Energy prices are set to rise in the UK despite the wholesale cost of energy continuing to fall.
This is the view of National Energy Action (NEA), which campaigns against fuel poverty, which said many households will struggle to cope with the rises after the recent cold snap.
Lesley Tudor-Snodin, a spokeswoman for NEA, said: "We are expecting energy prices to rise to cover investment costs of new infrastructure, but households on the lowest incomes who have just spent the winter worried about whether or not they can afford to put their heating on will now be wondering why the energy suppliers’ profits have increased so much this year, especially when the price of wholesale energy continues to fall."
Rising energy prices are a particular concern for older people who traditionally set aside a large proportion of their income for household heating bills.
Those who have invested in property could receive a lump sum of funds to help meet the demand of rising costs through a scheme such as equity release.
