Watchdog warns of fuel poverty rise

About five million households in Britain spend more than 10% of their total income on energy bills according to the watchdog Consumer Focus.

The group added that if all the big six providers put up prices by the amount recently announced by Scottish Power and British Gas, the number in fuel poverty will rise to nearly six and a half million households. That is nearly a quarter of all homes.

Audrey Gallacher from Consumer Focus told BBC Breakfast that there should be more competition for the main fuel providers.