Britain braced for some of Europe's coldest temperatures - just as energy bills jump

Britain is predicted to be hit with a colder winter this year, just as households are landed with energy price hikes.

Forecasters believe the UK will endure some of Europe’s coldest temperatures this month and beyond, driving up heating bills and putting an extra pressure on the country’s energy reserves.

A series of mild winters have helped Europe offset some of its traditional resilience on Russian gas, which was heavily impacted by the invasion of Ukraine. But changing weather patterns have led some experts to predict this winter will be colder than last year.

It comes just as 27 million UK households saw their energy bills jump by around 10%. Regulator Ofgem upped its price cap for those on standard tariffs and pre-payment meters to, it said, help suppliers recover higher wholesale costs. The average household paying for their energy by direct debit will see their annual bill rise by £149 to £1,717. The biggest chunk of that will come over the next few months, when energy use jumps as temperatures tumble.

Forecasters have pointed to the impact of La Niña, which occurs when sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean drop below normal, causing widespread changes in global weather patterns. The opposite of El Niño, it can result in colder, wetter and stormier conditions across the UK throughout autumn and winter, as well as lower temperatures, early frosts and a higher chance of snowfall, particularly in the northern regions.

Earlier this month the United Nations’s World Meteorological Organization predicted a 60% chance that neutral conditions would give way to La Nina between October and February next year.

Andrew Pedrini, a meteorologist at forecaster Atmospheric G2, said: “A weak/moderate La Niña event is forecast for the winter, which generally implies colder than normal temperatures across West Europe, so we do expect some colder spells heading towards November and December.”

Matthew Dross, a meteorologist at Maxar, added that La Niña could also curb wind speeds as winter begins, impacting renewable energy generation across Europe.

Others experts have down played the direct impact of the weather pattern on the UK, but the country could be impacted by floods, droughts and heatwaves elsewhere.

The potential threat comes as campaigners are already warning about the fall-out from this month’s jump in energy bills. Joanna O’Loan, from the Energy Saving Trust said: “It can be daunting going into the colder months when energy bills are generally at their highest.”

Jonathan Bean, from Fuel Poverty Action, said: “We face a brutal winter with energy prices rising whilst government support is cut. “Millions, especially pensioners, will be forced to turn off their heating and their health will be damaged. The NHS will be overwhelmed and thousands could die.”

Alex Chapman, senior economist at the New Economics Foundation, said: “The energy price cap means families across the country are subjected to a rollercoaster of prices every three months when what they need is long-term energy security.”