People living in hot countries will no longer be able to claim winter fuel payments from autumn 2015, chancellor George Osborne has announced in the Government's Spending Review.
Britain's big six energy companies will face fines unless they open up the electricity market to competition from independent rivals, under proposals by Ofgem.
Households should brace themselves for energy price hikes, not just over the coming year, but over the next five years too, with one energy expert predicting bills could double.