March energy bills set to double as cold weather hits our pockets

British households will be forking out an extra £2.2 billion, collectively, on their energy bills as a result of turning up the heating during the coldest March in 50 years, according to MoneySupermarket.
 
MoneySupermarket estimates that if average households have kept their heating on for the entire month of March, bill payers would see their March bill double to £165 for the month. Collectively, households across Britain who used their heating more than usual during this period, will need to fork out approximately £2.2 billion extra in March as a result.
 
Clare Francis, Editor-in-chief at MoneySupermarket, said: "There is no doubt that this winter, and the cold start to spring in particular has really hit households hard at a time when the cost of heating your home is steadily rising. With snow still on the ground in many places and temperatures remaining on or around freezing point, many of us will have upped the use of our heating over the past few weeks to cope with the record-breaking weather. For many, this will be worrying in terms of paying for gas and electricity at a time when we usually begin to reduce our consumption as the temperature rises.
 
"Before the cold winter months really took hold, our research found that 1.4 million households were already in debt to their gas and electricity supplier - with each bill payer owing on average £128.  Furthermore, over one in ten (12 per cent) of those in debt said they couldn't afford to pay it back. Those in the red are likely to find it difficult to change supplier until the debt is cleared - and sadly with the weather conditions we've experienced this year so far that debt is more than likely to have spiralled.
 
"For those who are really concerned about being able to pay their energy bills as a result of the colder weather in March, it's crucial they speak to their provider about the assistance and social tariffs on offer.  For those looking to reduce the amount they pay for their energy, I would advise shopping around to ensure you are on the correct tariff for your usage and region. Moving online to a dual fuel tariff and paying monthly by direct debit is the easiest way to make savings, and will ensure your hard earned cash doesn't go to waste."