Energy prices have already risen for millions, and there are still more changes to come this month as numerous bill increases take effect. In fact, the typical annual household gas and electricity bill is rising by about £700, and the OBR is predicting a further rise of more than £800 a year in October.
This has been echoed by the head of Octopus Energy, who has warned energy prices could rise even further in the winter. Speaking to LBC, Greg Jackson said: "Global energy prices is one of the most volatile markets and so it's a fool who will make a strong prediction. But what we do know is that the next energy price cap period is being set by the prices we're seeing now, because there's a sort of lag in the system.
"So unless there's a very rapid fall in the global prices, energy costs for people in the UK will stay high over the winter. They could even be higher. We just don't know. But of course we're now in a situation where there are two factors that really make a difference. First one is whether there are any more strategic moves related to Russia, whether the gas taps get turned down or not.
"And the second is what the weather does. Essentially, what matters now is Europe going to be filling its gas storage because we've got mild weather? Or is it going to be emptying it because we've got bad weather? So depending on the weather between now and the winter, there could be a very big difference in energy prices in the next few months."
Labour's Jonathan Reynolds has criticised the Government for not laying out a clear strategy to tackle rising energy prices and for failing to clarify whether they will lift the onshore wind ban, which he said Labour would do.
The shadow business secretary told Times Radio: "The Government still can't even tell us what the strategy will be, and can't this morning tell us for instance whether they will lift the onshore wind ban, which has got to be part of the solution.
"I think it's a huge problem because we should have had a plan in place to meet our future energy needs, but when we've got a situation as grave as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has produced, this should have been an emergency, a priority for them.
"We would lift the onshore wind ban, so a substantial increase (in) onshore wind capacity. I think we should be looking at trebling offshore wind capacity from 2035 to something like 75 gigawatts.
"It seems to me the reason that we're not getting the strategy that we need is that the Cabinet still can't agree on the fundamental components of that, and that is a massive problem in this position we're in."
Grant Shapps has said energy will not be rationed in the UK, after the shadow business secretary suggested ministers should prepare for the possibility of doing so.
However, Mr Reynolds appeared to U-turn on the potential for energy rationing, telling Times Radio it would be "a disaster for households and businesses".
He had earlier told the BBC that the Government should be considering plans to ration supplies. But when asked later on Sunday morning whether the UK should be rationing energy, he told Times Radio: "No, that would be a disaster for households and for businesses.
"But the fact you're even asking the question is an indictment of Conservative energy policy for the last decade. We still haven't had a plan from the Government even though they said it was to them a priority and an emergency.
"If they were to follow what we've put forward - so a focus on energy efficiency, on expanding and changing the onshore wind in terms of the ban that they've got in place, further work on solar, tidal, offshore wind and new nuclear - that would be a comprehensive plan for the future.
"At the same time, if they followed our plans for a windfall tax, that would give households and businesses the real support they need in the short term too."
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