The cost of home energy rose dramatically in 2022, making heating homes over winter more expensive than usual for UK households.
The price cap, the maximum unit price UK consumers can be charged for energy in their homes set by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), has risen since the start of 2022. It means the average annual bill for households has increased from £1,277 to £4,279, although government support means average costs for consumers will remain at £2,500 a year until April 2023.
These price rises have contributed to higher living costs for many households, particularly during winter.
Across Great Britain, 6 in 10 adults (60%) said they were somewhat, or very, worried about keeping warm in their home over winter, and around a quarter (24%) said they had been occasionally, hardly ever or never able to keep warm in their home in the last two weeks. This is according to the latest data from our Opinions and Lifestyle Survey covering 7 to 18 December 2022.
Over half (56%) of adults said they were reducing their energy use because of rising costs, and almost half (47%) said they were finding it very or somewhat difficult to pay energy bills.
How a home is heated affects energy costs and what financial support is available. Census 2021 data show how heating sources vary across England and Wales.
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Percentage of households by central heating type, by geographical area, England and Wales, 2021
