Rising energy bills put millions of UK households at risk of winter catastrophe

Experts say 80% price cap increase will plunge people into destitution and cause avoidable deaths

Millions of households are bracing for a winter catastrophe of rising energy bills that experts say will plunge people into destitution and cause an increase in avoidable deaths without urgent government support.

After Britain's energy industry regulator confirmed an 80% rise in the consumer price cap from October that will take a typical household's gas and electricity bill to 3,549 a year, there were stark warnings about its potentially devastating effects.