Households in Scotland are among the most likely in the UK to have cut back on energy use because of higher prices, according to new research. Polling by Opinium for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition found that 35 per cent of people across the UK have reduced their energy consumption because of higher costs since 2023.
Some 32 per cent said they had taken energy efficiency measures but had also been forced to cut back because of cost, while a further three per cent had reduced their usage without making efficiency improvements. Scotland, Wales and the West Midlands were among the areas where people were most likely to report cutting back because of higher energy prices.
Measures households are taking
The research also reveals some of the measures households are taking to keep costs down. Nearly one in four people (23%) said they had cut down on water use in the bath or shower because they could not afford to use as much energy, while 21 per cent had gone to bed early to keep warm.
Some 17 per cent said they had heated only one room or avoided using central heating, 16 per cent had turned off lights or used candles and 15 per cent had kept curtains closed all day or covered windows to retain heat.
Ofgem's typical consumption values
The findings come as energy regulator Ofgem lowers its estimate of how much gas and electricity a “typical” household uses. The typical domestic consumption values are used to illustrate what an average household could pay under the energy price cap. However, campaigners have warned that falling consumption does not necessarily mean households have become more energy efficient, with some people simply unable to afford the amount of energy they previously used.
Frazer Scott, chief executive of Energy Action Scotland, said: “It has always been hard to compare Ofgem’s ‘average’ household consumption levels with what a household actually needs to stay safe at recommended levels of thermal comfort. But if that typical figure has never matched safe consumption in the first place, then watching it fall tells its own story. It is not necessarily a sign that homes are becoming more efficient, it is a warning that people are being forced to use less than they safely should.”
Energy efficiency improvements
The End Fuel Poverty Coalition said its polling also showed a significant proportion of households have made changes designed to improve energy efficiency rather than simply cutting their usage. Some 38 per cent said they now set their washing machine to 30C, while 36 per cent had turned down radiators in empty rooms. Nearly three in 10 (29%) had reduced their boiler temperature, 28 per cent had switched to energy-efficient light bulbs and 19 per cent had bought more energy-efficient appliances.
Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “Some reduction of energy use could be a good thing, caused by better energy efficiency in people’s homes. But sadly, for many households, reductions in energy use have happened simply because people cannot afford to use as much energy as in the past. That means that some are demonstrating dangerous behaviours such as cutting back on washing and for one in ten members of the public, skipping hot meals to save on energy. Many also told the researchers that they have borrowed money to pay for energy.”
He added: “The fact remains that gas prices are rising again, and using the same energy as last winter will cost most homes more and of course, bills are hundreds of pounds a year more than six years ago. The reliable indicators of what is actually happening to household energy prices are the unit rates and standing charges, not the headline average.”
Ofgem is due to announce the energy price cap applying from October 1 next week. The End Fuel Poverty Coalition said that when bills are compared using the same assumed level of consumption, a typical household would face higher costs than last winter. The coalition has written to UK Government ministers calling for further action to reduce electricity costs and provide additional support for households in fuel poverty. Its recommendations include an enhanced Warm Home Discount, changes to Cold Weather Payments in England and Wales and the introduction of an energy debt relief scheme this winter.
