The typical household energy bill in Britain is forecast to soar to £4,420 next April, more than three times the level it was at the start of 2022, stoking calls for increased state support for families facing energy poverty.
But why has Britain’s energy price cap, which dictates a maximum that suppliers can charge the vast majority of the country’s households, climbed so high and how does it compare with what families pay in other countries in Europe?
The options facing the incoming prime minister — due to be chosen by members of the ruling Conservative party in early September — are already becoming an issue in the leadership campaign.