Due to a rise in global gas prices energy costs are surging across the country.
A review of energy prices is due to take place on April 1, 2022 and without government intervention, this could mean that people are paying twice as much for their gas and electricity compared to the previous year.
Local energy experts, Bristol Energy Network (BEN) maintain their advice from October, that switching suppliers is no longer a viable option, not only because our current bills are lower than the wholesale prices but also because many suppliers are not taking on new customers.
READ MORE: How Bristol Energy Network is 'empowering' city's homeowners and renters
Bristol Live spoke to BEN Coordinator, Rachel Moffat to find out more about the current energy crisis and the work they are doing in Bristol to reduce the impact of rising bills for people in Bristol.
Rachel said: "Energy is getting more and more expensive and everybody is feeling it across the world but we're not in a great position because we haven't got a lot of our own energy so we import a lot.
"We do need some kind of government intervention on this, there is no doubt about it, because people are not going to be able to afford their bills.
"There has been no official word on it but it will go up because the energy companies cannot afford to function right now.
"The energy that we're buying right now is cheaper than what they are buying it for, that's why so many of the smaller companies have gone under.
"Only the bigger companies will be able to weather the storm, it's a perfect storm and it needs government intervention.
"Apparently Rishi Sunak is not attending parliament today to go and speak to the energy companies.
"But they are aware, they know what's going on and they are going to have to do something about it because it will become unaffordable.
"It is possible that [energy prices] will be double what they were last spring, I know my income hasn't doubled in the last year."
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BEN continues to work with communities across Bristol to help with practical advice on how to save money as well as supporting community energy project.
In light of the current energy price crisis they want to extend their work with landlords in the hope that they can be encouraged to take steps to support private tenants save on energy bills, many of whom in Bristol live in poorly insulated homes, adding additional costs to their energy bills, especially in the winter months.
"We are looking at trying to start conversations with landlords because a lot of people in Bristol are renting and it's much harder to try and get energy efficient homes when renting.
"We want to show them the benefits of making energy efficient changes to their rental properties and how that will help them in the long term.
"There are a few schemes to make energy efficient changes to homes if you own it but a lot less for renters and that's a big issue," said Rachel.
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