The ONS data has shown that some families spend as much as 66% more on heating than those in London.
Northern Ireland and Scotland are more likely to use electricity than other areas of the country.
The average household UK gas bill rose 28.1 per cent and the average household electricity bill increased 18.8percent in the last year. This means that household finances across the country are expected to be even more squeezed.
Meanwhile, the National Energy Action today said earlier this month that the average household gas bill could increase by £467 from £466 a year in October last year to £944 in April next year, meaning the cost of heating the average home will have doubled since last winter.
It also warned that average domestic dual fuel energy bills, which have already soared by more than £230 per customer compared to last year, could increase by a further £550 a year in the Spring amid exploding gas prices across Europe.
According to ONS data, the average UK household gas bill rose by 28.1 percent while electricity bills increased 18.8 percent between October and November (stock photo).
Northern Ireland households, Scotland, Wales, and Northern England have to spend much more than other places in the country on their gas and electricity budgets. ONS data has shown that households in Northern Ireland are spending 44 percent more on electricity and electricity than average UK households, while Londoners spend 66% more.
Gas and electricity bills for millions of Britons could soar to a record £2,000-a-year from next year as the energy price cap is set to be doubled in the coming months, households have been warned.
From April, Households may see an increase of 56 percent in their energy bills due to unprecedented wholesale costs that force Ofgem into raising the price cap.
Investment bank Investec has said that Britain’s energy price cap will have to be lifted to £1,995-a-year per household from April when the regulator next alters the limit, reported the Financial Times.
The current cap is set at £1,277-a-year per household since October, meaning Britons could have to may more than £700 extra annually unless the government or Ofgem provide ‘mitigating actions’.
According to ONS, Northern Ireland has the highest proportion of UK residents who spend most of their income on energy and gas.
This data covers the period from the 2017 financial year through the 2020 financial year. It shows that Northern Irish households spend 44% more on electricity and gas than average UK households, while London households are 66 percent less.
It is amazing to see that the average Northern Ireland family spends much more money on electricity than net rent (rent plus council tax, and other allowances).
Scotland is second worst hit by rising gas prices. Households in Scotland spend 41% more on heating than Londoners. This area, however, has the lowest fuel costs.
Wales residents spend more than a third (38%) of their weekly household budget heating their homes, compared to London. However, households in West Midlands or North West spend 33% more on heating (33%)
The North East has a 28 percent higher average home price, and the East Midlands and South West have 23, 15, and 8 percent respectively. London is the lowest at the same time.
Numerous energy providers in Britain went bust this autumn as the gas price spiked five-fold compared to the beginning of 2018. (stock image).
While the average salary of a full-time employee in London stands at £39,700 for 2020-2021, workers in the North East, North West and Northern Ireland make on average £10,000 less per year, despite having to pay roughly the same or more for their energy.
Myles Robinson, heating expert at Boiler Central who compiled the data said: ‘Gas and electricity bills are absolutely skyrocketing in the UK due to soaring wholesale prices across the globe.
“As winter gets closer, it’s evident that certain regions of the UK have been spending more electricity than others. They will most likely be most negatively affected by an increase energy prices.
“While the government looks into alternative fossil fuels, such as heat pumps and hydrogen, it may take several years before these are feasible for all households. In the meantime, families must deal with increasing gas prices that are unaffordable.”
While the average salary of a full-time employee in London stands at £39,700 for 2020-2021, workers in the North Eat, North West and Northern Ireland make on average £10,000 less per year, despite having to pay roughly the same or more for their energy (stock image)
At the moment the regulator caps the energy bills of more than 14 million households at £1,277 per year on average.
The February consultation will close. They could then be put into effect at the start of April when the price cap changes.
But even before potential changes, experts at analysts Cornwall Insight predict that energy bills will rocket to £1,660 per year for price cap customers.
Adam Scorer is the Chief Executive Officer of National Energy Action (NEA). He stated that every home should feel safe and secure, however, for more than 4.5 million households, it’s a very cold reality.
According to a NEA survey, six in ten British adults said they would decrease their heating by a significant amount or a lot if their heating cost doubled.
Around 85 percent of UK homes (23 million) are connected to the gas network using a central heating system and a boiler.