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Monday, May 20, 2013

Rising home energy bills could outstrip mortgages, First Utility warns

Rising home energy bills could outstrip mortgages, First Utility warns
Warning over the cost of energy bills thanks in part to windfarms (Picture: AFP/Getty)
Energy bills could soon be costing people more than mortgages if investment in green energy pushes prices higher, a supplier has warned.
Gas and electricity costs have risen by an average of 8.5 per cent in each of the last five years to reach £1,420, analysis by First Utility shows.
If prices keep increasing at the same rate they will be higher than average annual mortgage repayments in parts of the country within 12 years.
And company boss Ian McCaig warned the crossover point could come sooner because of the government’s policy of funding windfarms and new power plants by charging people extra.
‘It could easily be the case that over the next five to ten years we’ll see energy bills overtake mortgage costs for some consumers,’ he said.
If rises stay steady, energy costs will outstrip average mortgage payments in 2025 in Stoke-on-Trent, 2029 in Liverpool and 2030 in Birmingham, First Utility’s figures suggest.
Mr McCaig said the government should concentrate on cutting fuel waste, saying some customers could save 20 per cent by ‘being cleverer’ and only using the power they needed.
But the department for energy and climate change said existing policies would help to keep costs down.
‘It is the global gas price that has primarily been pushing up bills,’ a spokesman said.
‘Investing in home grown alternatives is the only sure-fire way of insulating bill-payers.’

 

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