Energy bills are set to soar by an inflation-busting £240 next year.
Research by the Energy Saving Trust found the outlay for a typical three-bedroom, gas-heated home could surge to £1,360 in 2022.
With the energy price cap – which impacts 15 million households – expected to jump in April, the Trust says many could see the cost of heating their homes hit unprecedented levels.
To help, the Trust has 12 tips to save energy and up to £248 on bills, as well as reduce carbon emissions.
They include saving £40 a year by turning devices around the home off standby or on to idle mode.
Another £30 can be clawed back by plugging gaps around windows, doors and floorboards with foam strips, plastic seals or brushes, while £14 a year can be saved by turning lights off when leaving a room.
Keeping shower time to four minutes can save £45 a year, it said, while drying clothes on racks inside instead of a tumble dryer could knock £40 off the typical household’s annual energy bill.
Mike Thornton, the Trust’s chief executive, said: “Rising energy bills are understandably causing concern for people across the UK, with households potentially facing some of the highest energy bills on record.
“But the good news is that by taking small steps, we can make a big difference to minimising our energy bills.
“As well as protect-ing people’s pockets, taking small steps to reduce energy consumption will also help to protect the planet by cutting carbon emitted from our homes.”
- The Treasury does not know how much will be used of the £1.7billion it has vowed to lend to failed energy supplier Bulb. It said costs may be placed on the industry to recoup money Bulb is unable to pay back, which are likely to be passed on to households.
£1,700 cost of inflation
Soaring prices could raise the cost of living by £1,700 a year for a family of four, a study has warned.
The cost of Christmas will be £109 higher for the same basket of goods and services compared with last year, the Centre for Economics and Business Research study for Panorama found.
Analysts last night told the BBC programme that they expect inflation to leap from 4.1% to 4.5% by Christmas.
Kay Neufeld, head of forecasting at the CEBR, warned of more financial stress to come as shops have not passed on all the price rises yet.
Ms Neufeld said: “It might be a strategy for some of the supermarkets to keep prices constant and hope to gain a larger market share.”
Which? revealed almost half of Brits are worried about shortages this Christmas and are buying essentials early to avoid gaps on the table.
