Rise in household bills could leave Brits struggling

Consumers may face higher utility bills under new government proposals, according to reports by the Guardian.

Taxpayers may see electricity bills increase by £44 to subsidise the nuclear power industry, it was reported.

But Matthew Sinclair, research director for the Taxpayers' Alliance, said that any additional levy that increases electricity bills would cause hardship for taxpayers.

He added: "With the poor and elderly spending the highest proportion of their income on electricity, [the] tax on the worst-off needs to be cut, not added to."

Figures from Credit Action reveal that Brits may be struggling with consumer credit falling by 0.7 per cent while the average household debt currently stands at £9,180 (excluding mortgages).