Pressure on Hunt as energy bills will rise despite fall in price cap

Consumers will pay more because 1 April is also date for reduction of government support

• Why are bills going up and what help will you get?

Pressure is mounting on the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, to postpone a looming cut in support for household energy costs as consumers face an increase in their bills from April - despite a fall in the industry price cap of almost 1,000.

The energy regulator for Great Britain, Ofgem, said on Monday that its cap on the amount suppliers can charge for energy for average dual fuel, direct debit customers would fall by 23% for the three months from 1 April to 3,280, from 4,279 for the January to March quarter.