With the seasonal rises in household energy bills hitting the headlines it is interesting to see the latest statistics. In 2011 average UK household expenditure each week on fuel was £62.55 per household, a 10% increase on the previous year.
Spending on electricity increased more than that for gas, which is attributed to lower gas consumption for space heating during the milder weather. Spending on heating oils and other fuels went up 16.7% while for solid fuels it was 54.9%.
The average household expenditure on all fuels (including motor fuel) rose by 69% between 2000 and 2011.
The average electricity bill in 2012 across all payment types rose by £26 on the previous year and this was also the figure for direct debit – prepayment bills increased by less while standard credit bills rose more. Changing supplier reduced bills by approximately £29 on average.
Price rises were much higher for those on Economy 7 tariffs (lower over-night rates), especially for those paying standard credit bills and the savings for switching varied across payment types with minimal impact for those on pre-payment meters.
There are also regional variations with south east England generally paying less than households in Northern Ireland.
The figures are particularly interesting in that variable tariffs are seen as a way of persuading consumers to change their energy consumption patterns in the future.