More than four-in-ten Britons find it ‘very or somewhat difficult’ to afford energy bills.

That’s one of the key messages conveyed by the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey which suggests nearly 89% of adults reported their cost of living had risen in the past month.

The ONS data also shows around three-quarters of consumers feel ‘very or somewhat’ worried about the soaring cost of living in the past two weeks.

The findings of the report come just a few days before Ofgem’s much-anticipated announcement of the new price cap.

It is believed that the new energy price cap will jump from its current level of £1,971 to more than £3,580, according to the most recent analysis by Cornwall Insight.

Citizens Advice had previously warned that the October price cap could leave one-in-four people in the UK unable to afford to pay their energy bills.