Martin Lewis says some people could soon be paying £10k A YEAR on energy on Good Morning Britain

Consumer champion Martin Lewis has warned that some members of the public could end up paying £10,000 a year on their energy bills.

It comes after Ofgem announced that the new energy price cap, for the average household, will rise to £3,549 a year from October 1. It will mean an increase in bill costs of 80 per cent for the 24 million households on a standard tariff across England, Scotland, and Wales.

Meanwhile, the 4.5 million pre-payment meter customers across Britain - who are among the most vulnerable to price increases - will see their annual bill increase even further to £3,608. However, Mr Lewis has warned that the situation is even direr, with some potentially paying the equivalent of a house deposit on their bills.

Read more: BREAKING: Energy price cap will rise to £3,549 in October, Ofgem announces

Appearing on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Mr Lewis warned that the situation is a "genuine social and financial catastrophe that is putting lives at risk". He added: "I’m noticing many media organisations saying that the price cap is £3,549 a year – that isn’t correct.

“The price cap is actually a cap on the standing charges and unit rates that you pay, they have gone up by around 80%. The figure that’s quoted, the £3,549, is what the cap would be for someone who has typical usage – of course, most people don’t have typical usage, they’re more or less.

"That means there is no maximum amount that you can pay for gas or electricity. You could easily be paying £5,000 or £10,000 a year if you have high usage.

“I worry terribly for some of those who have disabled children or disabilities themselves who need lots of electrical equipment to keep their houses warm because of medical conditions.”

He continued: "The