Energy bills could rise by £240 per household next year
New research by Energy Saving Trust has found that energy bills could rise by £240 in 2022 for a typical three-bedroom, gas-heated home, with this household projected to spend a total £1,360 on energy.
With the expected rise of the energy price cap early next year, many people could see the cost of heating their homes rise to unprecedented levels. Energy Saving Trust has provided the new calculations to help ensure that people understand what the energy price increases could mean for them, and how to minimise their bills.
To help people protect themselves against the projected increase, Energy Saving Trust has provided 12 simple tips to save energy, cash and reduce carbon. Households who take the below actions could save up to £248 on their energy bills – reducing the impact of the projected increase in energy costs on people’s pockets, without compromising their health, wellbeing or lifestyle.
Using energy at home emits around 3,300kg CO2e per year. Taking the below steps would also result in a reduction of 674kg of carbon dioxide from the typical house, helping to protect the planet, reducing the typical home’s energy carbon footprint by 20%. 674kg CO2 is the same as driving 2,400 miles – that’s driving from London to Bristol 20 times.
1. Turn devices around the home off standby, or onto idle mode. £40 Saving Per Year
2. Draught-proof gaps around windows, doors and floorboards by fitting foam strips, plastic seals or brushes – and seal gaps between floors and skirting boards with a simple sealant bought from any DIY store. £30 Saving Per Year
3.Keep your shower time to 4 minutes. £45 Saving Per Year
4. Avoid using a tumble dryer for your clothes: dry clothes on racks inside where possible or outside in warmer weather. £40 Saving Per Year
5. Effective insulation of your hot water cylinder is important: even if you have thin spray foam or a loose 25mm jacket, you can benefit from increasing the insulation to a British Standard Jacket 80mm thick. £20 Saving Per Year
Ofgem increased the energy price cap by £139 a year at the start of October 2021 and is expected to increase it again in April 2022. This will affect around 15 million people – meaning that unless people’s energy supply is currently on a fixed tariff, their energy costs will be more expensive. The UK energy sector faces significant difficulty this winter, with more than 20 companies collapsing since September.
Mike Thornton, chief executive of Energy Saving Trust, said: “Rising energy bills are understandably causing concern for people across the UK, with households potentially facing some of the highest energy bills on record this winter. But the good news is that by taking small steps around our homes, we can make a big difference to minimising our energy bills.
“As well as protecting people’s pockets, taking small steps to reduce energy consumption will also help to protect the planet by cutting the carbon emitted from our homes.”
Energy Saving Trust’s compares calculations using projected prices for 2022 with the three-year average of actual energy costs between 2018 and 2020. Figures are based on a typical three-bedroom semi-detached house, using a gas price of 4.65p/kWh and electricity price of 20.06p/kWh. The calculations assume an average gas consumption of 13,768 kWh/year and electricity consumption of 3,586 kWh/year.