Households in fuel postcode lottery

Households in the South East are spending over £100 more on fuel bills than those in some other UK regions according to MoneyExpert.com.

As energy firms announce further price increases, research for the price comparison website, which runs the leading energy switching service SimplySwitch.com, reveals that households in the South East pay an average of £955 annually on gas and electricity. Those in the North East pay the least at £851 annually, with London residents spending £888 on a yearly basis.

The research also reveals a marked disparity in the percentage of total household expenditure allocated to fuel costs across the regions.

Despite having the lowest annual expenditure on gas and electricity of any UK region, those in the North East are, on average, having to allocate over 4.2% of their total household budgets to energy bills. Households in London, whilst having a relatively low expenditure on gas and electricity are on average having to allocate it less than 3% of total household expenditure.

Sean Gardner, Director, MoneyExpert.com, said: "We'd expect some regional variance in the amount people spend on gas and electricity, but a 12% gap between the highest and the lowest spending regions is very large indeed.

"Clearly households in some areas have reacted more quickly to spiralling fuel costs but it's a worry that some households are having to spend considerably more of their overall expenditure on fuel than others. With further price rises expected before Christmas fuel poverty looks an ever closer prospect for many."

Sean Gardner continued: "Though energy price rises have struck across the board there are still savings to be made, with many consumers able to save over £300 simply by switching provider."