The boss of one of the country’s biggest energy firms has said that a fifth of their customers are in fuel poverty

The boss of one of the country’s biggest energy firms has said that a fifth of their customers are in fuel poverty.

Michael Lewis, boss of Eon energy company, calling for state intervention to bail out customers hit by rocketing prices in a BBC interview this morning and forecast that up to 40% of people across the UK could be in fuel poverty by this autumn.

“In my 30 years in the energy industry I’ve ever never seen prices increasing at this rate,” said Mr Lewis. adding

“I read emails from customers regularly. I listen in on calls and frankly, some people are at the edge. They simply cannot pay, and that will get worse once prices go up again in October,”

The UK’s inflation rate reached a 40-year high of 9% this week partly fuelled by Energy regulator Ofgem lifting the price cap on gas and electricity bills in April, adding around £700 to the average household energy bill to take it to £1,971.

The price cap is expected to increase and take the typical energy bill to as much as £2,800, if not higher.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here