Running bath will add £1,000 to energy bills
Families who enjoy a soak are likely to face eye-watering prices as annual costs double
RUNNING the bath is likely to cost households more than £1,000 this year, new research has forecast, more than double the price in 2022.
That follows another mammoth increase last year, when the cost surged 79 per cent. Altogether, between 2021 and 2023, the annual cost is expected to have vaulted from £303 a year to £1,023.
The research, by Yorkshire Water, found that everyday actions involving hot water were spiralling in cost despite water rates remaining unchanged.
Boiling the kettle for a cup of tea was 80 per cent more expensive last year, an extra £8.32 a year, and was expected to go up by a further £3.36 this year.
Running a dishwasher nearly doubled in price last year to £236, as did using a washing machine, which reached £223. By far the most expensive however, was the bathtub. Water companies and environmentalists have long recommended switching from baths to short showers to conserve water, but the added effect of energy price spikes has created a renewed incentive.
Emily Brady, of Yorkshire Water, said: “Managing water use in the home is a great way to keep bills down. The environmental benefits to saving water are known, but there are also great cost savings to reducing your usage – especially when it comes to heating water.”
The figures were based on three baths a week per bather, working out at 12 per household. That would put the cost of each bath at 87p, compared to 34p for an eight-minute shower.
The company recommended switching to five showers a week instead. It also recommended that shower users cut their ablutions from eight to four minutes. Added up, the average household could save £700 a year, Yorkshire Water said.
The recommendations came as fears of further energy price rises eased, with milder winters and self-rationing across Europe driving down demand.
Nevertheless, prices are considerably higher than before the rebound from Covid lockdowns and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent them skyrocketing.
Cornwall Insight, an energy consultancy, predicted last week that the energy price cap set by Ofgem would fall below the Government’s energy price guarantee by the summer.
The Government scheme, which will pay suppliers for any cost above the guarantee, promises to keep the average household bill at no more than £2,500, rising to £3,000 in April,
Cornwall Insight, meanwhile, expects the energy cap to remain at £2,800 throughout the year. In the autumn of 2021, Ofgem’s price cap had sat at just £1,042.
Falling wholesale prices across Europe will take several months or more to impact household bills. This is because energy companies tend to purchase their supply well in advance, to hedge against further price changes.
If prices do remain below the guarantee level, it will be a boon for government finances. The first three months of the scheme are believed to have cost £16 billion, but the overall price tag may now be limited to £37billion.