixed charge at £700+ every month and want to increase it to almost £1000 a month in September cash grab greed. Outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted on Friday that hard-hit households can expect extra help to deal with rising living costs and energy bills, regardless of who succeeds him as prime minister. He also signaled that he believes the current package of measures is not enough to support British households amid a worsening economic outlook. Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have been criticized for not promising enough support for struggling households (Average PA) Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor and Tory leadership candidate, has set out plans for extra help for those struggling to pay their bills. His rival Liz Truss, the foreign secretary and front-runner to replace Mr Johnson as prime minister, has so far refused to commit to what she described as “handouts” to ease the crisis. An EDF Energy spokesman encouraged customers with concerns to contact the company so they can investigate. “Any of our customers who are on a fixed price tariff should not see any increase until the point when the tariff ends,” they added. “Customers who are not on a fixed price tariff will see their direct charges change at the point of their 6-monthly Direct Charge review, where we assess the amount of energy the customer uses and calculate the annual cost based on their rates. “The annual cost is then spread over the year in equal installments rather than fluctuating on a monthly basis based on usage. “Customers retain the option to increase their Direct Debit amounts at any time if they feel they would like to be in line with the price cap increases. “In addition, we encourage our customers to consider a smart meter or provide regular readings to ensure they receive accurate bills and to help us make more accurate calculations at the checkpoint. “Smart meters also allow our customers to better understand their usage, as well as provide personalized energy saving advice through the energy hub.” The Independent has contacted E-on for comment.
