ENERGY watchdog Ofgem’s intention to let household fuel bills rise even further this autumn could break national and international laws on discrimination and human rights, legal experts said today.

The Good Law Project (GLP) said that if Ofgem raises the energy price cap from £1,971 a year to a predicted £2,824 in October — a 64 per cent increase — the most vulnerable will be the worst affected.

The group said that the increase could be discriminatory under the Equality Act 2010 and in breach of European Court of Human Rights laws.

Ofgem has already raised the price cap by 54 per cent this year.

GLP is demanding that Ofgem carry out and publish a full equality impact assessment before confirming whether it will raise the price cap.

Ofgem chief executive Johnathan Brearley admitted on Tuesday that the group had underestimated winter bills and said households can expect to be hit even harder by a price cap rise in autumn.

GLP director Jo Maugham said: “The further huge rise in the energy price cap is going to harm many more families — and especially those with extra needs, like the disabled.

“There’s a mountain of evidence that shows while price hikes are tough to bear for most households, it’s the elderly, children, sick and disabled people who will be hardest hit.

“We need to see concerted action to alleviate fuel poverty and GLP will intervene where the government and its regulators fail to meet their duties to the public.”

Linda Burnip, of direct-action group Disabled People Against Cuts, said: “We very much welcome this intervention which would show how dangerous this increase in energy prices would be for disabled and older people.

“It is shocking that no equality impact assessment has been made previously.”

A Fuel Poverty Action spokesperson said the challenge is “bang on target,” adding: “Ofgem bases its price cap on the needs of the suppliers — not the needs of their customers, who can freeze, go hungry and go into debt as a result.  

“Let them come up with the evidence that their duty to consider vulnerabilities is anything but an empty promise.”

The campaign group is proposing a new pricing system called Energy For All — a free band of energy to cover the basics paid for by windfall taxes, an end to fossil fuel subsidies paid for by taxes and higher prices for households that use more than they need.