It was announced today that the energy price cap will rise by 54 per cent in April.
Due to an 'unprecedented' rise in wholesale gas prices, the average household's energy bills are expected to rise by £693 a year.
For many, that increase - along with rising food costs, petrol costs and mortgages - will put many in a difficult position. Some may decide to turn the heating off on a cold night, others may decide that it's too costly to cook a meal in the oven.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said there would be financial support worth around £9 million to help support the millions of households affected.
Mr Sunak said the government's plan would include an upfront discount on bills worth £200 for domestic electricity customers, which would be repaid in £40 installments over five years.
There would also be a £150 council tax rebate in April, which would not need to be repaid, alongside a £150 million fund to help local authorities support lower-income households with higher tax properties.
But, people on the streets of Trafford and Cholton today say that is not nearly enough - and people already struggling could be about to suffer even more.
“Good government shouldn’t have let it come down to this"
Margaret and Chick live near to Chorlton and confess they are in a lucky position - having retired and now living off a pension - but fear for others in different positions.
“We feel protected to a certain extent,” Margaret says.
“We retired when we were expected to and we got a pension when we expected to get it so in that sense we’ve been very fortunate.
“I think it’s younger people and those already struggling that are going to suffer the hardest from this.”
When asked about the government’s financial offering of an upfront discount, Margaret said it was essentially nothing.
“The money has to be paid back eventually so, to me, that basically feels like they’re offering nothing to people,” she added.
"And I don't think the rebate should entirely be based off council tax band's either."
Margaret’s partner Chick says he’s not shocked by today’s announcement of a 54 per cent hike.
“I expected this - I wasn’t surprised in the slightest,” he says.
“Nothing surprises me with the Tory government or Boris Johnson who is a man bereft of any moral compass.
“Good government shouldn’t have let it come down to this. This is something that’s been neglected for so long. We should have been guaranteed a supply of fuel by now.
“What they’ve offered is obviously better than nothing but it’s clearly not enough. It’s a great shame.”
"It really feels like we’re back in the 1970s again"
Teacher Anthony, from Chorlton, said he had only just had a price increase on his energy bills.
He said he’s thankful he’s tied into a fixed price for the next year but is concerned on how much it’ll rise later down the line.
“I didn’t expect it to go up as much as it has,” Anthony said.
“I’ve been at home a lot more in the last year or so and I’ve had to stick the heating on a lot more.
“Even when you try to cut back on how much energy you’re using, the standing charges have still gone up by something ridiculous so you’re still being charged a lot regardless.”
He said he expects the situation to be like something he experienced as a child in the 1970s.
He added: “It really feels like we’re back in the 1970s again where dad would shout at us for leaving a light on.
“We’d just put only one big light on, leave the rest off and keep the one room warm.
“The rest of the house was always freezing because it was just so expensive to heat the whole house.
“I don’t think many people remember the time where central heating wasn’t a thing, but now it’s going to really have a big impact on people.
“I don’t think enough is being done to help people. It’s heartbreaking.”
“I haven’t put the heating on all through the winter"
Anne Edmondson, 73, has just done her weekly shop at White City Retail Park in Old Trafford and said she feels she has to watch how much she spends on a daily basis now.
She fears the increased rise in energy bills will be another thing to worry about.
“I haven’t put the heating on all through the winter," Anne said.
"My first energy company went kaput and then we had a whole load of problems.
“We’ve only just sorted it out on Monday and now we’re hit with this.
“To me it just demonstrates one more failure of this government who should be looking after the people of this country and not themselves.”
Anne, who is a retired head teacher and lives in the city centre, said she only expects things will get worse for people and is concerned that not enough is being done to care for those being affected.
“I pay more in rates on a two-bedroom apartment in town than I ever paid for a five-bedroom house in Liverpool,” she explains.
“Every light goes off, everything that’s on standby goes off. I watch everything I’m doing now, even when I’m buying food - if I don’t need it then I won’t buy it.
“I just wish the government would show us a little bit of compassion. You should go into politics to help people but I don’t think they’re doing that at all - they’re only interested in looking after their own.”
"A 54 pc rise is huge and is really concerning"
Helen Lazzari, 39, a graphic designer from Salford, says she regards herself as being in a fortunate position but fears for those who can’t afford the extra costs.
“We’ve got quite a new house in Salford - it’s fairly economical when it comes to heating so we do tend to be a bit lax with it and haven’t changed suppliers in a while,” she says.
“But a 54 pc rise is huge and is really concerning. I’m less concerned for our own welfare but I do worry for those on lower incomes.
“Having to choose between feeding your kids or heating their bath is a horrendous choice for someone to have to face.
"It’s a horrible prospect that’s very real for many people.”
Helen says she is concerned that a loan, repaid over five years, could also do more harm than good for some people.
“The loan is just another outgoing cost for people,” she adds.
“It could be an added stress and make it more difficult for people. The idea of borrowing money that you don’t have is horrible.”
“It’s really disheartening"
For Sade Demehin, 27, and Kostas Kousoroblis, 29, now is supposed to be a celebratory moment for them.
They’re just about to sign a contract on a house in Chorlton - having moved up from London and the Midlands - but say they are instead worrying if they’ve made the right decision or not.
“We decided to move here because it was supposed to be cheaper but now we’re not so sure,” Sade, who has her own swimwear business, says.
“We are moving from somewhere where bills were always included to now having to factor in bills and it’s pretty worrying.
“It’s really disheartening. I pinch myself everyday because we are just a couple of paychecks away from being homeless or not being able to support ourselves and my heart breaks for people who are in that position.
“We’re not even in a position that is very sufficient either but we are lucky in what we do have.”
Sade said she believes the government is not doing enough and fears for what it will do to those already struggling.
“It’s astounding and I can’t help but think about people who are in less privileged positions than ourselves,” she adds.
“I do think it’s weird that there’s an energy hike when lots of people are really pushing to work from home.
“I think this could be the tipping point for so many people who are really close to the poverty line. I think it’s really sad that it’s happening.
“We’re lacking a real sense of community and society. With this government, they benefit individuals rather than society.
“Having children is seen as a luxury but that means the state has failed because having children shouldn’t be deemed a luxury.
“The average income should be enough to support a family but now it’s not.
“With this increase, so many people are going to struggle even more - food banks are exhausted enough as it is and demand is only going to get bigger.”
Partner Kostas says the energy increase means he will now have to think about additional ways to support himself and Sade.
“We don’t have any more savings now and our bank accounts are wiped,” he said.
“We now have to think about how many jobs we can do in order to be able to support ourselves.”
“Those who really need the heat in their homes are the most vulnerable people"
Christina Bray, 53, who is retired, said her gas and electricity bills have already ‘gone up phenomenally’ in the last few months and fears that it’s only going to continue.
“We’ve budgeted that it’s going to cost us an extra £1,000 a year for us to use the same amount that we're using right now,” Christina says.
“It’s not just the cost of energy - it’s everything on top of things like food, petrol and mortgages.
“A lot of people tend to have open homes now and that’s going to make things more expensive to heat.”
Christina said she has a real concern for people on lower-incomes who will be likely to struggle more with the increase in costs - and believes more should be done.
“Those who really need the heat in their homes are the most vulnerable people and they’re the ones that are going to be hit the hardest,” Christina explained.
“The rest of us will just have to make cuts when we can but there’s many people who aren’t in that position. The rest of us are going to have to buckle down and accept it
“I think the government really needs to do something to address the severity of the fuel poverty now before it gets even worse.
“There are people who will turn their heating off because they can’t afford it. It’s really upsetting.”
"I'm now just sitting at home worrying about whether I'm using too much heating"
Colin Mitchell, 60, retired last summer after taking voluntary redundancy.
He says the increased cost means his retirement might not be as relaxing now as he had perhaps envisioned.
“I had just figured out what it would be like living on a fixed budget on a pension,” he explains.
“I’d just got used to living on what I’m on now - having done all the calculations - and then we’re told about this. It’s slightly worrying.
“The cliché is that when you retire you’re supposed to be able to relax and put your feet up a little bit.
“Instead, I'm now just sitting at home worrying about whether I'm using too much heating or whether I can turn the TV on or not.
“I’m now someone who’s not got a job who might now need to start scrimping and saving.
“What I’ve got has to last me for the rest of my life now.
"There’s a lot of uncertainty going into the future and it’s something I’m quite worried about.”
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