Most consumers 'worried about winter energy bill'

By Lucy Bower

We may have had some mild weather this winter, but 85% of consumers are still worried about the day their winter energy bill lands on their doormat, according to research by uSwitch.com.

The average energy bill is around £224, or 21%, more expensive than at the end of 2010. According to uSwitch, around 83% of us have been rationing our heating this winter, and 75% of households have gone without heating at some point this winter to keep costs down. That's around 5.3 million more households than last year.

71% of households said they went without heating directly because of expensive energy bills. Only around a quarter (24%) said they did so because of the milder weather.

The cost of heating your home is one of the many rises in the cost of living the UK has faced in recent years. We recently reported on rises in the cost of fuel as well as food and bank accounts.

Ways families say they save money include things like putting on extra layers at home, wrapping up in blankets and leaving the oven door open after cooking - and most say it doesn't affect their quality of life.

Image © iStockPhotos

Tags: bill, bills, energy bills, household bills, uSwitch, fuel, energy, gas

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