Renfrewshire rates high for cheap energy
Energy bills in Renfrewshire are one of the cheapest in the country as new research reveals areas hardest hit by soaring costs.
The local authority placed 28th on the list of Scottish council areas which have the most expensive energy bills - with only West Dunbartonshire and Glasgow City found to be cheaper.
According to the Scottish Government’s Energy Statistics Hub, the data collected by energy experts Compare Boiler Quotes shows Renfrewshire households on average pay £635.84 per year on electricity bills and £544 on gas totalling £1,180.34.
Both annual prices are lower than the Scottish average, which is £785 and £576 for electricity and gas, respectively - totalling £1362.
In comparison, in Argyll and Bute, residents pay an average annual electricity bill of £1208, and an average gas bill of £633, both well exceeding the national average.
In total, households in Argyll and Bute pay £1,842 in energy bills - over £650 more than in Renfrewshire.
A spokesperson for Compare Boiler Quotes commented on the findings:“Energy bills are already sky-high and with bills soaring by a predicted £600 in the next few days, it is concerning to see the stark regional differences in energy bills across Scotland.
“In some areas of Scotland residents are paying over £700 a year on more on energy than the cheapest places, and it seems to be the more rural and remote areas such as Eilean Siar and Argyll and Bute which are suffering most .
“It is those homes which are least energy efficient which will suffer the most from rising bills, as escaping heat will mean that your heating system works harder to compensate for the lack of warmth, costing you more.
“The government is advocating heat pumps as a solution to soaring energy bills, but these will not be effective without proper floor insulation - which 65 per cent of homes in the UK currently lack.
“While households can use some hacks to insulate their homes better, for example, buying inexpensive pipe insulation from a DIY store, unless something serious is done about the energy crisis, we will see many more households driven into poverty.”