With the first energy supplier this week announcing price rises as winter approaches. Dani Webb looks at the options available to householders as they struggle to heat their homes

CHOOSING between feeding the family or heating the home is a dilemma charities and watchdogs believe more and more of us are facing every year.

With SSE’S plans for an 8.2 per cent increase in prices expected to be followed by its competitors, it could leave people with little choice but to ration their heating during the cold winter months.

Since the start of the century, the price paid by households for gas has more than doubled, while the cost of electricity has increased by 70 per cent.

Energy bills are now at a record high of an average £1,315 a year. Prices have been rising at about nine per cent almost annually for the past five years while the profits made by the major companies have soared by more than 70 per cent in that time.

Helen Goodman, MP for Bishop Auckland, is working with villagers in Cockfield, near Bishop Auckland, to bid for Lottery funding to pay for a scheme to help people reduce their energy costs.

The village is not connected to mains gas and residents are struggling because of rocketing oil costs.

“For the people I meet in my constituency surgeries who are choosing between heating and eating, the news about yet another rise in fuel costs will only add to their daily struggle with the rising cost of living,” she says “Alarmingly, we have seen no action from the coalition Government to curb fuel bills, which have already risen by £300 on average since 2010.

“Locally I am working on an energy project to help residents in Cockfield who face some of the highest levels of fuel poverty to reduce their energy costs.

“I am also supporting a freeze on energy prices until the start of 2017 if Labour wins the next election. This will save a typical household £120 and an average business £1,800.”

Citizen’s Advice is urging energy firms not to follow SSE’s lead and increase prices, fearing it will push more people into poverty.

Chief executive Gillian Guy says: “This price rise will be a blow for stretched budgets. The hike comes at a time when some working households are turning to food banks to feed their families as they struggle to cope with the rising cost of living. “I hope other energy firms show an understanding of their customers’ financial situation by not raising their prices this winter.

“Many households are facing a daily battle try to make their frozen incomes cover mounting energy, food and travel costs. Further increases will push people into poverty.”

National Debtline has received a record 15,502 calls from people seeking help with energy debts in the first six months of this year, up ten per cent on last year, and 111 per cent compared with five years ago.

CONSUMER experts believe the complicated markets do not help people find the best deal but urged bill-payers to help themselves by seeking out fixed tariffs immediately, warning that they are likely to be pulled soon.

MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis said there were still deals allowing households to lock in and guarantee no price hikes for up to four winters.

“Speed is of the essence,” he says. “Now’s not the moment to simply use a comparison site and switch to another provider. You risk moving out of the frying pan and into the fire, possibly shifting to a firm that puts its prices up even more. If that’s your plan, best hold until all have announced.”

MoneySuperMarket.com editor-in-chief Clare Francis added: “This news could make the colder months even more miserable, unless consumers fight back and fix their energy bills to protect against price increases.

“We really need to see a change in consumer behaviour when it comes to energy prices.

After years of annual hikes, energy bills are one of the biggest outgoings for many households, yet most are still paying their provider’s standard prices.

“It’s an area where customer apathy is rife even though when it comes to switching to better deals – energy is one of the easiest ones to do.”

Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, also appealed to consumers “not to sit back and watch energy costs soar”.

“There are two simple steps to protecting yourself from the impact of higher prices: use less energy by making your home more energy- efficient, perhaps by taking advantage of the Green Deal, and pay less for the energy you do use,” she says.

“There is currently about £250 difference between the cheapest and most expensive energy tariffs on the market. However this could increase to as much as £349 once SSE’s price hike comes into effect.

“This is a substantial saving and could make the difference when it comes to keeping warm.”