Household energy bills will jump by £21 from January in a fresh blow for millions of pensioners who face the loss of winter fuel payments. Ofgem’s announcement on Friday means the price cap will rise from £1,

Charities have reacted angrily to the rise while the boss of Octopus has suggested pensioners struggling to heat their homes should consider using electric blankets to keep warm

Millions of British households will see energy bills tick up in January after regulator Ofgem said it would increase its domestic price cap by 1.2% from January as volatile wholesale energy markets kept prices high.