CLIMATE AND ENERGY COSTS BITE - FOOD BILLS UP BY £605

Equivalent of extra month of shopping

- RECORD REPORTER

THE food bill for an average UK family has gone up by £605 over the last two years due to climate change and soaring energy costs.

Research by non-profit organisation the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit found £361 of these price rises was attributable to climate change while £244 was due to soaring oil and gas costs.

It says this adds to the concern that even as energy prices fall in the years ahead, increasing climate impacts are likely to keep food prices high.

This risk was highlighted by Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey.

The ECIU said excess climate and energy costs have added 10 weekly shops worth of food bills to the average household budget over the last two years, which is equivalent to over an extra month a year of food shopping.