£288m shock on power use bills after lockdown
HOUSEHOLDERS face a £288million power bill bolt from the blue as months of lockdown have seen energy use surge.
Around 14 million customers are affected, with two million facing monthly hikes of £25 because they rely on visits from meter readers.
More than 11 million people who submit their own readings can expect to see bills go up by £20 a month, a study by price comparison site uSwitch found.
Current bills do not reflect increased energy use – estimated to be up £16 a month as furloughed or out-of-work Britons spend more time at home watching TV, cooking and working or homeschooling children online.
People who don’t submit their own gas and electricity readings can wait up to six months until a meter reader visits, while customers who provide their own data are on average just over two months behind.
Energy expert at Uswitch.com Will Owen said: “The lockdown has forced millions of us to use more energy, but many bills are not yet reflecting this.
“Two million people rely on their meters being checked for them. With up to six months since the last reading, they could see their energy costs leap £25 a month in September when their bill finally catches up with their usage. This bill shock will disproportionately affect the vulnerable, who make up a fifth of those who rely on meter readers.”
The research revealed almost one in 10 adults does not know where his or her meter is, with a fifth of 18 to 34-year-olds unable to find it. Of those who do not read their own meters, half said they were unable to do so, while a fifth said they could not reach their meter. Another fifth admitted they “can’t be bothered”.
Mr Owen said: “Checking your meter takes minutes once you know where it’s located and which numbers to report on. As a rule of thumb, it is worth checking once a month, especially if your energy consumption has changed recently.”
Nearly seven in 10 low earners and nearly half of over-70s said the coronavirus situation had made them pay more attention to how much they spend, according to a poll by Smart Energy GB.
The company urged people to cut costs by switching off lights in unoccupied rooms, turning off all unused electrical sockets and cooking batches of food.
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