People can't wait for energy help - Citizens Advice

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Citizens Advice said that many households can't wait for the government to decide whether to give more support.

In July, the charity made more referrals to food banks than it did in the previous two months.

The energy regulator said bills could start to rise at the end of this month, five weeks earlier than previously thought.

The government met with energy firms on Thursday.

With the Conservative Party leader and the new Prime Minister not due to be announced until September, charities say time is running out to help people who are already feeling the pinch of prices.

The Prime Minister met with bosses from a number of companies to discuss help for households.

The meeting didn't produce any concrete help for consumers, but Mr Johnson acknowledged any significant fiscal decisions would be a matter for his successor.

According to an industry source, big decisions need to be made but we don't have a government that can make them until the end of the leadership race.

It was striking that the two companies didn't show up. The amount of excess profits is equal to the problem we are facing. They will have to be part of the solution if they want to raise the windfall tax.

The war in Ukraine has caused the price of oil and gas to go up, which has led to calls for a windfall tax on firms.

Fears are growing that Russia may switch off the taps altogether after reducing supplies to Europe.

The potential of gas supply problems has led to the wholesale price soaring, which has led to energy firms passing those costs onto customers, pushing up household energy bills by an unprecedented amount.

The government has announced a package of measures to help households with the rising cost of living, but the amount was decided before price forecasts surged.

The government would encourage the electricity sector to work on ways to ease the cost of living pressures, according to Mr. Johnson.

The household's energy bills were expected to reach $4,200 in the next five years.

Many people can't wait another day for the government to decide what support is needed this winter.

The government needs to help the people on the lowest incomes as soon as possible. The price of forecast goes up every day because the government doesn't tell us what the plan will be.

The "vacuum at the heart of government" is causing distress for millions according to Simon Francis.

While it was usual for customers on direct debit plans to pay more in the summer to even out higher winter usage, energy firms should not be pre-loading ahead of the price cap and when it is unclear what action the government will take to support families.

The energy price cap is a new limit for the maximum price of gas and electricity a supplier can charge customers in England, Scotland and Wales.

The analysts think the bill will go up to over $4,000 in October.

A typical household could be paying £5,000 a year by next April according to Auxilione.

Some customers with direct debits may have to pay more before new price caps kick in, according to the energy regulator Ofgem.

In order to spread out the cost of using more energy in the colder months, direct debits are usually charged in a way that builds up credit during the warmer summer months.

Ofgem said that any rises in bills would help spread the cost of higher energy use in the winter.

Customers can ask for their excess credit to be returned at any time and can change how their direct debit is spread.