Virgin, BT and Sky Broadband customers have been warned against turning off their internet routers at night amid soaring energy prices.

The industry regulator confirmed an 80.06 per cent rise, or £1,571, with the new cap coming into effect for around 24 million households in Scotland, England and Wales in October and will remain in place until it is adjusted again on December 31.

Ofgem’s chief executive Jonathan Brearley warned of the hardship energy prices will cause this winter and urged the incoming Prime Minister and new Cabinet “to provide an additional and urgent response to continued surging energy prices”.

Martin Lewis has made a desperate plea for prices to be frozen, warning that price hikes will lead to deaths across the UK the Express reports average electricity prices will jump from 18p p/kWh to 52p p/kWh.

Ways you can reduce your energy bills

As Brits look for ways to cut costs, they have been warned against switching off their router at night.

The UK's leading Internet Service Providers (ISPs), which includes Sky, BT and Virgin warned households to keep routers on 24/7 or risk missing out on important security updates.

Aman Bhatti, Director of Propositions for Sky Broadband, told the Express: “We know our routers are put through their paces during the day – whether on video calls, streaming the latest show, or online gaming. That’s why our routers run firmware updates during the night, to avoid any unnecessary disruption during the day.

"Switching off your router overnight can affect automatic software updates and optimisations which in turn can impact the overall performance, speed and stability of your Broadband. Other connected devices in the home that are connected to your router will also be disrupted by the delayed updates.

"All our current hubs are EU Eco Design Regulation approved, meaning no excessive energy consumption is being used."

BT issues a similar warning to customers, saying: "It’s important to make sure that you leave your Hub switched on and connected at all times.

"This will let us give you the fastest and most stable service, and ensure your hub is kept updated.”