Rising energy costs are threatening to leave millions facing the prospect of not being able to pay their bills. Annual costs are predicted to top £4,000 per household.
Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi said options to provide additional help to people to ease cost of living pressures will be “ready to go” on 5 September while Boris Johnson has admitted that the cost of living support the government is providing is not enough – but he refused to announce any immediate measures to combat spiralling household bills. It will be up to the new prime minister, either Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss, to implement new measures to help families cope with rising energy bills.
Rail passengers are facing another widespread strike by train drivers, the country is facing its worst drought in decades and millions are in fear of rising energy costs.
Train drivers in a number of regions are to stage a 24- hour strike over pay and conditions with some areas left with no service at all. The strikes will hit Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, LNER, London Overground, Southeastern and West Midlands Trains.
More industrial action is threatened in the coming weeks.
Much of England is facing severe water shortages as the country experiences one of the driest summers in decades. There is a ban on the use of hose pipes across many parts of the country and some climate experts are predicting that it will take many months of heavy rainfall to return to normal.
