The UK Government must ensure households get value for money as a rise in energy bills will “hurt consumers’ pockets”, warned a leading consumer group.

Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com made the comment following Ofgem’s announcement to upgrade Britain’s electricity and gas networks, which is expected to increase energy bills by £11 every year.

She said: “This is the start of a significant investment programme for our nation’s energy infrastructure. The work is vital, but it will also come at a cost to consumers, which is why the Government must ensure that households get value for money and that every effort is made to keep the cost of energy at an affordable level.

“The average household energy bill today is £1,252 a year so it’s not hard to see why an £11 increase will hurt consumers’ pockets. Already over a third of consumers say that household energy is unaffordable, while more than eight in ten rationed their energy use last winter because of cost.”

Ms Robinson suggested consumers should start protecting themselves by using less energy and paying the lowest possible price for the energy they do use.

The comparison site has, however, welcomed Ofgem’s claim its proposals will help connect around 80,000 fuel poverty households to the gas network.