MILLIONS of households face further bill pain tomorrow as the much-dreaded rise to the price cap is confirmed.
The announcement, which is at 7am, is set to confirm that energy bills will rise from £2,000 a year to more than £3,500.
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Experts have warned that it will exceed £4,000 from January.
It comes as households will be stung by more frequent energy bill rises.
Regulator Ofgem said the price cap – which limits how much suppliers can charge customers for energy – will be reviewed twice as often per year.
It means that should energy prices keep rocketing like experts predict, these increases will be passed on more quickly to customers.
As concerns mount for millions of households, we round up seven major energy bill warnings – and how to get help.
Millions of families facing misery this winter
Experts, energy bosses and charities have warned that millions of households are in for a miserable winter of spiralling energy costs.
So Energy co-founder Simon Oscroft said families should not “bear the brunt” of rocketing bills.
He called for the government to increase bills to double the £400 energy bill discount to £800, and for the £150 warm homes discount to be quadrupled to £600.
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While EDF’s managing director Philippe Commaret warned households are in for a “dramatic and catastrophic winter”.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that half of the UK households might be in fuel poverty by January.
But charities have warned households are at risk of facing debt collectors or have their gas and electricity supplies cut off if they don’t pay their bills.
It comes as a social media movement called the “Don’t Pay” campaign has called on customers to stop paying bills.
Richard Lane at debt charity StepChange warned you could be at risk of debt collection agencies knocking at your door, or face having a prepayment meter forcibly installed.
The Sun has spoken to households who are already struggling to get by – even before further crippling hikes.
One elderly reader said he sits in the dark and the cold because he can’t afford bills.
While another said she has nothing left after all her bills are paid – and said any further price increases would be a “disaster”.
Energy firms have already started hiking bills – check your direct debit
Customers have been urged to check their direct debits, as some firms have already been hiking bills in anticipation of looming increases this winter.
Customers of Ovo, Scottish Power, British Gas and Bulb Energy have taken to social media to complain of crippling bill rises.
Some said that their direct debit had increased fourfold, or their monthly payment had gone up despite them being in credit.
Experts have urged customers to check their direct debits now.
If you do think your bill is wrong though, the best first step is to take a meter reading (and to provide one to your supplier every month).
If you don’t think what you have been billed is fair, follow its complaints procedure.
If you’re still not happy, go to the Energy Ombudsman to dispute your bill.
However, suppliers should work with you to come up with an affordable payment plan.
Turn off vampire appliances
Households are desperately finding ways to save as much as they can on their energy bills.
Turning energy guzzling appliances is a good place to start, with experts urging households to switch them off properly.
So-called “vampire appliances” drain energy when left on standby or when used inefficiently.
Extra fridges, desktop computers and electric towel rails are among some of the worst offenders – they could be adding up to £500 onto your yearly costs.
Turn them off correctly – by switching them off at the plug – to avoid a big bill sting.
Apply for energy firm handouts
Struggling households have been urged to seek help from their energy firm.
Suppliers are stepping up the help on offer to desperate families.
The Sun exclusively revealed that British Gas will give back 10% of its profits to help cash-strapped customers.
Chris O’Shea has committed to donating £12million of British Gas profits this autumn and a further 10 per cent every six months for the duration of the energy crisis.
This could provide up to £60million for British Gas’s poorest customers.
Grants worth between £250 and £750 will be given out to tens of thousands of households in financial distress.
British Gas is the only supplier so far to dip into its own pocket to help customers help.
But other firms have grant schemes to help struggling customers too.
Scottish Power will pay up to £750 in grants to help its customers pay off their energy debt.
Bulb has previously offered it’s customers grants worth £140 to help with rising bills.
E.ON, E.ON Next, Octopus Energy and Ovo Energy also offer grants worth hundreds.
Our explainer rounds up exactly what help is on offer from each supplier – and how to apply for it.
Prepayment meter customers hit hardest
The Sun spoke to prepayment customers hit the hardest by the energy bill crisis.
Experts said they were the “forgotten front line”, paying more for their energy and the most likely to fall into debt.
We called the Government, Ofgem and suppliers to do more to support the four million customers on prepayment meters.
We called for a temporary ban on moving customers onto prepayment meters this winter.
It comes as the number of people who’ve been unable to afford to top-up meters is soaring, up from 3,000 a month in February to 13,000 in July, according to Citizens Advice.
While customers have been warned they might have to top up their meter with £15 once every two DAYS instead of once a week.
An estimated 300,000 households also face “horrific” debts this winter, and face having money taken off their meter by their supplier every time they top up.
Mum-of-two Jo Gunn said she was terrified of rising bills this winter.
While disabled dad of two Matthew Allen said he was petrified his family would go hungry.
But there is help on offer for prepayment meter customers struggling to get by.
There’s also a one-off fuel voucher from your energy supplier if you’re on a prepayment metre.
All four million prepayment meter customers are eligible for a £400 energy bills discount this winter.
Those on smart prepayment meters won’t need to do anything and the discount will be automatically credited to your meter each month.
However, those on older traditional prepayment meters won’t be able to receive the discount directly.
Help is coming – but you’ll be waiting for it
The Government is facing calls to do more to help households bear the cost of soaring bills.
A number of emergency help measures have already been announced.
All households in the UK will get a £400 energy bill discount, and around eight million will get a £650 cost of living payment.
While households have already been given a £150 council tax discount to help pay for energy bills.
But experts say this is still not enough to help households through the winter.
Which? said the £400 energy bill discount must be increased by at least 150% – or millions could be pushed into hardship.
But there have been indications that more help is on its way – but we might have to wait for it.
Education minister Will Quince told LBC radio here was “no question in my mind whatsoever” that the Government would put in place a further package of support measures.
But he said households would “have to wait a couple of weeks” for a new prime minister to “set out their agenda” before any help would be dished out.
