The pressure on household finances increased on Thursday when Scottish and Southern Energy and Eon became the latest energy suppliers to raise bills, by averages of 25 per cent and 22 per cent respectively, following steep rises in wholesale gas and electricity prices.

The moves follow similar increases from EDF Energy and Centrica, owner of British Gas, late last month and will contribute to a further increase in the rate of inflation, which is expected by many economists to hit 5 per cent by the end of the year.