Millions starting winter with average £220 fuel debts and bills set to rise in January

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Analysis by price comparison site Uswitch.com also found that more than three million households owe their suppliers an estimated £750 million — an average of £220 each.

Younger adults are hardest hit, with one in six 18- to 34-year-olds starting winter in debt to their supplier — more than twice the rate of over-55s.

With household energy bills forecast to surge by roughly 16 to 25 per cent next January, Disabled People Against Cuts co-founder Linda Burnip said: “The continuing increase in energy prices is unacceptable and shows that it is long past time to nationalise the energy companies.

“Reduce their shareholder profits and bring the prices down for ordinary people. 

“Disabled people who need to use higher amounts of energy to charge wheelchairs, hoists, electric beds and even dialysis machines continue to be even more severely disadvantaged by price rises and are being pushed further and further into debt and poverty.”

National Pensioners Convention general secretary Jan Shortt said: “We know that along with energy costs, increases in food and other commodities that help people to get around to shop or visit friends, everyone is struggling.

“There has been no real attempt to get energy suppliers to acknowledge they have a part to play in working with customers to bring down costs to householders.  

“The billions of profit being made by suppliers and companies like Shell and others bears no resemblance to the difficulties experienced by customers.”

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