Energy price hikes fuel fears across the continent as winter looms 

Russia is wasting large volumes of natural gas by burning it in a huge orange flare near the Finnish border at a time when it has sharply cut deliveries to the European Union, scientists and analysts said

The Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline and the transfer station of the OPAL gas pipeline, the Baltic Sea Pipeline Link, in Lubmin, Germany. Picture: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

Energy bill increases are fuelling consumer fears across the continent as winter looms closer and politicians scramble to cushion the impact of price hikes.

SSE Airtricity recently announced it will increase unit price of its electricity by 45% and the unit price of its gas by 46% from the start of October, affecting around 250,000 electricity customers and 85,000 gas customers.