00:00The highest energy prices in three years.
00:03That's the situation faced by millions of households across the country.
00:07And one charity in Medway says this is forcing people into making difficult decisions.
00:13So they're worried and it is affecting them.
00:15It's affecting their mental health.
00:17You know, they're having to choose between eating and heating.
00:20But if bills are going to go up, it's going to get worse.
00:23There's no doubt about it.
00:24You know, if standing charges and the cost per kilowatt hour are going to go up,
00:28then people are going to be in debt or potentially moving towards that.
00:33Ofgem, the UK's energy regulator, has increased the price cap by 4%.
00:37So providers can now charge more for gas and electricity.
00:42And this means the average household bill has gone up to £1,723 per year.
00:48That's an increase of £60.
00:50While it may be sunny here in Rochester, the leaves are turning brown,
00:55which means autumn is coming.
00:57And with rising energy costs,
01:00people here say they're worried about what it could mean for their pockets.
01:04There are a lot of people out there that are on a bread line.
01:07And they're struggling.
01:09They are really, really struggling.
01:10You know, to some people,
01:12it's the difference between having heating and not having heating.
01:15You know, we're almost going back to the 40s and 50s.
01:18You know, where you throw another stick on the fire.
01:21Too high. Too expensive.
01:23And does it mean that you're not going to be turning on your heating?
01:26No, no, it won't because I'm a bit of a chilly motor.
01:33If I'm cold indoors, I've got to turn the heating on, you know.
01:36But we just won't put the heating on and we'll still have to get used to being colder.
01:40It sounds sucky because it got minus figures last year.
01:44So, yeah, I'm not really sure how that's going to work out.
01:47We'll have to put the heating on, but I'm not sure when or how.
01:52Ofgem says the increase has been caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East,
01:56which has disrupted gas supplies and pushed prices up for people in the UK.
02:01We know things are impacting, like the current ongoing disputes and wars across the world.
02:07They will have a direct impact on the energy bills for families here across Kent and Medway.
02:13If you're a Medway resident, we have the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
02:16That's a fund we've got in place now for a number of years.
02:19Really important fund.
02:20It will help those individuals and families who are struggling financially.
02:23The government has temporarily removed the 5% VAT from electricity bills to cut some costs.
02:29However, bills are still expected to soar by nearly £300 from January.
02:35And as temperatures begin to drop, energy prices are continuing to rise.
02:41Sophie Denny for KMTV in Medway.
