Campaigners have called on the government to offer support for households with energy bills this winter, as a third are expected to struggle and most face paying more.
Some 140 organisations and ministers called on Rishi Sunak’s government to take action ahead of the colder months in an open letter published on Friday.
In the absence of last year’s £400 support scheme, the likes of Citizens Advice, MoneySavingExpert and Age UK urged targeted aid be issued this winter ahead of a social tariff being introduced in the long term.
“I’ve long supported a social tariff. It’s why I was excited when the government said it’d bring one in,” MoneySavingExpert’s Martin Lewis said.
“Now I’m despairing at the deafening silence of inaction. This isn’t trivial, it’s a core well-being issue for millions. The government needs to pull its bloody finger out.”
The government has repeatedly said it would explore a social tariff - which would ensure the most vulnerable pay less for energy - but has failed to follow through, the coalition argued.
According to the group, some 34% of British adults will likely struggle to pay bills this winter, with a lack of support meaning many could pay roughly 13% more than last year.
Ofgem’s price cap is set to fall in October, meaning people will pay less per unit of gas and electricity but higher daily standing charges and the lack of support indicate that bills could rise.
“Without the introduction of more long-term targeted support, we’ll see the same crisis repeat every winter,” Citizens Advice energy head Gillian Cooper added.
Separately, boss of energy supplier EDF Philippe Commaret called on the government and Ofgem to rethink how energy prices are set.
“The reality is that the situation since last year has worsened, not only in terms of the number of customers who are indebted, but also in terms of debt per customer," he said.
Also calling for a social tariff, he announced EDF would lower daily standing charges for hundreds of thousands of struggling people from January.