Dawn of the £1 CUCUMBER: Price of vegetable is latest to soar driven by skyrocketing energy costs amid Putin’s war with Ukraine

• The cost of vegetables could double as supermarket prices soar in the next year
• Cucumbers, now around 60p, could cost over £1 by 2023, say industry bosses
• Rising energy prices for producers have seen the costs passed on to shoppers

The price of vegetables is set to skyrocket as the cost of living crisis deepens, with some even doubling in price as everyday items become less affordable for Brits.

Cucumbers, now around 60p, could soar above £1 next year as energy prices continue to rise for vegetable growers.

The spiralling cost of vegetables is the latest drain on shoppers’ wallets as once-cheap goods become increasingly expensive.

Cucumber growers have expressed their fears over the cost of living crisis, as the enormous cost of gas and electricity makes production more costly, with losses being passed on to consumers.

There are around 45 cucumber growers in the UK, mostly in the Lea Valley north of London.

Costs for growing the vegetable are particularly steep as cucumbers need to be constantly stored at 18C, with heaters required in winter and at night.

The price of cucumbers could double for shoppers from 60p to over £1 as the cost of everyday items soars

Although long considered a British staple, cucumbers originate from India and are energy-intensive to store at the right temperature.

The price of the huge energy bill needed to do so has skyrocketed. 

The cost of one gas therm – a unit of measurement for gas – has gone from 50p five years ago to £7.30 for cucumber growers.

The UK imported 169,200 tonnes of cucumbers last year, triple the amount produced domestically, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs.

Ian Bedford of the Cucumber Growers’ Association said producers were deeply concerned about the cost of living crisis in Britain.

He said: ‘Prices will have to go beyond £1 for growers to make a living. Growers are frightened for next year. The forecasts [for gas prices] are crazy.’ 

Rising energy costs for growers are making a trip to the vegetable aisle more expensive than ever

With Britons already facing a double whammy of high fuel and rising energy prices, analysis by MailOnline has revealed how a four-pint milk carton now costs, on average, 34p more than it did 12 months ago. The cost of an average 500g pack of own-brand spaghetti has also rocketed up by 33p – from 52p to 85p – since August last year, while a 500g pack of Lurpak is now 63p more expensive – up from £3.58 last year to £4.21 this year

Growing production costs have hit producers across the food industry – largely caused by rising energy prices – making shopping bills increasingly expensive for Brits. 

The cost of shopping basket staples including milk, butter and pasta has increased by up to 20 per cent, MailOnline analysis shows.

The cost of an average packet of own-brand spaghetti has increased from 33p from to 52p to 85p in the last year, while a 500g pack of Lurpak has risen by 63p to £4.21.

Meanwhile, an average six-pack of Heniz beans can cost as much as £5 and a a single can could cost up to £1.20 – up 37p from a year ago.

An average shopping basket with 20 items now costs around £5.20 more now than the same time last year as consumers feel the bite of rising costs. 

Brits have reported trying to reduce costs by cutting down on takeaways, eating out and supermarket ingredients.

New research by findr.com showed 96 per cent of Brits are cutting down on at least one thing to save money as the price of almost everything including fuel, food and energy increase, with costs set to rise even more over the next year. 

The figures show just one in 25 people will be able to go on without changing their lifestyle as Britain is beset by rampant inflation and enormous increases in the cost of living.

Many are taking even more drastic steps to save money, with trends on TikTok encouraging people to shower at the gym and charge their phones at work among other measures to keep costs down.

Energy bills will see perhaps the most noticeable increase in costs for Brits, with Ofgem’s price cap set to rise from £1,971 to £3,549 in October.

It is feared that by April next year, the energy bill price cap could hit a staggering £7,263.

Millions of households will struggle to pay their bills this winter, with experts fearing family savings could be wiped out by soaring costs.

Many have indicated they might refuse to pay their energy bills as the cost spirals beyond the reach of households. 

Money saving expert Martin Lewis has said he fears civil unrest as the crisis deepens and has called on the government to take emergency action to help relieve the financial burden from millions. 

Supermarket shoppers already facing a cost-of-living crunch are now paying up to 20 per cent more for cupboard staples including butter, milk and spaghetti, new figures have today revealed. Figures are from data from Trolley.co.uk’s Grocery Price Index. The cost of items are averages, incorporating various sizes and brands. E.g. Milk includes organic and larger cartons. Pictures are an illustration and do not represent the actual price of the products

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