PRET-flation! How Lunchtime Favourites Have Soared In Price

By James Robinson for MailOnline

Published: 08:09 EDT, 3 September 2022 | Updated: 07:01 EDT, 4 September 2022

Britons looking to cut back due to the cost-of-living crisis are now having to fork out more for their favourite snacks and lunches due to soaring prices at popular high street chains, MailOnline can reveal.

Lunchtime favourites including a Greggs sausage roll, a Big Mac meal and a Pret Tuna and Cucumber Baguette have all risen in price in recent months - with some items increasing by as much as 50p.

It comes after fast-food chain McDonalds last month raised the price of its iconic - and once seemingly inflation-beating - 99p cheeseburger to £1.19. It was the first time the burger's price had been increased in more than 14 years.

Meanwhile, pub and casual dining chains are also steadily increasing their prices, research by MailOnline has found.

A Nandos half chicken and two sides has shot up from £11.20 to £13 in the last two years, while a classic La Reine from Pizza Express is now 75p more expensive than it was in 2020.

Even Wetherspoon, known for its cut-price drinks and dinners, is having to up their menu prices. The chain's popular three plates for £10 deal is now as much as £12.50 in some locations, while its equally popular big breakfast is now 30p more expensive than it was last year.

It comes as all restaurants and grab and go spots face a double whammy of increasing costs. Ingredients such as flour and cooking oils have all gone up in price as a knock on from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while shops, cafes and restaurants are also feeling the pinch due to spiraling gas prices.

But the increasing prices could knock consumer confidence in the grab-and-go market, with customers already trying to tighten their belt due to the wider cost-of-living squeeze.

Britons are already cutting back as they brace for whopping energy bills this winter, coupled with inflated food prices at supermarkets. And there are fears that inflation itself could hit 15 per cent in the UK this winter, if energy prices continue to rise.

Pubs are already turning out the lights as soaring energy bills hit the ailing hospitality sector - with last orders being made hours earlier, food being cut and skeleton teams running venues to avoid financial ruin.

Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge revealed yesterday that the electricity bill at one of his pubs will soar from £60,000 to a staggering £420,000 a year as Britain's hospitality sector faces financial ruin this winter.

Lunchtime favourites including a Greggs sausage roll, a Big Mac meal and a Pret Tuna and Cucumber baguette have all risen in price in recent months - with some items increasing by as much as 50p. Prices may differ in some locations. McDonalds runs a franchise system, meaning franchisees set their own prices based on recommendations. Pret says its price differs, with higher than usual price in its stores at railway stations. Filter coffee has increased twice in the last two years, first to £1.25 and then to £1.40 in shops, and £1.50 at stations

Pub and casual dining chains are also steadily increasing their prices, research by MailOnline has found. A Nandos half chicken and two sides has shot up from £11.20 to £13 in the last two years, while a classic La Reine from Pizza Express is now 75p more expensive than it was in 2020. Even Wetherspoon, known for its cut-price drinks and dinners, is having to up their menu prices. The chain's popular three plates for £10 deal is now as much as £12.50 in some locations, while its equally popular big breakfast is now 30p more expensive than it was last year

It comes as research by MailOnline shows how major grab-and-go and casual dining brands have increased their prices in the last two years, or less.

Popular Italian-themed chain, Pizza Express, has increased prices on all of its major menu items.

Half chicken with two regular sides

Grilled chicken burger with one side

Sausage roll and vegan sausage roll

Steak bake, chicken bake, and sausage and bean melt

Triple chocolate doughnut and caramel doughnut

*All price increases are within the last two years or less. Some prices may differ in different areas, particularly at Wetherspoon, which runs a regional pricing system. McDonalds also runs a franchise system, so while it recommends prices, they are ultimately set by the franchisee

Its popular dough balls starter has risen by £1 in the last year, while classic pizzas have risen by 75p in some cases.

A classic La Reine Pizza now costs £13.45 in most Pizza Express restaurants, up from £12.70 last year. Those hoping to cut the costs by going for a cheaper Margherita are also not going to be able to avoid inflation, because a classic cheese and tomato pizza is now £9.95 - up a £1 from £8.95.

But one of the largest rises has been for Pizza Express's classic lasagne which is now £13.45, having previously been £11.95.

Similarly, grilled chicken chain Nandos has not managed to avoid increasing its prices. The popular peri-peri brand is now charging £13 for a half chicken with two regular sides, up from £11.20 two years ago.

Those with a preference for Nandos burgers are also having to fork out more. A grilled chicken burger with one side was £8.75 - and is now £9.80.

And those looking for a side will also have to dig deeper into their pockets, because a 10wings plate has gone up by 65p, from £10.95 to £11.50.

At pub chain Wetherspoon, well known for its cut price drinks and dinners, prices are also going up. The pub chain's popular three small plates for £10 deal is now up to £12.50.

Similarly, Wetherspoon's mixed grill and a drink deal has gone up from £9.65 to £11.20 - £12.70 with alcohol.

And those hoping for a Wetherspoon breakfast - perhaps to compel the previous night's hangover - will also be forking out more, with the chain's large breakfast now £6.10 - up from £5.85.

Wetherspoon says its prices vary between pubs and regions. A spokesperson added: 'Wetherspoon aims to keep its prices as competitive as possible and believes it offers excellent value for money on food and drink in its pubs.'

Meanwhile, grab-and-go chains are also upping their prices, MailOnline's research shows.

A Pret Tuna and Cucumber Baguette is now £3.80 in some locations, having been priced at £3.30. It comes after the popular lunchtime chain raised the price of its filter coffee over the last two years.

In 2020, customers could bag a filter coffee from Pret for just 99p. But after raising the price to £1.25 last year, Pret raised the price again to £1.40 earlier this year. It is currently priced at £1.50 in shops at train and tube stations - where many commuters will buy their drinks.

A standard flat white has risen from £2.85 to £3.15 in station stores. The chain has also recently increased the cost of its monthly subscription, which allows customers to get five Barista-made drinks (organic coffees, teas, frappes, hot chocolates) a day.

A Pret spokesperson said: 'Like many businesses in our sector, we have experienced unprecedented inflation across the business, including rising energy costs, and have made the difficult decision to increase the price on some food and drinks products this year.

'We know our customers are also facing rising costs, so we are trying to absorb as much as we can, while also working hard to offer customers greater choice and pricing variety at Pret.

'This includes expanding a range of products for £3.50 or less, as well as our award-winning Pret Coffee Subscription which offers customers up to five barista prepared drinks a day for just £25 a month, which works out to be cheaper than two lattes a week.'

Prices have also risen on a number of menu items. But pricing varies from store to store, because McDonalds runs a franchise system. It means that while McDonalds can recommend prices, it is ultimately up to the franchisee to set them.

However, research by MailOnline shows that prices have increased, in general, on a number of items, including the iconic Big Mac medium meal. The meal, with drinks and a side, previously cost £5.09, but now costs £5.39 - and £5.49 in some locations.

Other cost increase include to the McCafe range. A regular barista-style coffee, such as a cappuccino or flat white, now costs around £1.69, having previously been priced around the £1.49 mark.

A spokesperson for McDonalds said earlier this year, following the announcement of the price rises: 'This summer, our restaurants will be adding between 10p and 20p to a number of the menu items impacted most by inflation.

'We'll be increasing the price of our cheeseburger for the first time in over 14 years, taking it from 99p to £1.19.

'Some prices remain unaffected, and some will continue to vary across our restaurants. We understand that any price increases are not good news, but we have delayed and minimised these changes for as long as we could.

'We will continue to listen to what you want from us and work tirelessly to find solutions to today's cost challenges affecting our business.'

Meanwhile, bakers Greggs, another chain known for its cut price goodies, is also raising its prices. The company has been working to keep product prices down - despite ingredients, packaging and energy bills all increasing.

However its iconic sausage roll, and its vegan alternative, is now going up to £1.30, having previously been £1.20, and having once been £1.

Its equally iconic steak bake, as well as its chicken bake, and sausage and bean melt, are also set to go up, from £1.80 to £1.96.

Meanwhile, a triple chocolate doughnut and caramel doughnut are also increasing in price, going over the £1 to £1.09.

But Greggs customers can also still get one popular item for under a £1. A Yum Yum will be priced at 81p, up from 75p.

A Greggs spokesperson said earlier this year: 'In a market where consumer incomes are under pressure Greggs offers exceptional value for customers looking for food and drink on the go.

'We are well positioned to navigate the widely publicised challenges affecting the economy and continue to have several exciting growth opportunities ahead, with a clear strategy for expansion.'

At pub chain Wetherspoon, well known for its cut price drinks and dinners, prices are also going up. The pub chain's popular three small plates for £10 deal is now up to £12.50

Those hoping for a Wetherspoon breakfast - perhaps to compel the previous night's hangover - will also be forking out more, with the chain's large breakfast now £6.10 - up from £5.85

At Pret, a standard flat white has risen from £2.85 to £3.15 in station stores. The chain has also recently increased the cost of its monthly subscription, which allows customers to get five Barista-made drinks (organic coffees, teas, frappes, hot chocolates) a day

The scale of energy rationing that may be required at home, in the NHS, schools, care homes, shops, pubs and on the streets of Britain because of surging energy prices and the threat of blackouts is laid bare today.

Experts have told MailOnline there is 'no escape' for the 66million people in the UK who will be encouraged to cut their use of gas and electricity this winter and even turn off the lights when the wind drops.

Kathryn Porter, from consultancy Watt-Logic, fears that the crisis will cost lives in the coming months and told MailOnline: 'We should keep our fingers crossed for a warm and windy winter'. Ms Porter has said that it's 'very possible' the UK will see plans for energy rationing, despite Liz Truss, the likely next prime minister, absolutely ruling it out, but the energy expert added: 'It would be voluntary, asking people to make a small sacrifice to avoid blackouts'.

Today it emerged that Britons could be asked to limit energy use this winter to head off blackouts by avoiding using gas and electricity at peak times in a move that will hit every part of life.

At home people may be encouraged not to use washing machines, dishwashers and ovens between 2pm and 8pm while charging cars before 9pm is also not advised when similar measures were imposed in the US this year. Abandoning the family weekday dinner at 6pm or the Sunday roast at 5pm may be required and moved to after 8pm or swapped for a cold dinner or leftovers.

The NHS Confederation has predicted that the solution for the health service will 'have to be made up by fewer staff being employed, longer waiting times for care, or other areas of patient care being cut back'. NHS England guidance says staff must turning off equipment and lights and better control temperatures in hospitals and surgeries.

Schools have even discussed three-day weeks and classes could be combined to reduce the number of rooms that require heating each day.

While care homes are being forced to take drastic action to absorb soaring living costs such as reducing menu options, using washing machines less and cutting down on entertainment and outdoor trips for elderly and vulnerable residents.

Pubs are already turning out the lights as soaring energy bills hit the ailing hospitality sector - with last orders at 8.30pm and closing by 9pm, food service being stopped and skeleton teams running venues to avoid financial ruin. Beer gardens are even being shut at night to save costs.

And councils may choose to copy Germany where street lights are being dimmed, traffic lights at quieter junctions are turned off, hot water and central heating is off in public buildings and monuments will no longer be lit overnight. UK municipal swimming pools could be made colder to reduce heating bills.

It comes as celebrity chef Tom Kerridge revealed that the electricity bill at one of his pubs will soar from £60,000 to a staggering £420,000 a year as Britain's hospitality sector faces financial ruin this winter.

Mr Kerridge, who owns three pubs based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, said yesterday he has been quoted a rise from £5,000 to £30,000 a month at one of his businesses.

He said the quote has come from his existing electricity supplier for when the contract ends in December and worries because many of his appliances use electricity - including the stoves, the ovens and the fridges.

Many British pubs are reducing their hours and closing down as energy bills skyrocket by tens of thousands of pounds, with pub owners calling for immediate intervention from the incoming Prime Minister.

Landlords are reporting 400% increases in the price of their bills, costs they are largely unable to cut as the require the fuel to serve customers.

President of the British Chambers of Commerce, Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, today warned that two-thirds of pubs are at risk of closure amid the energy price rise crisis.

Mr Kerridge said he will shop around to try and get his bill lowered but said from his first quote the annual sum 'has gone from '£60,000 a year to '£420,000 a year'.

'It's just absolutely ludicrous and that's just us as a business. This is every business - every business is getting quoted that because there is no price cap on business energy,' Mr Kerridge told BBC Radio 5 Live.

'The numbers are so ridiculous and ludicrous that no wonder so many businesses are closing and talking of closing.'

Mr Kerridge, who also owns five restaurants and bars, said businesses would face 'harsh realities' over the winter, according to The Telegraph.

He described it as a 'terrifying and scary landscape' for the sector.

A quarter of pub and hotel owners are considering closing over the Christmas period to avoid losing money, according to research by the industry body, UK Hospitality.

One landlady, whose energy bill has jumped from £8,000 to £33,000, told MailOnline: 'You really need to be up for running a pub for the love of it as it's certainly not to earn a living anymore!'

She said she has had to cut down her menu, is now acting chef as she cannot afford to employ one, and turns the outside lights off to save money - but predicts that the future looks bleak.

Russell Imrie, who runs the Keavil House Hotel in Fife, said that he will close between December 23 and 27.

'The amount that we would need to charge for lunches and dinners and for rooms over the Christmas period would be at a level that, I think, the customers would not understand why we were charging those prices,' he said.

It comes amid fears for energy bills at other institutions including museums, care homes and schools.

'We are simply at the stage where many people will not be able to heat their homes over the winter and because there's no cap on businesses and public institutions, things like museums are warning about shutting, elderly care homes, schools,' Helen Lewis, writer for The Atlantic told BBC's Today programme, discussing the huge challenge of the energy crisis that will fall on the next Prime Minister.

'You cannot have a situation in which children are being asked to go in very cold schools and then coming home to very cold homes. That is something the government is going to have to do something more than the announced measures to deal with.'

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Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge says the electricity bill at one of his pubs will soar from £60,000 to a £420,000 a year when the contract ends in December

Mr Kerridge, who owns three pubs based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, said businesses were going to face 'harsh realities' over the winter - Pictured is The Butcher's Tap and Grill

Asked about the knock on effect of the energy crisis, she added: 'It's a very chaotic problem in the sense that things might drop out of supply chains that you've simply never thought about before, going about your daily life.

'If there are random factories that make important things that can't pay their bills and go through shutdowns, or if we end up having some form of rationing or blackouts over the winter, that is a very chaotic system to address.'

She spoke about the NHS struggling to grapple with the after effects of Covid, saying there is no 'let up'.

Every public service is crying out for money, the writer added, with inflation leading to people wanting a pay rise so they are not losing out.

£1.45 for ONE can of Heinz Beans! Despair as cost of staple foods soars by up to 20% in a year with average price of four pints of milk up 34p to £1.49, spaghetti up 33p to 85p - and inflation now set to hit 22%

By James Robinson for MailOnline

Supermarket shoppers already facing a cost-of-living crunch are paying up to 20 per cent more for cupboard staples including butter, milk and spaghetti, than they were last year, new figures have today revealed.

The cost of an average 500g pack of own-brand spaghetti has also rocketed up by 33p - from 52p to 85p - since August last year, while a 500g pack of Lurpak is now 63p more expensive - up from £3.58 last year to £4.21 this year.

Supermarkets are also facing a backlash from customers over the cost of baked bean. An average six-pack of Heinz baked beans now costs as much as £5 in some stores. A single 450g can will now, on average, set shoppers back £1.20 - up more than 37p in 12 months.

Some are even pricing the popular cupboard staple at £1.45 per 415g can - sparking fury from customers who have accused shops of 'taking the p**'. It comes after Tesco temporarily stopped stocking Heinz products following a pricing row with the US-food firm.

Meanwhile, MailOnline's analysis also shows how an average 20 item shopping basket now costs £5.20 more than it did last year - with shoppers in Tesco and Morrisons seeing some of the biggest rises.

It comes as the British Retail Consortium (BRC) - the trade association for supermarkets and retail businesses - today released its own figures showing how prices have risen over the last year.

Shop price annual inflation surged to 5.1 per cent, up from 4.4 per cent in July, marking a new record since the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and NielsenIQ index started in 2005.

Food prices leapt by 9.3 per cent after a 7.0 per cent increase in July, driven by increases in products such as milk, margarine and crisps, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine pushing up the costs of animal feed, fertiliser, wheat and vegetable oils, the BRC said.

Meanwhile, Britons are already bracing for sky-high energy bills this winter, when the price cap on energy costs for an average home are set to rise to £3,500-a-year in October - and they could rise as £7,236 as of April.

Goldman Sachs predicts inflation, which hit a 40-year high of 10.1 per cent in July, will double in 2023 as the price cap on energy bills continues to rise pushed up by soaring gas prices .

The rising cost of food and a weak pound are also contributing to the crisis that is sending the UK towards recession.

Today a trade consultant who spent 15 years as a buyer for Waitrose warned that staple foods were among those facing near-double digit inflation this year - despite a drive by supermarkets to keep their cost down.

She also warned that inflation on branded and luxury supermarket goods could be as high as 20 per cent in some cases.

With Britons already facing a double whammy of high fuel and rising energy prices, analysis by MailOnline has revealed how a four-pint milk carton now costs, on average, 34p more than it did 12 months ago. The cost of an average 500g pack of own-brand spaghetti has also rocketed up by 33p - from 52p to 85p - since August last year, while a 500g pack of Lurpak is now 63p more expensive - up from £3.58 last year to £4.21 this year

Experts fear inflation could hit 22 per cent this winter, leaving millions unable to pay the bills and businesses going to the wall - all while energy firms are predicted to make £170billion extra in profit. Goldman Sachs predicts inflation, which hit a 40-year high of 10.1 per cent in July, will double in 2023 as the price cap on energy bills continues to rise pushed up by soaring gas prices

It comes as Britain faces an inflation rate of 22 per cent this winter leaving millions unable to pay the bills and businesses going to the wall while energy firms are predicted to make £170billion extra in profits increasing pressure on the next Prime Minister to impose a windfall tax

It comes as the British Retail Consortium - the trade association for supermarkets and retail businesses - today released its own figures showing how prices have risen. Library image: A shopper carries a basket in a supermarket

Following the BRC's announcement on food price inflation today, expert Lydia Garrett, a former supermarket buyer, was asked if she was surprised by the scale of the rise.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she said: 'No, not at all. I've been seeing food price rises for quite a number of years.

Milk - 4 pints (own brand)

Average price in August last year: £1.16

Average price in August this year: £1.50

Spaghetti - 500g (own brand)

Average price in August last year: £0.52

Average price in August this year: £0.85

Heinz beans - Six pack

Average price in August last year: £3.50

Average price in August this year: £4.77

Average price in August last year: £3.58

Average price in August this year: £4.21

*Figures are an average based on prices from the UK's major supermarkets, using data from the Trolley.co.uk Grocery Price Index

'You always have a list of shopping basket lines, so you are very careful about not raising those prices, because those are the products people buy in large volume.

'So it's things like sliced bread, milk, it's your basic products that everyone wants to buy. These are the ones that customers notice what the prices are.

'So supermarkets are very very focused to make sure those prices are not being pushed up too high because obviously it effects their customers and they want their customers to stay loyal to them. So they will do everything they can to make sure those prices stay in line.

'With these inflation figures coming out now, they are pushing up to 10 percent, that's really high to see it on these shopping basket lines, but everybody will be feeling the prices higher than that, because you aren't just buying those shopping basket lines, you are buying lots of other foods and inflation on more premium foods will be much much higher than that.'

Ms Garrett warned that inflation on premium, or branded items, could be as high as 20 per cent - much higher than the UK's official inflation figures.

Meanwhile, Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight, NielsenIQ, who co-produces the data released by the BRC, said: 'We can expect this level of food inflation to be with us for at least another six months but hopefully some of the input cost pressures in the supply chain will eventually start to ease.

'However, with further falls in disposable incomes coming this autumn as energy costs rocket again, retail spend will come under pressure in the all-important final quarter of the year."

Figures from the Trolley.co.uk's Grocery Price Index suggest some items have already hit 20 per cent inflation in a year.

The index, which tracks the cost of items in major supermarkets across the UK, takes an average cost of an item over the last 12 months.

The figures include smaller and larger sizes, as well as branded and premium items - so the figures are sometimes higher than what you might pay for smaller non-branded packets.

They show how the average pack of spaghetti now costs £1.49 - up 29p - 23.1 per cent in the last 12 months.

Supermarket shoppers already facing a cost-of-living crunch are now paying up to 20 per cent more for cupboard staples including butter, milk and spaghetti, new figures have today revealed. Pictured: A graphic showing how items have increased in cost. Figures are from data from Trolley.co.uk's Grocery Price Index. The cost of items are averages, incorporating various sizes and brands. E.g. Milk includes organic and larger cartons. Pictures are an illustration and do not represent the actual price of the products

Meanwhile, an average 20 item shopping basket now costs on average £5.20 more than it did last year, the analysis shows, with shoppers in Tesco and Morrisons seeing some of the biggest rises. Pictured: A graphic showing how the price of an average 20 item basket of shopping - selected by MailOnline - has risen in the past 12 months. The figures are based on analysis of data by the Trolley.co.uk Grocery Price Index

In terms of non-branded products, a 500g own-brand pack of spaghetti pack costs 84p - up 32p from an average of 52p last year - across the major supermarkets.

The average milk carton - ranging from 1pint to 6pint - now costs £1.34 - up 26.9 per cent in the last 12 months. Meanwhile, a 4pint now costs of average £1.16, up 34p when compared to August last year.

Another dairy product, Lurpak butter, has also seen a large rise in costs, going up on average 63p for a 500g tub since last August.

It comes after shoppers recently expressed shock that the price of a 750g tub of Lurpak surpassed £7 in some supermarkets. Meanwhile, cheese has also seen a 17 per cent rise in price in the last 12 months, according to figures from Trolley.co.uk.

Dairy products have been impacted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Both countries are among the world's biggest exporters of fertiliser and animal feed and the invasion has led to disrupted supplies and increase prices.

Earlier this week, milk giant Arla warned it expected the second half of the year to be 'even more challenging' due to 'on-going inflationary pressure and political unrest'.

Other large increases including in the cost of chicken breast. Figures from Trolley.co.uk show a 15.9 per cent increase in the price of the meat in the last 12 months. An average pack now costs £4.80, up 66p since August last year.

Eggs, bread and toilet roll, all essential items, have also seen double digit inflation in the last 12 months, according to the figures.

Figures are from data from Trolley.co.uk's Grocery Price Index. The cost of items are averages, incorporating various sizes and brands. E.g. Milk includes organic and larger cartons.

The only below inflation rises have been for toothpaste - which has seen no significant price rises since August last year - and wine, which has only rise by 0.3 per cent in the last 12 months, the figures show.

Meanwhile, shampoo and beer have also seen small rises, of around two per cent, since August last year.

The items are all included as part of MailOnline's analysis of the cost of an average 20 shopping basket. According to the analysis, an average basket now costs increased by more than £5 in the last 12 months.

An average basket, containing a mixture of essentials, toiletries and luxuries, now costs £68.93 - up £5.20 from £63.73 last year.

Of the major supermarkets, the largest increase was at Morrisons, which earlier this year was bought by a US investment firm.

The cost of MailOnline's average basket came to £65.38 in August this year, up £5.21 on last year, a rise of 8.65 per cent. Tesco saw the next biggest rise, of £5.18, going from £63.66 to £68.84.

Asda remained the cheapest supermarket for a 20 item basket, at £62.56. But the Asda basket saw a rise of £4.94 (8.57 per cent) over the last 12 months.

According to the data, Iceland saw the largest rise, of 14.2 per cent, on the average shopping basket, going from £61.52 to £70.28 since August last year. Co-Op saw the smallest rise, of 4.2 per cent, with the average basket cost rising from £61.11 to £63.75.

Goldman Sachs predicts inflation will double in 2023 as the price cap on energy bills continues to rise pushed up by soaring gas prices with the rising cost of food and a weak pound also contributing to the crisis that is sending the UK towards recession.

It came as leaked Treasury forecasts, published by Bloomberg, revealed the spiraling crisis will massively profit energy giants as oil and gas producers are predicted to make an extra £170billion as families face the choice between eating and heating this winter because of the cost of crisis catastrophe.

Pubs across the country that have been open for more than 200 years are closing their doors as their bills soar, with one heartbroken landlord admitting that they would have had to charge £14-a-pint and £40 for a main course to remain solvent.

John Crompton, 47, who runs The Fontmell Inn in Fontmell Magna, Dorset, said: 'Our electric contract comes up for renewal in September, and the best quote we've had is £72,500. It's gone up £52,000 per year, just on electric. And then gas that we use for cooking has gone up from about £8,000 to about £16,000 a year. It's an impossible ask'.

Schools and hospitals may be forced to limit heating this winter, according to insiders. Half of 250 headteachers surveyed by the TES this week said rising energy bills will have a 'catastrophic' impact on their budget this year. Manchester's University NHS Foundation Trust has said their annual bills will be up £4million next year.

Speaking in Dorset yesterday on his farewell tour, Boris Johnson has admitted that the outlook is bleak but predicted the country and its 'heroic' citizens would bounce back next year.

He said: 'It is going to be tough in the months to come. It's going to be tough through to next year. And that's because of Putin's war in Ukraine. Be in absolutely no doubt, the gas prices [are] being driven by what Putin did in Ukraine. But we are going to get through this.'

The predictions of £170billion profits for energy firms will be delivered by Treasury officials to the next Prime Minister on September 6, putting pressure on them to impose another windfall tax to ease the energy crisis this winter.

A tax at the current windfall rate of 25 per cent would bring in billions of pounds for the Treasury to help give assistance to households through the cost of living crisis.

But the likely winner of the Conservative leadership contest Liz Truss has said repeatedly she is against new taxes and instead wants to cut tax in an effort to create economic growth.

Ms Truss has insisted that a windfall tax on energy giants massive profits would 'send the wrong message to investors'.

In a warning about what she faces if she beats Rishi Sunak, one insider said today: 'This makes Covid-19 look relatively straightforward'.

A NHS source said: 'The overriding problem for the new Downing Street incumbent is that, while in previous years problems in the NHS centered on specific areas, today the entire house is on fire'.

Energy firms have been raking it in since the energy crisis began.

BP said in August its profits had hit a 14-year high as the gas giant made £6.9billion between April and June - up from £2.3 billion a year ago.

Shell's profits hit almost £10 billion in the same period, while Centrica - the UK's biggest gas supplier - saw profits increase by five times to £1.3 billion. Both companies paid out millions in dividends to their shareholders.

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