UK spends on average 4.4% of earnings on energy bills

The Electrical Guys have discovered that Wales spends the highest of their earning on their gas and electricity bills in a recent investigation

Provisional data for 2017 released by the Office of National Statistics found that the region with the highest salary is London, followed by the South East and then Scotland.

The region with the lowest average salary is Wales, followed by the East Midlands and Northern Ireland. However, out of all, Wales pays the most for their gas and electricity bills.

Average gas and electricity bills by region

Data published by the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has revealed that the region paying the most for their gas and electricity bills is Wales and Merseyside, paying an average of £1,281 annually for a combination of gas and electricity.

Whereas, the region paying the least for their energy bills is the East Midlands, who pay an average of £1,199.

The region closest to the UK average combined energy bill of £1,236 is the North West, where the average annual combined energy bill is £1, 233.

Percentage of salaries spent on energy bills

Based on the average income of each region, and the average amount spent on bills, we can deduce the percentage of salaries that each region spends on their gas and electricity bills, and therefore proportionally who pays the most for their energy bills.

• UK-wide: 4.4% of UK salaries are spent on gas and electric bills a year
• Wales: 4.9% of salaries are spent on gas and electric bills a year in Wales
• South West: 4.7% of salaries are spent on gas and electric bills a year in the South West
• West Midlands: 4.6% of salaries are spent on gas and electric bills a year in the West Midlands
• North West: 4.6% of salaries are spent on gas and electric bills a year in the North West
• North East: 4.6% of salaries are spent on gas and electric bills a year in the North East
• Yorkshire: 4.6% of salaries are spent on gas and electric bills a year in Yorkshire
• East Midlands: 4.6% of salaries are spent on gas and electric bills a year in East Midlands
• Scotland: 4.4% of salaries are spent on gas and electric bills a year in Scotland
• East: 4.3% of salaries are spent on gas and electric bills a year in the East
• South East: 4.1% of salaries are spent on gas and electric bills a year the South East
• London: 3.5% of salaries are spent on gas and electric bills a year in London

The Electrical Guys recommendation

Adam Kendrew, responsible for E-Commerce at The Electrical Guys, has offered the following insight and recommendations: “At this time of year, especially after Christmas, we’re all watching the pennies. These stats show that gas and electric bills are a concern wherever you are based, but it’s interesting to see that the Welsh are the most out of pocket. To help cut down on these energy bills, we would recommend the following:

“Investing in LED light bulbs is always a quick fix and a great way to make savings. We also suggest getting in touch with your local plumber, as having your boiler serviced once a year can help ensure it is heating your home efficiently! If you’re up for tackling things yourself, why not try bleeding your radiators and blocking up those drafts across your home?”