What’s the average gas and electricity bill in Great Britain? If you are anything like me, you won't know. All we tend to know these days is that energy prices are going up.
So, lets look at some statistics, first from the British Gas site:
They state that according to Ofgem, the average British household uses 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas per year or 242 kWh of electricity and 1,000 kWh of gas per month. This assumes a household of between 2-3 people and that the household is using a mix of gas and electricity. If you have an electric only home then the average consumption will be greater and the gas consumption will be zero.
The average electric usage and costs for different sized properties is listed as follows:
So, lets look at some statistics, first from the British Gas site:
They state that according to Ofgem, the average British household uses 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas per year or 242 kWh of electricity and 1,000 kWh of gas per month. This assumes a household of between 2-3 people and that the household is using a mix of gas and electricity. If you have an electric only home then the average consumption will be greater and the gas consumption will be zero.
The average electric usage and costs for different sized properties is listed as follows:
- Low (flat or 1-bedroom house / 1-2 people): average usage 1,800 kWh: average annual cost £725.00: average monthly cost £60.42
- Medium (3-bedroom house / 2-3 people): average usage 2,700 kWh: average annual cost £983.21: average monthly cost £81.93
- High (5-bedroom house / 4-5 people): average usage 4,100 kWh: average annual cost £1384.85: average monthly cost £81.93£115.40
A second site (U-Switch) lists the following statistics:
- The average electricity bill in the UK as of 1 October 2023 is £738.45 per year (without factoring in the annual electricity standing charge).
- The average gas bill in the UK as of 1 October 2023 is £792.35 per year (without factoring in the annual gas standing charge).
It also posts some useful numbers linked to average standing charges and rates and a breakdown by household size (similar to above)
The main problem with these numbers is that they are based on average consumption, for average household sizes, averaged across the year. In reality the number of people in the house, the quality of the house, the season and weather in that season, and a whole host of other things will come into play when comparing against a specific consumption and cost for a household. I've heard of people paying £300+ per month for electricity in November - February, which is bonkers and needs to be investigated, and similarly for those of us with suitably sized solar panel arrays we may end up only paying the standing charge for the summer months.
In January I'll post about our electricity consumption in 2023 and the costs that go with that. As an all electric household our consumption will be high but some of that will be offset by our generation and storage. A monthly cost of ~£100 is a concern for me but that rarely happens, and only in winter. Now that I know what an average expected electricity and gas cost is per month, I have something to gauge against.
And I've not even started on fuel costs for transport.... <spoiler: an average spend of £1176 per year for petrol cars>
The main problem with these numbers is that they are based on average consumption, for average household sizes, averaged across the year. In reality the number of people in the house, the quality of the house, the season and weather in that season, and a whole host of other things will come into play when comparing against a specific consumption and cost for a household. I've heard of people paying £300+ per month for electricity in November - February, which is bonkers and needs to be investigated, and similarly for those of us with suitably sized solar panel arrays we may end up only paying the standing charge for the summer months.
In January I'll post about our electricity consumption in 2023 and the costs that go with that. As an all electric household our consumption will be high but some of that will be offset by our generation and storage. A monthly cost of ~£100 is a concern for me but that rarely happens, and only in winter. Now that I know what an average expected electricity and gas cost is per month, I have something to gauge against.
And I've not even started on fuel costs for transport.... <spoiler: an average spend of £1176 per year for petrol cars>