Energy cost crisis – areas where annual bills will be more than a month’s pay

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  Residents in the Welsh county of Gwynedd will need to work the most days to earn enough to cover their annual energy bills — more than 21 working days.
• At the other end of the list, residents in Tower Hamlets will need to work 5.6 days, a difference of almost three working weeks.
• Eden in Cumbria set to have the second-highest number in terms of working days needed to cover energy bills — residents need to work just under 21 days to cover bills. 

New research has revealed that the average resident in Gwynedd will need to work the UK’s highest number of days to cover their estimated energy bills 

The estimated annual take-home pay of £17,092 in Gwynedd is the third lowest across 300+ the local authorities that were measured. In addition the area already has the fourth highest energy bill costs in the UK, with average prices expected to rise to £1,564.64 after the 54% increase to the energy price cap. 

As a result, the area’s annual energy bills would take up nearly 110% of the estimated monthly salary – the highest proportion of all the areas on the list – leaving residents needing to work nearly 22 days just to cover energy costs for the year.

The study by boiler comparison site Boiler Central analysed ONS data on the median estimated energy cost per year and the median annual pay for each UK local authority. The research calculated the new energy prices based on a 54% increase, and compared it with the residents’ salaries to discover the number of working days it would take to earn enough to cover the annual energy bill. 

Eden in Cumbria is the area with the second-highest number of working days needed to cover energy bills, at just under 21. Soaring energy prices mean that residents are estimated to pay £1,626.24 this year for their bills. On an average yearly salary of £22,291, approximately £18,739 is taken home, meaning that the yearly energy bills take up just over 104% of a month’s salary. 

The Welsh county Ceredigion is the area where the third-highest number of working days will be needed to cover the costs of the new energy bills. In the county, the average annual salary is £23,576, with an estimated take-home salary of £19,569. This means the increased energy prices take up more than an entire month’s salary for the average resident in the county. This equates to needing to accrue nearly 21 working days to cover the costs — almost 15 days more than Tower Hamlets, the UK’s cheapest local authority for energy bills (£651.42 per year). Ceredigion has the second-highest energy bills in the UK, with the increase driving prices up to £1,681.58 for the year. 

The average worker in Melton, Leicestershire will need to work the UK’s four longest period of time to cover their annual energy bill – approximately 20.3 days. The average estimated take-home salary in the district is £16,534, based on the median gross salary being £18,988. This means the new energy prices take up more than an entire month’s salary (101.38%) which is the fourth highest percentage out of the UK regions.

Richmondshire in North Yorkshire follows in fifth, as residents will need to work just over 20 days to cover the rising energy costs for the year. Energy bills are expected to rise to £1,436.82 after a 54% increase. This equates to an entire month’s salary based on the median gross earnings in the region being £20,026 and the estimated take-home salary being £17,227. 

A spokesperson for Boiler Central commented on the findings: “The current energy crisis is understandably a cause for concern for millions of people in the UK, particularly in regions where it is clear residents are paying a disproportionate amount of their salaries to cover the cost of energy bills. If you are struggling to meet payments, start by speaking to your energy provider as soon as possible so you can work out an affordable payment plan — this is something providers must do in accordance with the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. 

“Furthermore, many energy providers offer schemes and grants whereby you can alleviate some of the strain of heating and energy costs. These work by helping make your home more energy-efficient, therefore reducing the outgoing costs you will likely have.”

The research was conducted by Boiler Central, which enables users to buy a new boiler online at a fixed price.

Further information can be found at  www.boilercentral.com  which commissioned the data.