ENERGY bills are set to rise by £94 for millions of households in the new year.
The energy regulator Ofgem has confirmed the new price cap, which comes into effect on January 1.
GettyEnergy bills are set to rise by £94 for millions of households in January[/caption]
The cap will rise from £1,834, the lowest figure since March 2022, to £1,928 a year.
It means the average household will see their annual bill increase by £151.
Around 4.3million households on prepayment meters will continue to receive a government-backed discount to ensure that they aren’t charged more than those that pay by direct debit.
It’s important to note though that this is not a cap on the overall amount people will pay for their energy.
Instead, it caps the amount that they pay per kilowatt hour, or unit, of gas and electricity.
The £1,928 figure is calculated based on what Ofgem thinks an average household will use.
This is calculated assuming that a typical household uses 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas across a 12-month period.
Those who use less will pay less, and those who use more will pay more.
Be aware that the exact unit rates and standing charges that you pay will vary slightly based on your supplier, where you live and how you pay for your gas and electricity costs.
How do I calculate my bill?
To calculate how much you pay on your current fix, you will need to find out both your unit rate for gas and electricity and the standing charge for each fuel type.
The unit rate will usually be shown on your bill in p/kWh.
The standing charge is a daily charge that is paid 365 days of the year – irrespective of whether or not you use any gas or electricity.
You will then need to note down your own annual energy usage from a previous bill.
Once you have these details you can work out your gas and electricity costs separately.
Multiply your usage in kWh by the unit rate cost in p/kWh for the corresponding fuel type – this will give you your usage costs.
You’ll then need to multiply each standing charge by 365 and add this figure to the totals for your usage – this will then give you your annual costs.
Divide this figure by 12 and you’ll be able to work out how much you should expect to pay each month from January 1.