According to consultancy Cornwall Insight, energy prices for households are expected to rise in the run-up to winter.

The meteorologist, who is widely respected for his accurate forecasts, said a household with an average gas and electricity consumption would pay £1,714 annually from October.

This would be an increase of £146 per year compared to the current typical annual bill of £1,568 – the lowest in two years.

Energy regulator Ofgem will announce the next official quarterly price cap on Friday, while charities are concerned about the prospect of renewed price rises.

Although the price cap changes every three months, Ofgem illustrates it using an annual bill for a household using a typical amount of gas and electricity.

Due to higher energy consumption, residents of larger buildings tend to pay more overall, while residents of smaller buildings pay less.

The reason for this is that the cap limits the maximum price that can be charged for each unit of gas and electricity, not the total bill.

It affects 28 million households in England, Wales and Scotland. In Northern Ireland, the sector is regulated separately.

Cornwall Insight said that while the price cap provides some protection for the prices paid by households, they are affected by the volatility of the global energy market.

Wholesale prices paid by suppliers have increased recently, it was said.

With prices expected to rise, some bill payers may be considering the options available to set their energy tariff.

Cornwall Insight found that the average saving on the ten cheapest tariffs on the market in August was just £5 per year compared to a standard tariff set by the price cap.

This could change in the coming weeks, and Richard Neudegg of price comparison website Uswitch said there were options for those who wanted security.

“Just because it’s a price-fixing agreement doesn’t mean it’s a good price-fixing agreement,” he said.

“The question for consumers is: If they want this level of security, how cheaply can they get it.”

Cornwall Insight also expects costs to rise again in winter when the price cap is announced in January.

A “moderate” increase was expected. However, the recent tensions in the Russia-Ukraine war could lead to a further increase in prices, it said.

“While we do not expect a return to the extreme prices of recent years, it is unlikely that bills will return to levels that were once considered normal. Without significant intervention, this could well be the new normal,” said Craig Lowrey, senior adviser to the meteorologist.

The charity National Energy Action said any price increase combined with reduced government support could put some households’ finances “beyond breaking point”.

The standing charge, a fixed daily fee covering the cost of connecting to the electricity supply, is currently 60 pence per day for electricity and 31 pence per day for gas, although the amount varies by region.

Ofgem is currently considering changing the billing system for standing orders.

While energy bills are significantly lower than they were at their peak following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, when the government intervened to limit bill increases, they are much higher than they were before the pandemic.

Experts give three tips on how to keep your energy consumption under control in the warmer months:

• If your hot water is too hot to wash your hands in, then the setting is too high. Turn the boiler down.
• Control drafts by, for example, placing a black bag of crumpled paper in an unused chimney or limiting other drafts in the house.
• Limit your time in the shower to four minutes. The charity WaterAid has a Playlist with four-minute songs to keep you on time

Read more here if you are having trouble paying your energy bills