Sara Tauxe had been fretting about a warning from her energy supplier that her monthly energy bills would more than double to £249 if she did not submit meter readings proving lower usage.
Even after April’s hike to Britain’s energy price cap, the 52-year-old single mother, who was used to paying just under £100 a month, could not understand why her regular direct debit had been set so high.
Her experiences, and those of thousands of others buffeted by record gas prices, are a big reason why pressure has built up on the UK government to impose a windfall tax on energy groups — which could hit not only the oil and gas producers but also electricity generators.