How the cost of living has risen four times faster than our pay in the past five years Price of gas has risen by 52 per cent and electricity increased by 32 per cent Biggest rise in car insurance having risen 67 per cent in the period Energy prices expected to rise further due to £150bn 'green' energy switch Average household shopping bill risen from £220 to £256 a month Essential bills for food, heat, light, transport and insurance have soared by 25 per cent in only five years, research reveals. The increase is four times higher than the rise in salaries over the same period, confirming the longest cost of living squeeze in a century. The country has been steadily getting poorer since the global financial crisis of 2008 that brought banks to their knees and triggered a new era of austerity. The biggest price increase was 67 per cent for car insurance, amid the rise of ambulance-chasing lawyers, car hire firms and garages cashing in on crashes. The price of gas has surged by 52 per cent and electricity by 32 per cent, taking the average annual energy bill to more than £1,300 a year. More rises are in the pipeline as bill-payers are passed the cost of spending £150billion on the switch to "green" energy, nuclear power and rebuilding the national grid of cables and pipes. Rising: The price of gas has surged by 52 per cent while the cost of electricity has risen by 32 per cent, taking the average annual energy bill to more than £1,300 a year The study, by price comparison website uSwitch.com, found a 33 per cent rise in the price of petrol, which has forced many families to ration the use of their car. Prices rose 4.5 per cent in the past year alone, with vegetables up 8.4 per cent and fruit up 7.2 per cent after the wettest summer in 100 years devastated harvests. The cost of putting food on the table has increased 17 per cent since 2008, with the average household shopping bill up from £220 to £256 a month. This has resulted in shoppers switching to budget foods and retailers. There has also been a sharp rise in families turning to the charity of food banks. The uSwitch research found wages have risen by 6 per cent over the five years, taking the average up by £1,600 to £26,500. Only half of workers expect any sort of pay rise this year. It found widespread anxiety among consumers - more than half were worried about rising living costs, compared with the 29 per cent who were concerned about their health. But there is little optimism that George Osborne's Budget next week will improve the situation, with 55 per cent believing it will make things worse. Almost three quarters said their finances had worsened since the Coalition came to power, while 85 per cent feel the Chancellor does not understand the real fears of ordinary people. Highest rise: The biggest price increase was 67 per cent for car insurance, amid the rise of ambulance-chasing lawyers, car hire firms and garages cashing in on crashes The study of consumer attitudes found that Mr Osborne's priorities should be tackling rising utility bills and petrol prices, stimulating economic growth and sorting out the benefits system. The Government yesterday fought off a Labour motion in the House of Commons calling for a mansion tax on properties worth more than £2million. However, the research found that the measure would be popular, with 67 per cent supporting the idea. Michael Ossei, a personal finance expert at uSwitch, said: "Consumers are anticipating next week's Budget with a mix of dread and despair. Spiralling living costs are stretching household budgets to their absolute limit and people are running out of ways to fund their ever-increasing bills. He added: "People want the Chancellor to show that he really does recognise the challenges they are facing and to help ease the strain on family finances."