Ofgem has confirmed household energy bills are to rise again from January 1 as it announced a 1.2% increase to its price cap.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “Older people, struggling without their winter fuel payment, who were praying for a reduction in energy prices to help them in the New Year, will be bitterly disappointed today.

“The news that the energy price cap is instead slightly rising is the latest in a series of blows for pensioners living on a low or modest income, who do not receive Pension Credit because they don’t claim it or are not eligible.

“There are millions of older people in this situation and we know that many are hoping against hope that something will turn up to help ease their situation over the next few months, when the weather is at its coldest.

“If you are an older person for whom every penny counts, managing your energy bills until the rise in your State Pension starts coming through from April just got harder.”

The wintry weather has affected education, with more than 114 schools shut in the Highland Council area on Thursday because of snow, including Inverness Royal Academy where pupils were told their prelim exams planned for the day will be rescheduled.

Almost 40 schools in Aberdeenshire were also shut while many others had delayed openings and in Moray around 12 were closed and others opened late.

It comes after more than 100 schools or nurseries were closed in Scotland on Wednesday because of the weather.

South of the border, 89 schools were shut in Devon on Thursday, 18 in Dorset and 60 in Cornwall, while in Wales around 10 were closed in Conwy, 18 in Denbighshire and two in Wrexham.

A yellow rain warning is in place for much of southwest England between 6am Saturday and 11.45pm Sunday.

Further north, in Wales, a yellow rain warning with a risk to life is in place between 6am Saturday and 6am Sunday.

In Northern Ireland, a yellow rain and snow warning was issued between midnight on Saturday and 11am.

Across much of northern England and stretching up to the tip of Scotland, a rain and snow warning was issued between 4am Saturday and 9am Sunday.

Two yellow wind warnings are also in place between 5am and 7pm on Saturday. One stretches down the West coast and the other stretches down the East.

Meanwhile, an amber snow and ice warning was issued for the Scottish highlands between 7am and 5pm.

An amber alert for heavy snow and ice will be in force between 7am and 5pm on Saturday in an area north of Scotland’s central belt, where 10-20cm is likely on ground above 200 metres and potentially as much as 20-40cm on hills above 400m.

The warning covers parts of Angus, Perth and Kinross, Stirlingshire, Aberdeenshire and some of the Highlands and Argyll and Bute.

Many Britons again faced freezing temperatures overnight ahead of a frosty and icy morning today and the arrival of Storm Bert on the weekend.

The storm is set to reach the UK tomorrow and the Met Office is expecting it to bring “heavy rain, strong winds and disruptive snow to parts of the UK through the weekend”, potentially causing travel disruption and flooding.

Overnight, the Met Office said much of the UK experienced temperatures near freezing, with the mercury falling as low as -6C at Tulloch Bridge in Scotland.

The forecasting body said many will wake up to a frost with icy surfaces in places with several yellow warnings for snow and ice in place across the UK until 10am on today.

One covering parts of Scotland is in effect until midday before a slew of further yellow alerts for wind, rain and snow go live on Saturday.

People in northern Scotland are being warned of a small chance of power cuts and mobile phone outages, as well as the potential for cancelled rail and air travel, due to the severe weather.

Under one of multiple yellow warnings issued by the Met Office for various parts of the UK, rural communities also face warnings of a “slight chance” they will be cut off.

The weather bureau is also warning residents in that region of risks of slips and falls on icy surfaces, as well as traffic disruptions due to Storm Bert moving over the UK through the coming days.

“There is a small chance of travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel,” the Met Office says.

Weather warnings are in place every day until Sunday – including seven on Saturday – as the country braces for more wintry weather after temperatures plummeted earlier in the week.

An amber alert for heavy snow and ice will be in force between 7am and 5pm on Saturday in an area north of Scotland’s central belt, where 10-20cm is likely on ground above 200 metres and potentially as much as 20-40cm on hills above 400 metres.

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Hundreds of schools are closed amid snowy conditions ahead of disruption forecast for the weekend as Storm Bert sweeps in.

A Met Office yellow warning of snow and ice is in place across northern Scotland until midday on Thursday, with 2-5cm of snow expected fairly widely.

A new alert has now been issued warning of snow and ice for much of Scotland, northern England and parts of western and eastern England and Wales between midday on Thursday and 10am on Friday.

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