Government urged to act now as Britons face 'life-threatening financial emergency'

Consumer champion Martin Lewis has spoken out amid growing calls for bickering Tories to pledge urgent household support in trouble. He said the country was facing a "national crisis"

Martin Lewis said the government should act now to help people (

Image: PA)

Spiking energy bills could cost lives – and constitute a national crisis on the scale of the pandemic, warned Martin Lewis.

The consumer champion spoke out amid growing calls for bickering Tories to pledge urgent support to struggling households.

It came as Tory leadership favorite Liz Truss signaled that struggling families could have to wait months for help.

She has floated suggestions that she should agree relief packages with No10 and rival Rishi Sunak before the contest ends on September 5.

Instead, she pledged to reverse the National Insurance hike and suspend the green energy tax, but warned that the parliamentary process could get in the way of even that plan.

She said, "I will act from day one to make this happen as soon as possible...it will happen well before April."

Conservative leadership candidate Liz Truss speaks during an election campaign in Darlington (

Picture:

REUTERS)

Yet in just a fortnight energy regulator Ofgem is due to announce the new energy price cap, which experts say could raise the average dual-fuel standard tariff of £1,971 by 82% per year, at £3,582.

And this week, consultants at Cornwall Insight predicted the cap would rise to an average of £4,266 in January and then to £4,426 next April.

Mr. Lewis floated the idea that no aid can be agreed until a new Prime Minister is in office.

The money-saving expert told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "That's total rubbish. It's just not true.

"We are facing a life-threatening financial emergency here."

And he told Radio 4's Today programme: 'This is a national crisis on the scale of the pandemic.