The “massive” increase in gas and electricity bills will lead to people dying of cold this winter unless governments act, charities have warned.

Ofgem, the energy regulator of Scotland, England and Wales, raised the amount firms can charge by 80%, taking average usage bills to more than £3,500 a year.

The cap will go up from the current £1,971 a year to £3,549 from October.

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Another rise is expected in January when Scotland goes into the depths of winter.

Calls have been made for the UK Government to intervene with a package that will help, otherwise, people will freeze over the winter and there are warnings that some will die.

The Scottish Government has been told to act where it can by increasing the rate of certain benefits under its control.

People on a low income, families with children and the elderly are considered most at risk as bills become unaffordable.

Peter Kelly, Director of Poverty Alliance, said: “This massive price hike is in line with predictions. Ministers knew this was coming for months but have put nothing in place to prevent a humanitarian disaster.

“We must be clear. Bills of this size will be completely and utterly unaffordable for people on low incomes, many of whom have already been struggling with cuts to social security and huge wage squeeze for years and years. They will cause stress, anxiety, illness, debt and death.

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John Dickie, Director of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland, said the announcement “will terrify many low-income families”.

He said: “Every level of government needs to pull out all the stops to prevent children suffering the consequence of the energy price crisis.

“Here in Scotland, one immediate step would be to double the remaining Scottish child payment bridging payments so that hard-up families with school-aged children get equivalent support to those already benefitting from the £20 a week Scottish child payment.”

Older people are at risk every winter and this year charities have warned people living off the state pension will need to spend one-third of it on energy bills.

Morgan Vine, Head of Policy at Independent Age, said: “This price hike is not something older people can simply endure. Millions of older people on low incomes will be forced daily to make dangerous decisions. For many it will no longer be a choice between heating their home or eating a meal, they will be unable to do either. If the government takes no action, more people will die this winter because of fuel poverty.

Meanwhile, charities dealing with people seeking help issued a stark warning that some will freeze or starve.

Derek Mitchell, chief executive of Citizens Advice Scotland, warned: “People literally cannot afford another big increase in bills.

“The frightening truth is that people face the very real prospect of freezing or starving this winter without help. We already see a link between the demand for energy advice and food insecurity advice, demand for both is rising, even before the weather turns cold.”