New research has shed new light on which areas in the UK are expected to suffer the most following the new Labour Government's decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has opted to effectively scrap the energy bill benefit, which offers up to £300 in support, for millions of pensioners in an attempt to plug the £22billion "black hole" in the public finances.
This comes ahead of Ofgem's 10 per cent hike to the price cap tomorrow (October 1) which will push costs up for households with average energy usage.
Energy experts at Utility Bidder have examined official Government data to highlight the areas of England and Wales with the most, and least, energy-efficient dwellings.
Analysts looked at average energy consumption, CO2 emissions, heating costs, and hot water costs before awarding each local authority and region an ‘Energy Efficiency Score’ out of 10.
Those living in Stafford Moorlands are expected to be hit with an annual heating cost of £1,809 which means pensioners in this part of the country will be worse affected by the Winter Fuel Payment's means-testing.
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Here is a list of the top 10 areas with the highest average annual heating costs, according to Utility Bidder:
- Staffordshire Moorlands - £1,809
- Powys - £1,799
- Westmorland and Furness - £1,764
- Derbyshire Dales - £1,731
- North Yorkshire - £1,700
- Cotswold - £1,693
- Rutland - £1,682
- West Devon - £1,668
- Stroud - £1,653
- Ribble Valley - £1,652.
Notably, the City of London was found to be the second lowest local authority in the UK for average household heating costs last year.
Annual energy bills came to £656 which is just behind Tower Hamlets, where the cost is £614.
Knowsley is recognised as having the highest Energy Efficiency Score of any local authority in England and Wales at 9.69 out of 10.
At the same time, families in Powys had an energy efficiency score of 0.11/10.
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James Longley, the managing director at Utility Bidder, outlined what the Household Energy Efficiency Index findings suggest about the impact of the Winter Fuel Payment's axe.
“Households in England and Wales face constant attempts to tackle the ever-increasing cost of living, and with this, look for as many tricks as possible to keep their bills under control.
“At Utility Bidder, we want British homeowners and businesses to get the best value for their energy, and the properties and areas in which this may be most feasible.
“With this in mind, we’ve created the Household Energy Efficiency Index which highlights energy-efficiency trends across each local authority and region in England and Wales.”
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