Action is demanded to bring down energy prices so Britons are no longer hit with some of the most expensive bills in the world. The UK had the highest prices for domestic and industrial electricity out of 25 leading countries in 2023.

A powerful cross-party group of MPs is concerned bill-payers are weighed down with debt and wants the country to be ready for a future surge in prices.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, warns the UK faces “world-beatingly high” prices. He wants answers about how a country which increasingly relies on renewables will be powered “when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine”.

The MPs warn that during the winter millions of people live in cold conditions and cut back on essentials such as food. They state that last year more than £3.7billion was owed for both domestic electricity and gas – up from £1.8billion in 2021.

Energy prices spiralled after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rocketing from “£1,277 in winter 2021-22 to over £4,000 by the start of 2023”. The MPs warn that existing schemes to help customers are “not sufficient to shield households” if there is another surge in costs.

They claim the Government is “relying on the expansion of renewable energy to reduce bills over time”.

Rebecca Paul, a Conservative member of the committee, warned of the harm caused by high energy costs to people across the country.

She said: “Unaffordable electricity bills are negatively impacting millions of people. The UK’s bills are some of the highest, pushing people to choose between heating and eating.

“This is in part the result of too much focus on net zero and not enough focus on energy security and affordability. It’s time that sensible decisions are made about our energy supply that put this country and its people first.”

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice argued there is a “direct correlation between energy prices and economic growth,” saying: “No country in the history of the world has ever achieved growth with such high energy prices. Having cheap and reliable energy is the foundation of a thriving economy, higher paid jobs, and high industrial output.”

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “Our mission for clean power is the only way to protect UK billpayers from future price shocks. The 2022-23 energy crisis, which saw sky-high energy bills and put pressure on households and businesses across the country, was a product of our reliance on gas for heating and powering our homes. We will bring down bills for good by moving towards a clean, homegrown power system that we control.

“We are also rolling out support for consumers, including through proposals to expand the Warm Home Discount to almost three million more households next winter, and allocating £1.8bn of funding to create warmer, more energy-efficient homes across England.”