Rising energy bills expected to out-price household budgets

Household energy bills could be unaffordable in less than three years time, according to new research.
Price comparison website uSwitch has used current trends to forecast the cost of energy by 2015 and the outlook is bleak.
The forecast shows the average household energy bill will be more than £1,500 a year by 2015.

At this price six in every ten households will have to make cutbacks and go without adequate heating for part of the year.
While 36 per cent of households will have to switch off their heating entirely due to the high costs.

“Once the average bill hits £1,500 a year consumers will be forced to compromise on their comfort, health and well-being,” Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch said.
“Time is running out - if pricing trends continue we will hit ‘crunch point’ in less than three years and that is without factoring in the cost of current energy policy.”
Energy bills have more than doubled in the last eight years and according to the research almost one third of consumers already find household energy to be unaffordable in the UK.
“The government has to understand that affordability is a huge concern to consumers and has to be given equal footing with security of supply and decarbonisation,” she said.
 

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