Household energy bills are expected to rise even further in the autumn to an average of £2800 a year.

The head of regulator Ofgem told MPs at Westminster that the price cap is likely to rise again when it is reviewed in October.

It means another increase of an average of £800 a year for households already battling with the last rise. 

The cap has already increased, in April, to £1971, leaving people struggling to meet the new cost.

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Ofgem chief executive, Jonathan Brearley, told the House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee that the regulator is expecting an energy price cap in October "in the region of £2,800".

Mr Brearley said the price rises were a "once in a generation event not seen since the oil crisis in the 1970s".

He will be writing to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak to inform him of Ofgem’s decision on increasing the level of the cap.

He said the Russian invasion of Ukraine has made the situation more volatile.

He said: “I am afraid to say conditions have worsened in the global gas market since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Gas prices are higher and highly volatile.

"At times they have now reached over 10 times their normal level.

"I know this is a very distressing time for customers but I do need to be clear with this committee, with customers and with the government about the likely price implications for October.

“Therefore later today I will be writing to the Chancellor to give him our latest estimates of the price cap uplift.

“This is uncertain, we are only part way through the price cap window, but we are expecting a price cap in October in the region of £2,800.”