Next PM could face £23bn autumn spend to cover £900 rise in energy bills

Energy prices have soared above prediction and subsidies will require significant further spending

Ministers could face an additional 23bn price tag for covering extra household energy costs of 900 this autumn, rising to 90bn next year, a new paper by the Institute for Government has found.

The paper, looking at the options for Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak in No 10, also warned the government should plan for prolonged rises in energy bills by going a lot further in making public appeals to use less gas - for example by informing consumers about the cost savings from turning down thermostats - and in committing to building more energy efficient homes to help protect consumers.