Householders are underestimating their main bills by nearly £500 during a time of significant price rises, according to research published by Santander bank yesterday.

More than 2,000 bill payers were asked by Santander Current Accounts to estimate their annual spend on their main household bills over the previous 12 months. The bank then compared the results with actual spending costs taken from figures provided by bodies such as Ofcom, Ofwat and Ofgem.

Families have underestimated the cost of their main household bills in the last year including council tax, gas and electricity by nearly £500 typically, the research suggested.

Bill payers typically under-estimated how much they spent on council tax by £672 and the actual bill was almost double their estimate, at £1,444 on average.

They also significantly underestimated their spending on gas and electricity. Gas bills were underestimated by £243 and electricity costs were put at £72 lower than the actual spend.

Santander director of banking Matt Hall said: "Household bills have risen significantly in recent years. With many people's income not growing as fast, many families are struggling."

The news comes as the big six energy companies reported that the government had asked them to freeze prices until the middle of 2015, aping a move by Labour who have made an electoral promise to keep prices stable for 20 months and drastically reform the energy market. Annual bills could be cut by around £50 by the move.

Labour leader Ed Miliband pledged to end the energy "rip-off" and detailed proposals for reforming markets. He also accused Mr Cameron of being a "weak and flailing Prime Minister" who was "pleading with the energy companies to get him off the hook."

Labour has called for a tough new regulator and an independent body to plan new infrastructure and ensure the lights stay on.

Mr Miliband said: "What Britain needs is Labour's strong, credible plan that we're publishing today to freeze energy prices until 2017 and reform a broken energy market so it properly works for business and families."