Sunak’s spring measures for poorer households look little more than hopeful | Nils Pratley

Under all likely scenarios, millions of people will still face energy bills that are unaffordable

• Spring statement: key points at a glance

The best news (but, critically, still not good news) for hard-pressed energy consumers this week could be found away from the chancellor's tweaks to national insurance thresholds on Wednesday. It was the calculation by the consultancy Cornwall Insight that the energy price cap may not hit 3,000 when next adjusted in October. The latest estimate, derived from observing wholesale prices for gas and electricity, is 2,512.

There is no sense in which the 500-ish difference can be considered a saving, of course. An average bill for households of 2,500 or thereabouts would still be a mighty increase from the 1,971 that will apply from the start of next month, which itself is a jump from 1,277 today.