Households are on average £3,400 worse off because of a series of energy shocks over the past five years, research has found. Bills have jumped because of a number of unexpected events which has sent wholesale energy costs soaring, and ordinary customers paying the price. Global prices for gas and electricity started to increase from the summer of 2021, when economies began opening up after pandemic related-lockdowns. The rise was then intensfied by reduced supply of fuels from some producers