Northern Ireland is the region worst affected by the increase in energy costs, new research can reveal.
Out of all UK regions, residents of Northern Ireland spend the biggest proportion of their household budget on gas and electricity. People in Northern Ireland spend 32% more on gas and electricity than the average UK household, making them the worst affected region for the 250% rise in energy prices. Households in Northern Ireland also spend 40% more of their weekly budget on electricity than they do on net rent.
The research, conducted by heating experts Boiler Central, used ONS data on household gas and electricity spending between 2018 and 2020, to discover which UK area would be worst affected by the hike in energy costs.
Scotland is the region second worst off for increased energy costs, with Scottish households spending 41% more of their weekly budget on gas and electricity than London, the area which spends the least on electricity.
Wales is also one of the areas most affected by soaring gas prices, with residents spending more on electricity per month than they do on rent. Residents of Wales spent 10% more of their weekly household spending budget on heat and electricity than the average UK household, making them the area third most impacted by increased costs from energy suppliers.
The West Midlands, the North West and the North East were also among the regions worst hit by the increase in electricity costs. Residents in the West Midlands and North West spent a third (38%) more of their weekly household budget on heating their homes than residents in London, while households in the North East spend 28% more.
The area least impacted by rising electricity costs was London, where residents spend the least amount of their weekly budget on heating their homes. The South East also fared better than the rest of the UK when it came to increased prices, with households spending 16% less on fuel and electricity each week than the average UK household.
A spokesperson for Boiler Central, which conducted the study, said: “As winter draws in, rising energy costs due to CO2 shortages have been dominating headlines. When we look at the data, it’s clear that some areas of the UK are already spending disproportionately more on electricity than other regions, and will likely be most impacted by the hike in energy prices. While the government is looking into heat pumps as an alternative to gas boilers as a way to deal with the energy crisis, we estimate that only 50% of homes would be suitable for installing one, and when you take into account the inadequate funding and high cost, this percentage is going to be much lower”.
