With energy suppliers coming under increasing pressure from escalating crude oil and wholesale gas prices, households in Britain could face two more price rises in 2008.
Here are two predictions made by the consumer organization uswitch:
Best case scenario: If households are "lucky" they will see a 10% or £105 price rise by late summer with a further 15% or £173 increase in January 2009. This could see average household energy bills hit £1,153 by late summer and £1,327 by January 2009.
Worst case scenario: If oil and wholesale pricing pressures mount, suppliers could be forced to push through both rises this year giving an unprecedented 46% increase in one year.
With many households struggling to manage their current gas and electricity bills, these increases could be disastrous, especially on the poor and aged. If we add to these figures the spiralling cost of food, it is clear that many vulnerable people will suffer hardship in the next few months.
