The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) published an energy price analysis on 26 August 2022, examining the August 2022 Ofgem price cap alongside new Cornwall Insight forecasts1. The briefing was written by Peter Matejic and forms part of the foundation's cost of living work1.
JRF said the average low-income family would pay four and a half times more for energy in 2023/24 compared with 2021/221. It also said single parents would hand over almost two thirds of their income after housing costs, and that some single adults would see energy bills amounting to almost 120% of their income after housing costs1.
"Some single adults will see their finances wiped out by stratospheric energy bills that make up almost 120% of their income after housing costs, leaving many destitute"
The briefing sets out three headline findings, covering the average low-income family, single parents and some single adults1. The foundation published supporting report data as a spreadsheet alongside the briefing1.
Why it matters for households
The figures describe energy costs measured against income after housing costs, which is the money a household has left once rent or mortgage payments are made. On JRF's numbers, for some single adults the cost of energy alone would exceed that remaining income, and for single parents it would take almost two thirds of it1. That leaves nothing for food, transport, debt repayments or other bills, which is why the foundation links the figures to a risk that children go hungry1.
For a household's energy independence, the practical point is the gap between what energy costs and what a home can afford to pay for it. The price cap sets the maximum a supplier can charge per unit and per standing charge on a default tariff, so it determines the size of the bill but not the household's ability to pay it. JRF's analysis compares the two directly, and its projections run into 2023/24, beyond the cap level in force at the time of publication1.
The briefing does not set out policy recommendations in the material published on the page, and no measures to change the cap, add support payments or alter eligibility rules are reported there1. The history of cap levels and announcement dates sets out how each level has been set.
What happens next
The briefing was published on 26 August 2022 and analyses the August 2022 cap and Cornwall Insight forecasts1. No further dated steps are reported in the source1.