High-use energy consumers ‘paying £700 over the odds’

High-use energy customers could be paying more than £700 over the odds for their gas and electricity. Consumer group Which? says dual-fuel customers that have a big house and family, […]

High-use energy customers could be paying more than £700 over the odds for their gas and electricity.

Consumer group Which? says dual-fuel customers that have a big house and family, spend a lot of time at home, use a lot of appliances or have poor insulation could be missing out on better deals.

The cheapest dual-fuel deal for a high-use energy user currently costs £1,220 per year. Which? says the best deals differ slightly depending on consumers’ energy habits.

The average high-use energy customer gets through roughly 18,000kWh of gas and 4,600kWh of electricity per year, according to data from energy market regulator Ofgem.

Those living in well-insulated and smaller properties, spending long hours at work and with relatively energy efficient habits are likely to be low-use energy customers.

These consumers generally use only half the amount of gas and electricity each year.

Cutting down on usage is the most effective way to save money – Which? says £30 a year can be saved simply by turning appliances off when they’re not being used.

It says £7 can be saved for each light bulb replaced with an energy-saving equivalent, newer appliances can reportedly save more than £70 and Which? says even paperless billing can cut out a £10 charge from suppliers.

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