Energy Bills Set to Rise By A Third By 2010

Posted under Blog by Ruth

If your home is poorly insulated, then you could find that your energy bills rise by as much as 35% by 2010, according to the latest Which? report.

The report has found that average energy bills for a three-bedroom semi-detached home could end up as high as £2,600 over the next ten years. Living in a detached house could cost you £4,000 a year.

These price increases are a result of a mixture of higher wholesale prices, dependence on imported energy as well as investment into renewable energy.

What Can You Do About Future Price Increases?

There are ways to help reduce the impact that these increases will have. Whilst the steps you will need to take can cost around £5,000 for an average three bedroom semi, they will take around six years to pay for themselves due to the savings on energy bills as a result.

Which? reviewed a number of energy saving appliances, bulbs and home upgrades to reduce the energy you use in your home.

Which? editor, Martyn Hocking, states that ‘energy is going to get a lot more expensive over the next decade so the only way to avoid bigger bills is to use less of it.’

Which? have recommended three key measures for reducing the energy you use in the home: replacing your boiler, replacing your windows with double glazing, and installing insulation around the home.

Of 825 bill-paying adults surveyed about the prospect of a third increase in energy prices, 73% stated that they would be worried about whether they could afford the increase, and 28% said they were worried about paying their current bills.