Food price inflation main contributor to growing living costs

Rising food prices is the most common reason behind the cost-of-living crisis, according to new research.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed nine in 10 adults (92%) revealed their grocery bills becoming more expensive was the main reason why their living costs grew in the period from 13 to 24 April.

As a result, 39% of respondents said they had resorted to buying less food when shopping in the past fortnight, an increase from 34% in the previous period (30 March to 10 April) and 18% at the start of the year.

However, some 44% of those surveyed said they had to spend more than usual to get their usual products, compared with 37% previously.

READ MORE: Cost of living: Should supermarkets be stepping in where the government has failed?

The other two main contributors to rising living costs were a rise in gas or electricity bills (86%) and an increase in the price of fuel (80%).

This comes following warnings by Martin Lewis who said people will die this winter because of the energy price cap rise.

The cap come into effect for around 24 million households in England, Scotland and Wales on default energy tariffs on October 1, and will remain in place until December 31, when it will be adjusted again.

As a result, the average household’s yearly bill will go from £1,971 to £3,549 from October.

“I’ve been accused of catastrophising over this situation,” Lewis told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme.

“Well, the reason I have catastrophised is this is a catastrophe, plain and simple.

“If we do not get further government intervention on top of what was announced in May, lives will be lost this winter.”

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