Which?: Households with poor insulation could face 35% price rise from energy suppliers - 22/12/2009
More homeowners could choose to switch energy practices following a warning from consumer body Which? that properties with poor insulation could face 35 per cent price hikes by 2020.
Research carried out for the organisation by IPA Energy and Water Economics found that families living in a three-bedroom, semi-detached property could face annual energy bills of more than £2,600 by the end of the next decade.
Expenditure on a renewable energy network, an increasing dependence on imported energy supplies and rising wholesale costs could all impact domestic prices.
Martyn Hocking, editor of Which?, said: "Energy is going to get a lot more expensive over the next decade so the only way to avoid bigger bills is to use less of it."
While a third of respondents to a Which? survey expressed concern at paying energy bills at their current levels, nearly three-quarters are worried about their ability to cope with price rises of 30 per cent.
Energy suppliers have responded to pricing criticism in recent months by saying they need capital to invest in renewable energy infrastructure.
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