Mother-of-two fears 'huge' energy bill amid record high price rises

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A mother-of-two says it is "just getting harder and harder" as she fears her energy bill will see a "huge" increase, after regulator sets price cap at a record high.

Llinos Jones, from Saundersfoot, received an email from her energy supplier, Utility Point, explaining the company had gone into administration.

She was told to "sit tight" and wait for regulator Ofgem to appoint a new supplier. It wasn't until Llinos decided to send a tweet that she found out she would be moving to EDF Energy.

"EDF Energy tweeted me back to say that they were taking over but that they couldn’t tell me when. They couldn’t give me a timeframe of any sort and to just keep waiting."

Llinos will have to pay for this month's bill with the next one and is worried about how much it will cost.

"In this interim where I’m not paying Utility Point or anybody this month, will I have a huge bill at the end of next month to cover this month as well?

"I live in quite a rural area, it does get colder and our house does get damp. So we need our heating, we need our electric, and I’m really worried that we’re going to struggle to pay our bills."

Llinos says the gas crisis is "worrying, especially getting to winter" Credit: PA

It comes as energy bills for 15 million households across the UK are set to soar to a record high from 1 October.

Experts have estimated that the price cap will average at £1,277 for a typical household, which will exceed the previous peak from April.

The cost of gas on wholesale markets has rocketed at unprecedented rates and is up by 250% since the beginning of the year.

Regulator Ofgem sets its default energy price cap every six months and has said there will be a 70% rise since August's levels, which will come into force from next Friday.

The increase has been blamed on a number of factors including a reduction in supply from Russia and even a shortage of wind to power turbines.

Five smaller energy suppliers have ceased trading since August.

The mother-of-two is worried as prices elsewhere are increasing too.

She said, "I’ve got two children. Children cost a lot, life is getting more and more expensive, especially since Brexit. Everything is going up, we’re going to be paying more national insurance because of Covid.

“I work full time and so does my partner. There’s not a lot more we can do, we’re not eligible for any tax credits or any other sort of help.

"And now we’re looking at paying more for our energy and it is worrying, especially getting to winter."

Llinos is already anxious about finances, with the uncertainty around gas prices adding to the pressure.

"It’s hard to stay positive when all you see is ‘energy crisis’, national insurance going up, tax going up. And it’s people like me, people like us, working people, young people, who try our best all the time.

"It’s stressful and I want to be able to give my kids everything I can and for them to have a nice life, but it’s just getting harder and harder."