Cost of living: Energy bills will cost two months’ wages next year, warns TUC

Energy bills are set to cost more than two months of average take home pay next year unless the Government intervenes, according to a report.

The TUC called on ministers to consult with trade union and business leaders to devise an urgent response to the crisis.

Average take home pay after tax will be £2,054 a month in 2023, so two months’ worth will be less than the £4,200 predicted cost of energy bills per household, said the TUC.

The union said the approach should be similar to what happened during the pandemic when unions backed the furlough scheme.

The TUC warns that energy bills will continue to soar

The TUC called for measures, including stopping the October energy price cap increase, bringing forward the annual increase in the national minimum wage from next April to October, and funding pay rises for public sector workers that keep up with inflation.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said no one should struggle to get by in one of the richest countries in the world, adding: “Up and down the country, millions of families are being pushed to the brink by eyewatering energy bills.”