Families in the UK have a fuel problem

The proportion of British households facing the fuel poverty phenomenon could double from 20% to 40% by October. Michael Monroe Lewis, chief executive of the UK branch of Germany's largest energy company, E.ON UK, made this prediction on the BBC on Sunday.

"We are seeing more and more people facing fuel poverty. This means they are spending more than 10 per cent of their disposable income on energy," said Michael Monroe Lewis. He also added: "Their number has risen to 20%, according to the model we use, by October this figure could reach 40% unless the government intervenes in one way or another."

It is worth noting that on 1 April 2022, amid rising global gas prices in the UK, the electricity price cap was raised, after which the average bill for a UK household using both electricity and gas rose by 54% from £1,277 to £1,971 a year.

As noted, the figure could be as high as £2,750 to £3,000 in October. Petrol and diesel prices are at record highs.

As a result of the sharp rise in electricity prices at the end of April, annual inflation in the country reached 9%, the highest in 40 years. The Bank of England estimates that inflation in the United Kingdom will exceed 10% by the end of the year.