WINTER FUEL PRICE FEARS

NEARLY half of households are struggling to afford their energy costs, as experts warn of a winter bills shock looming.

- BY GRAHAM HISCOTT

The stark findings come as regulator Ofgem is expected to announce a rise in its price cap for millions of households tomorrow.

That will affect bills from October 1, when heating use normally jumps after the summer lull. Experts forecast the cap on the unit rate of standard or default tariffs will go up by £17 a year to around £1737 for a typical household paying by direct debit over 12 months.