Energy bills will rise by £209 a year to £1,850 from July, forecaster says

Key points

• Energy bills for households in Great Britain could increase by more than £200 a year to almost £1,900 from this summer in “a kick in the teeth” for millions struggling with the cost of living crisis.
• A typical gas and electricity bill is forecast to rise to the equivalent of £1,850 a year from July under the industry regulator Ofgem’s quarterly price cap, according to analysis by the energy consultancy Cornwall Insight.
• The expected level is nearly 13% higher than the £1,641 cap on energy bills set for April to June, adding £209 to a typical annual bill, after the Iran war caused the UK’s gas market price to double earlier this year.
• The main driver for the increase is rising wholesale energy prices, according to Cornwall.
• Prices climbed sharply in February and March after Tehran effectively cut off Gulf energy supplies to the global market by shutting the strait...