UK price cap: 84% of people fear energy bills will stay high for years to come
London, 30.09.2024 - More than eight in 10 Brits fear their heating bills will stay high for at least the next three years, a survey by smart thermostat manufacturer tado° has revealed ahead of tomorrow’s 10 per cent hike in the UK energy price cap.
The average household energy bill will rise to £1,717 a year from October 1 – almost £500 more than it was before the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine – and is forecast to increase again by a further three per cent in January.
Added to that bleak outlook is the loss of the Winter Fuel Allowance for up to 10 million pensioners, and the vast majority of UK tado° customers surveyed [1] do not see relief coming in their energy bills any time soon. Eighty-four per cent said they did not think their energy bills would fall to the 2021 level within the next three years, while 67 per cent said they are more worried or more aware of their heating costs than they were five years ago.
Thirty-nine per cent also revealed they lowered their set-point temperature in their home last winter to save money.
Christian Deilmann, the CPO and Co-founder of tado°, said the energy price cap rise and survey results showed people should take every possible step to take control of their heating bills and protect themselves from spiralling costs.
Mr Deilmann said: “The energy price rises this winter show how vulnerable we all remain and why it is important to take control of your energy consumption.
“Our survey reveals the vast majority of people are realistic that they will continue to face high energy bills and they are more concerned about that than five years ago. But it is never too late to protect yourself from price hikes with simple energy-saving measures and almost 60 per cent of our customers surveyed said they wished they had bought a tado° Smart Thermostat sooner because they have been surprised by their benefits.”
Ofgem said the rise in the price cap was the result of higher prices on the international energy market, due to increasing geopolitical tensions and extreme weather driving competition and demand for gas, which determines the price of wholesale electricity.
tado°’s to dos to save on heating costs during winter
- Choose the right temperature: The room temperature should be kept at an appropriate level in the different living areas. The recommended temperatures are between 18 and 21°C in living rooms and bedrooms and around 22° in bathrooms. Temperatures can be lowered at night or when no one is home.
- Programmable thermostats: Investing in programmable thermostats is worth it. They automatically regulate the heating according to a set schedule, while tado°’s devices offer extra savings of 22 per cent on average[2] through turning down the heating when you leave your home or turning it off if it detects a window has been opened.
- Window sealing: To avoid energy loss, the sealings of doors and windows should be checked for gaps and then repaired if necessary.
- Thermal insulation: When the roof, walls and windows are well insulated, heat loss is minimised. The heat cannot escape to the outside and cold air cannot penetrate.
- Proper ventilation: It is advisable to ventilate the rooms regularly but briefly and efficiently. Shock ventilation, i.e. opening the windows wide for a few minutes, is better than windows being left permanently open.
- Close doors: Not all rooms in a home are heated equally. Therefore, to save on heating costs it makes sense to close the doors otherwise the cold air from the cooler rooms drags down the temperature in the warmer ones.
- Bleed radiators regularly: Air in the radiators can hinder heat transfer.
- Do not cover radiators: There should be no furniture or curtains in front of the radiators as these hinder the heat emission.
- Use solar energy the smart way: During the day, when the sun is shining, it is worth opening the curtains to passively use solar heat. To retain warmth, the curtains should be kept closed at night.
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[1] Survey of 9,518 tado° customers (1,449 in the UK) in April and June 2024
[2] tado° customers save on average 22% on their heating and hot water bills. Based on internal data on average of all tado° customers. Averages breakdown: Total 22%, UK 19%, Germany 25%, Italy 22%, Spain 22%, Netherlands 21%, Belgium 22%, Denmark 25%