Britons Face 43 Percent Rise In Gas Bills, 21 Percent Increase In Electric Fees

London, England (AHN) - The soaring cost of fuel in England is expected to result in a 43 percent rise in gas bills and a 21 percent hike in electric bills within a year. It would increase the power bills of an average British household by $709.

The spurt in power bills is the result of the drastic rise in wholesale gas prices by 76 percent since January, a record high. To make up for the steep gas prices energy companies paid for the precious liquid, it has to hike average gas and electricity bills by $2,777 (1,410 pound) per annum.

Joe Malinowski from TheEnergyShop.com justified the gas and electricity rate hikes since it was the first time in three years that wholesale gas prices went beyond retail gas prices. "In the following 18 months energy bills rose by a record 7 percent. A very similar thing is going to happen this time around, except that the money value of the increase is going to be even higher," Malinowski wrote.

The burden of paying higher gas and power prices would be heaviest on pensioners, the number of whom have been living below the poverty line has increased to two million. Their number is expected to grow further on Tuesday as the British government releases updated data to reflect the surge in inflation, decline in purchasing value of pensions and stagnant winter fuel allowance.

Aside from the elderly, also expected to encounter difficulties with their utility bills are churches which could face up to 1,300 percent surge on their water bills. It is a result of the scrapping by a number of water companies of discounts for churches, which would soon be billed at commercial rates.

There are some estimates that the new water bills would eat the entire church budget for the year. Because of this financial gap, some church wardens have left their post desperate how to fund the deficit at a time when church membership continues to dwindle.

The Sunday Telegraph launched a Save the Church campaign to help various churches deal with the expected surge in their water bills. Over 6,500 Britons have signed up, including Canterbury Archbishop Rowan Williams, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'connor of the Roman Catholic Church, actress Prunella Scales and writer Sir John Mortimer.