UK energy prices increasing twice the rate of European average

Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com, comments on how UK energy prices have increased twice as fast as the European average: "The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has reported on the unprecedented increase in energy bills in the UK compared to the European average. British consumers have been amongst the hardest hit, with the average household energy bill up by £381 from £912 at the beginning of the year to £1,293 today.

"The full effects of this year's price rises have yet to be realised - it's during the winter months when energy consumption increases that consumers will really start to feel the pinch. But what's clear from today's report is that British consumers have to take matters into their own hands and start managing their energy for themselves.

"There are two key steps to this - making sure we pay the lowest possible price for our energy and learning to use less of it. Insulating homes, using energy efficient light bulbs and switching TVs and DVD players off rather than leaving on standby will all help reduce the amount of energy we use. Paying by direct debit and moving to an online plan will help us to pay on average £179 less for the energy we use. The important thing is for consumers to understand how they can cut their bills and then to actually go ahead and do it."