LONDON (AP) 鈥� Jennifer Jones keeps , but it never seems to be enough. And when she can鈥檛 pay, she feels the impact immediately.
The power in her London home has gone off suddenly three times recently, once when her partner was cooking an egg.
Like millions of people, Jones, 54, is struggling to cope as during Britain's worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. The former school supervisor has health problems and relies on government benefits to get by, but her welfare payments are nowhere near enough to cover her .
鈥淚鈥檝e always struggled, but not as much,鈥� she said. 鈥淓verything is going up. I can鈥檛 even pay my rent, my council tax, I can鈥檛 afford to do anything. 鈥� I keep asking myself, what am I supposed to do?鈥�
And things are getting worse. U.K. residents will see an 80% increase in their annual household energy bills, the country鈥檚 energy regulator announced Friday, following a record 54% spike in April. That will bring costs for the average customer from 1,971 pounds ($2,332) a year to 3,549 pounds.
The latest price cap 鈥� the maximum amount that gas suppliers can charge customers per unit of energy 鈥� will take effect Oct. 1, just as the cold months set in. And bills are expected to rise again in January to 4,000 pounds.
To blame for the increase is the triggered by , which is driving up consumer prices and that rely on the fuel for heating homes and generating electricity.
That includes the United Kingdom, which has the among the Group of Seven wealthiest democracies and seen for months as with the increasingly expensive cost of living.
The energy increases, together with , are expected to push inflation above the 40-year high of 10.1% recorded in July and , the Bank of England has predicted. Charities, public health leaders and even energy firms warn of catastrophic effects on as wages lag behind.
Jon Taylor, who helps Jones and others at debt counseling charity Christians Against Poverty, said growing numbers of people who have never had debt problems are turning to the group's helpline.
鈥淲hat I鈥檓 seeing a lot of at the moment is personal tragedies, losing loved ones, emotional health problems,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he pressure of not knowing how to pay the next bill or having enough food to survive just accentuates whatever they鈥檙e already going through.鈥�
About 1 million low-income households have had to take on new or extra debt to cover an essential bill, according to a May study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a nonprofit focusing on U.K. poverty.
The drop in living standards is 鈥渙f a scale we haven鈥檛 seen for many decades,鈥� said Rebecca McDonald, the charity's chief economist. 鈥淚t really warrants big and creative national policy interventions in order to prevent what is a difficult year becoming essentially a catastrophe for many low-income families.鈥�
to do more to help people and businesses 鈥� and fast. Authorities have said they鈥檙e sending around 1,200 pounds to low-income people. Every household, no matter their financial situation, will get 400 pounds off their energy bills this winter.
Many say that financial support needs to be doubled 鈥� at least 鈥攁nd some have called for an immediate freeze on the amount that suppliers can charge for energy. The opposition Labour Party has called for an extension of the government鈥檚 temporary to help pay for relief.
But the government has said no further measures will be announced until the Conservative Party announces a on Sept. 5. Neither Liz Truss nor Rishi Sunak, the two politicians vying to become the next prime minister, appear to support taxing energy giants.
Treasury chief Nadhim Zahawi acknowledged that the increase in the energy price cap would cause 鈥渟tress and anxiety.鈥� But he insisted the government was ready to develop more options to support households.
鈥淲hile (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is driving up energy prices in revenge for our support of Ukraine鈥檚 brave struggle for freedom, I am working flat out to develop options for further support,'' he said. 鈥淭his will mean the incoming prime minister can hit the ground running and deliver support to those who need it most, as soon as possible.鈥�
Unions across multiple key sectors have reacted by that keep pace with inflation. A series of national rail strikes brought the U.K. train network to a standstill during peak travel days this summer, and postal and , garbage collectors and lawyers have all staged walkouts over pay disputes.
Meanwhile, a grassroots movement called 鈥淒on鈥檛 Pay鈥� is campaigning to gather 1 million people who will commit to not paying their energy bills on Oct. 1 if the price hike goes ahead. The group is hoping that mass nonpayment will force energy firms to end the crisis.
鈥淓veryone we speak to thinks that the price increases we鈥檝e seen and are going to be seeing on Oct. 1 are beyond a joke and will push people to the edge,鈥� said Jeffrey James, one of the campaign鈥檚 organizers.
鈥淲e are being forced into poverty, whilst others who are already in poverty will be forced into a life-or-death situation this winter,鈥� he added. 鈥淭hat is the level of discontent and despair we are talking about.鈥�
___
AP reporter Danica Kirka contributed from London.
Sylvia Hui, The Associated Press
