Over a third of households in England ‘facing higher energy bills this winter’

More than one in three (35%) households in England will spend more on energy this winter compared to last, new research has shown.

The report from the Resolution Foundation says people will pay more despite the fact Ofgem is expected to announce tomorrow that typical annual energy bills will fall from £2,100 last winter to £1,925 this winter.

It explains that although the price per unit of energy is falling, there will be a rise in the daily standing charge.

This means, the households that will benefit most will be those who use the most energy. Households who use lower amounts are facing higher bills this winter than last. This includes nearly half (47%) of the poorest tenth of households.

How much more we’ll be paying

The report says:

• Around 2.7 million households (13%) will see their winter energy bills go up £100 or more
• 24% of those in the poorest tenth of households are facing an increase of at least £100

Hit hardest

The 2.3 million families in the poorest fifth of households who don’t receive benefits and are unlikely to qualify for cost-of-living payments are likely to be hardest hit, according to the Foundation.

Jonathan Marshall from the Foundation said:

“With these energy bill increases coming on top of a prolonged period of fast-rising food and housing costs, the cost-of-living squeeze is far from over.”

Calls for the government to act

The Foundation has called on the government to help families cut energy costs by:

• reducing the UK’s dependency on gas
• improving home insulation

Cutting energy costs

If you’re keen to reduce your spending on gas and electricity, check out our guide on 50 ways to save energy.