Labour was accused of a “betrayal” of voters after the energy price cap went up again.

Regulator Ofgem announced that average bills for households in England, Scotland and Wales will increase by 6.4% from £1,738 to £1,849 from April 1 following a recent spike in wholesale prices.

Campaigners also raised fears over the impact on pensioners stripped of winter fuel payments.

Tory acting Shadow Energy Secretary Andrew Bowie said: “The latest hike in the Energy Price Cap is a betrayal to the families who Ed Miliband promised to save £300 on their bills.

“Labour’s election promise is shot and bills are on the rise.

“What’s more, the Government are not being honest about the trade-offs required to fund their fantastical energy policies – it will be families who are hit with the bill.”

Labour pledged during the election campaign to bring down energy bills by £300 a year by 2030, at which point it wants almost all of the UK’s electricity to be green.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has faced repeated questions about whether the promise is deliverable following a series of price cap hikes.

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said: “Once again we see net zero causing another huge energy price cap rise for hard-working British people.

“Labour promised to lower bills by £300 yet they’re up £111 in just three months, they will be 18% higher than July 2024, and 6.4% higher than January 2025.

“This is solely because of the extra costs caused by the rush to subsidise renewables. Contrary to the dishonesty from Ofgem, gas prices are over 10% lower now than at the start of the year. Labour are simply failing us.

“Only Reform will scrap net zero and lower bills.”

Age UK said the latest increase was “terrible news for older people” and “yet another blow for those on low or modest fixed incomes who lost their winter fuel payment when they really couldn’t afford it”

Charity director Caroline Abrahams added: “The fact that all the experts are saying the cost of energy is likely to keep on rising will strike real fear in the hearts of many pensioners, who are still grappling with the challenge of getting through this winter with their health and finances intact.”

“Older people must not be subjected to similar misery again next winter. As energy prices are rising with no end in sight, they need to be better protected.

“The Government must act to ensure that every pensioner has the confidence and ability to turn their heating on next winter and stay adequately warm.”

Independent Age chief executive Joanna Elson CBE added: “Today’s price cap announcement is more bad news for the older people in poverty that have already been subjected to a brutally long and cold winter.

“People in later life on low fixed incomes have stretched their budgets to breaking point during the colder months, and many tell us they don’t have enough money to turn the heating on full stop. Now, their bills rise yet again to amounts they simply cannot afford.

“History cannot be allowed to repeat itself next winter.”

The rise will equate to £111 for an average household per year, or around £9.25 a month, over the three-month period of the price cap.

Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley said: “We know that no price rise is ever welcome, and that the cost of energy remains a huge challenge for many households.

“But our reliance on international gas markets leads to volatile wholesale prices, and continues to drive up bills, which is why it’s more important than ever that we’re driving forward investment in a cleaner, homegrown system.

“Energy debts that began during the energy crisis have reached record levels and without intervention will continue to grow. This puts families under huge stress and increases costs for all customers. We’re developing plans that could give households with unmanageable debt the clean slate they need to move forward.”

The average household bill is now 9.4% or £159 higher than this time last year but £531 or 22% lower than at the height of the energy crisis at the start of 2023.

Mr Miliband said: “This is worrying news for many families.

“This Government is determined to do everything we can to protect people from the grip of fossil fuel markets.

“Expanding the Warm Home Discount can help protect millions of families from rising energy bills, offering support to consumers across the country.

“Alongside this, the way to deliver energy security and bring down bills for good is to deliver our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower with homegrown clean power that we in Britain control.”