TWO-THIRDS of adults have seen their cost-of-living jump over the past month as energy bills soared and price rises filtered down to supermarket shelves, official data revealed today.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that 66 per cent of adults saw their cost of living increase.

Its report also showed the impact of the omicron variant on businesses last month, with the highest proportion of firms reporting falling monthly turnovers since the height of the first lockdown in April 2020.

Its household survey found that of those who saw their cost of living rise, 87 per cent of people reported increasing food shop prices, while 79 per cent cited rising energy bills.

Nearly three-quarters of those polled said that increases in the price of fuel had also driven up the cost of living.

Official figures released on Wednesday showed that inflation had soared to a near 30-year high of 5.4 per cent in December.

The leap came as households faced surging food prices on top of sky-high energy and fuel bills.

Experts have warned that the cost-of-living squeeze will get even tighter over the next few months as gas and electricity tariffs are expected to rise by around 50 per cent in April.

The Bank of England raised interest rates last month as it said inflation would hit 6 per cent in the spring — and more increases are expected to rein in rising prices.

End Fuel Poverty Coalition co-ordinator Simon Francis told the Star: “Every day seems to bring more bad news for families already struggling to make ends meet.

“Fuel poverty is now at crisis point in this country and the government must take urgent action now as well as invest in long term solutions to the problem, such as grants to improve household energy efficiency.”