Energy firms expect bill support to continue in April

Average household energy bills are expected to rise to £3,000 a year from April, but businesses, consumers and charities have called for the government to retain its current level of support so they stay at £2,500.

However, the government has previously said all help for bills is currently under review.

At the moment, the government is imposing a limit on the typical household bill of £2,500 a year, plus a £400 winter discount, which will also end from April.

From 1 April the help is scheduled to be scaled back, which will lead to higher household bills.

Fuel poverty campaigners have said the number of households struggling to afford bills could rise from 6.7 million to 8.4 million as a result of the April rise.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to date has declined to extend the support at the current rate, but experts have repeatedly suggested it is increasingly likely he will change course, probably at the Budget on 15 March.

In fact, the Times reported this morning that it had been explicitly told this was the case. According to the Times, “a Whitehall source” confirmed that the guarantee is now expected to remain at £2,500.