Winter energy bills set to remain just as high as last winter at £1,200

Based on a prediction for next year’s energy bill price cap released today by Cornwall Insight [1], new Energy and Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) analysis has found that the average winter energy bill is set to be just as high as last year at £1,200. This is due to Government support coming to an end for most households.

New polling from Focaldata for the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) [2] shows that over half of people (52%) actually expect their energy costs to be higher this year than last year, and a third (31%) expect them to be the same. Just one in ten (11%) expect them to be lower.

The same polling also found that around half (49%) of people blame high energy bills on Russia’s impact on the supply and price of gas. [JR1] Around two-fifths (42%) of people blame oil and gas companies[JR2] ’ profits, and almost 1 in 5 picked Brexit (19%) and growing worldwide gas demand (17%). Just 8% thought that green levies or taxes are to blame.

Commenting, Jess Ralston, Energy Analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit said: “The gas crisis certainly isn’t over with many millions of people set to feel the pinch this winter just as much as last. The high price of gas combined with Government household insulation programmes underperforming means many people will find themselves colder and poorer this winter.

“The recent Government U-turn on standards for private sector rentals bakes in higher bills for renters for years to come.

“Whatever the Government does on oil and gas licences, the North Sea will inevitably decline. The stuff is simply running out. Unless we start to get serious about making the switch to electric heat pumps and more renewables, we’ll end up importing colossal quantities of foreign gas.”

The Government recently announced an increase in the support grant available for heat pumps from £5,000 to £7,500.

For the entire third year of the gas crisis, from October 2023 to October 2024, gas bills paid by the household are likely to be almost as high as they were in the second year (October 2022 to October 2023), at around £2,000.

This is because in 22/23, total bills for the average home were over £3,400 but the Government paid £1,400 via the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bill Support Scheme, leaving around £2,000 to be paid by the household.

In the first year of the gas crisis, October 2021 to October 2022, total costs were £1,450 which was all paid by the household. Pre-crisis bills were around £1,100 per year for the average household.

In total, this means that the total cost after two years of the gas crisis has been £4,900 for the average household.

ENDS

Notes for editors

[1] https://www.cornwall-insight.com/press/cornwall-insight-release-price-cap-forecasts-for-2024/

[2] Polling conducted by Focaldata on 27^th September 2023 of 1579 GB adults.

For more information or for interview requests:

George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, Tel: 07894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net