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It has undoubtedly been the coldest February for many years, and has seen households cranking up the heating to stay warm. But research has found that the cold snap this month will cost households in the UK a collective £1.6 billion this year.
Many households have been turning up their heating to deal with the sub-zero temperatures, costing each household an extra £77 a year in energy bills. And the research, carried out by MoneySupermarket, has found that many consumers are now concerned about being able to afford their next energy bill. “Many of us have upped the use of our heating over the past few weeks to cope with the bitterly cold temperatures and snow,” said Scott Byrom, an energy manager at MoneySupermarket. “In addition, with the expensive Christmas period only just behind us, a quarterly energy bill could be landing on the doorstep in the next few weeks which could be anywhere between £500 and £600, leaving many cash-strapped energy customers struggling to find the money to cover it.” More than a third of energy users are concerned about being able to afford their next bill, as it was found that one in five people have left their heating on constantly recently. 80% of people admitted to having had their heating on more often than usual as a result of the low temperatures. “Bill payers really need to take action and move to a better value tariff to ensure that they don't continue to pay more than is necessary for the energy they use,” added Mr Byrom. “Making your home as energy efficient as possible will also go a long way to cutting the cost of your bills during the rest of the year.” If you are concerned about how much you’re paying for energy, you can compare energy providers with Money Expert.
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