The cheapest yearly energy bills in the UK have reached £1,000 after the major utility companies raised their gas and electricity prices over the summer.
These record bills are at a time when three in 10 Britons say they’re struggling to pay for their energy.
And eight in 10 say they need to start thinking more carefully about how much energy they use, by rationing when to turn on the heating. This means people will go without adequate warmth in their homes.
While the energy prices have gone up, there are ways to combat the change. Homes can insulate their properties to make them energy efficient. This will minimise heat loss and keep your home warm throughout the year.
Insulation could be double glazing, wall cavity insulation or loft lagging. You could even install a new boiler, with better efficiency. It could save you up to 50% on your annual bills.
Mark Todd from Energyhelpline, who released the £1,000 figures, said: “The cheapest energy tariffs keep getting axed and now there are no tariffs costing under £1,000 a year for an average home.
“This is the first time that has been the case and emphasises in stark terms how bills are reaching historic levels.”
The advice given to customers is to get signed up to a fixed deal for the winter which will keep your bills down.
Uswitch also discovered that seven in ten people don’t believe the government has done enough to keep prices down. They feel the right balance hasn’t been struck between green taxes and low bills.
And the next decade will see energy bills continue to rise, as a £200 billion investment will be put into the energy sector.
The average energy bills are £1,293 and six in ten would struggle with an increase of £30 a month on top.
While insulation will keep the heat in your home, renewable products will produce free electricity for your home all year round.
Solar panels, heat pumps and wind turbines are just three ways you can save money on your bills and reduce your carbon footprint.