Government measures to reduce household energy bills

Commenting on measures announced by the Government to reduce household energy bills, Scott Byrom, utilities manager at moneysupermarket.com, said: "Although encouraging to see these measures bought in, they are a kick in the teeth for British bill payers who've been left reeling with a whopping 52 per cent increase for gas and 28 per cent for electricity after two rounds of price hikes this year. For those who were paying £912 on average per annum for their fuel bills at the beginning of this year are now faced with bills of £1294.

"While it is heartening to see the Government putting high energy bills on the political agenda, with energy efficiency measures such as home insulation at the forefront, the likelihood is that the majority of households will still see a huge jump in their energy payments, especially with winter round the corner. If the Government can't enforce energy suppliers to reduce the cost of energy, the buck stops with the bill payers. When it comes to the crunch we need to use less energy to keep our bills down. While energy efficiency is key - upping our use of energy saving light bulbs and improving insulation in cavity walls and lofts is a good place to start, not to mention layering up with an extra jumper or two this winter - you can save the most by making sure you are on the best possible tariff.

"For example, British Gas' online dual fuel tariff - Click Energy 5 - is currently the cheapest on average for households. Customers on this tariff will pay £845 on average a year for their fuel bills compared with £1,328 on its standard tariff, or £1,317 on average across the big six energy giants.

"At the moment only 0.11 per cent of the UK's energy giants turnover is spent on social tariffs and helping those in the poorest households. Undoubtedly more needs to be done to help consumers and ensure they are getting the support needed.

"Any plans from government are unlikely to help UK consumers immediately, and certainly not before winter kicks in - I urge consumers to find the best possible tariff for them and find ways to reduce the amount of energy they use as soon as possible.

"Customers struggling to pay their energy bills need to be proactive and contact their energy supplier to see what options are available with regards to reducing their energy bills. Likewise, energy suppliers need to ensure adequate support is readily available and help is delivered efficiently."