Fuel bills to rise again as Russian supplies plummet

'More pain' for pensioners and households

- By Jon King and Katie Elliott

MILLIONS of pensioners may see energy bills rise again as freezing temperatures pile pressure on already stretched supplies of gas.

Experts warn the wholesale market has tightened as Europe pivots away from Russia towards gas supplies from the US, Norway and Azerbaijan.

British Gas has warned that 47,000 people may require extra support this week, based on previous call-out data.

Dinesh Kumar, a service and repair engineer, said: "More people will be relying on their heating systems to keep them warm during the cold cold snap.