The UK’s most expensive region for energy revealed - where does your area rank?
The UK’s most expensive region for energy revealed - where does your area rank?
As the UK continues living through the ongoing cost of living crisis, we decided to undertake research to reveal the regions that are paying the most for their energy in the UK.
Unsurprisingly, eight in ten (79%) Brits revealed that gas and electricity bills are the main factors behind rising living costs.
By analysing ONS and UK government data, we were able to highlight that residents in Merseyside and North Wales were paying the most for gas and electricity in 2021, spending around £116 per month. While it was households in the East Midlands that spent the least at £108 per month.
The top 10 regions that paid the most for gas and electricity per month in 2021:
- Merseyside & North Wales (£116)
- South West (£116)
- North Scotland (£115)
- South Wales (£114)
- London (£114)
- South East (£114)
- Southern (£113)
- South Scotland (£112)
- West Midlands: (£111)
- East Midlands (£108)
The research also revealed the most energy-efficient regions across the UK according to their EPC rating.
The top 10 most energy-efficient regions with their EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) as a percentage:
- London (41.8%)
- South East (41%)
- South West (39.4%)
- East Anglia (38.2%)
- North East (37.8%)
- East Midlands (37.8%)
- North West (35.4%)
- West Midlands (34.5%)
- Wales (34%)
- Yorkshire (33.6%)
Surprisingly, it was the capital, London, that topped the list of the most energy-efficient regions. With two-fifths (41.8%) of homeowners in the region scoring A-C on the EPC scale.
Residents in the South East came in at a close second, with 41% of homes scoring a rating of A-C, while Yorkshire proved to be one of the least energy-efficient regions. As just over a third (33.6%) of homeowners scored an EPC rating between A and C.
Alarmingly, eight in ten homeowners (81%) were not considering improving their home’s energy efficiency. Over a third (35%) of homeowners said that their home is efficient enough, while over a quarter (28%) said that it would cost too much.
The main reasons why homeowners aren’t considering improving the efficiency of their home:
- They think their home is efficient enough (35%)
- It would cost too much (28%)
- It would not give me value for money (11%)
- Making changes would be too time consuming (7%)
It is surprising that more homeowners aren’t looking to improve the efficiency of their home. This is one area where people can reduce annual spending on energy bills while helping the environment.
However, with energy prices predicted to rise even more and cost some people over a third of their household income by October. Many of us may be more keen to start looking for new ways to save money.
One simple way homeowners can save, without spending too much time or money, is by switching to LED lighting. Switching to LED bulbs can reduce annual spending through your energy bills.
LEDs offer an energy-efficient, money-saving alternative to traditional lighting solutions. Not only do they require a lot less electricity to run, they are more sustainable too. In addition, they also have an extended lifespan of around 50,000 hours, which is actually 50 times more than a standard incandescent bulb.
As a result of this, a bulb with around ten hours of use per day can cost households less than £3 a year. With this extended lifespan, the bulbs won’t need to be replaced as quickly as traditional bulbs, saving money in the long term.
For those looking to reduce their carbon footprint, LED lights use up to 90% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs. Saving money on annual electricity bills at a time when we really need the extra money, and reducing annual carbon dioxide emissions by around 5kg per bulb.
To put this into context, the average home could see a 63kg annual reduction in carbon emissions simply by switching to LED lights.
Methodology:
Data was curated from the sources below between 16th-19th of August 2022:
- UK Government
- Office of National Statistics