Rugby clubs in England are overspending on energy bills to the tune of £4 million each year, a new study claims.

Research by energy consultants Utility Aid found an average club could save £1,410 by tackling overpriced energy bills. Some clubs were found to be wasting as much as £28,000 every year.

Giles Hankinson, CEO of Utility Aid said: “It’s staggering just how much money the clubs are wasting but it’s not just the world of rugby that is being hit by unnecessarily high bills. We see this across all sectors we work with.

“There’s a whole range of reasons why clubs and organisations are needlessly overspending such as being on the wrong tariff, having an inefficient carbon footprint and being incorrectly charged by inaccurate bills.”