More than 80 per cent of Britons do not believe their energy bills will return to pre-Ukraine invasion levels in the next few years, a survey has revealed.
Research by smart thermostat company tado° found that 84 per cent of the 1,449 UK respondents said they do not expect prices to fall back to 2021 levels in the foreseeable future.
The findings come as Ofgem confirmed on Friday that household energy bills will rise again from January 1, with a 1.2 per cent increase to its price cap.
This change means the typical annual bill for a household in England, Scotland and Wales will rise from £1,717 to £1,738-a-year, an increase of around £1.75-a-month, the regulator said.
The latest increase is set to hit millions of struggling households already grappling with whether to turn on the heating as a cold snap continues.
The rise has heightened concerns, as highlighted in tado°’s survey, which found that 67 per cent of people are now more aware and worried about their energy bills compared to five years ago.
Last Winter, 39 per cent of respondents said they reduced their smart thermostat setpoint temperature in an effort to save money.
“Households were hit with a 10 per cent increase in October and this further rise is yet more proof they must take control of their energy consumption,” CPO and Co-founder of tado° Christian Deilmann said.
“Our survey shows the vast majority of people have come to the realisation that pre-Ukraine energy prices will not be returning, a fact confirmed by experts such as Cornwall Insight”, who have said high energy prices are the “new normal”.
The latest price cap is £190 lower than a year earlier, and 57.2 per cent or £2,321 less than during the energy crisis, which was fuelled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
tado° has advised one way to save on heating costs is choosing the right home temperature. The recommended temperatures are between 18 and 21°C in living rooms and bedrooms, and around 22° in bathrooms. However, temperatures can be lowered at night or when no one is home. A smartphone app by the company allows households to control temperatures.
Other ways to save could be to ensure rooms are ventilated and doors are sealed, as “windows should be checked for gaps and then repaired if necessary.”
