As global gas prices continue to rise leaving markets in trading turmoil, nearly one-third of Britons are afraid they will not be able to pay their bills this year.

That’s according to a YouGov survey published in The Times which suggests 33% of people expected their fuel bills to become “unaffordable”.

The poll of 1,744 people also shows that almost 86% anticipated their cost of living to increase in 2022 and two-thirds said they were worried about rising prices.

The government had previously faced criticism from Labour about the cost of living crisis – the opposing party proposed a windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas producers to reduce the average household bill by £200.

Last week, Centrica’s Chief Executive urged the Prime Minister to strip environmental and other social levies out of energy bills.