Households

Thinktank says decoupling electricity from gas prices has also helped shield Spain from hikes caused by Iran warSpanish households save €10 a month on electricity bills because of wind turbines and solar panels installed in the last five years, a report has found.Typical energy bills would be 19% more expensive if electricity costs were still as tightly coupled to gas prices as in 2021, according to Ember, a climate thinktank. It found Spain’s “strategic” expansion of renewables since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 has shielded Spanish households from the latest rises in fossil fuel prices caused by the Iran war. Continue reading...

• EU household energy consumption fell to 9.54 million terajoules in 2024, marking a 0.2% decrease from 2023 and the third consecutive year of decline since a 2021 peak of 10.98 million terajoules. • The residential sector accounted for 26.0% of the EU's total final energy consumption in 2024. • Natural gas remained the primary energy source for households at 29.4%, followed by electricity at 26.9% and renewables/biofuels at 22.8%.

Government plan to de-link gas and electricity prices aims to reduce bills for consumers after global surge in pricesHouseholds in England, Scotland and Wales could save nearly £200 a year on their energy bills if the government stepped into the market to act as the sole buyer of electricity, according to a thinktank.The research found that public procurement of electricity, meaning the government would become the “single buyer” of power before it is resold to consumers, could shave billions of pounds from electricity prices. Continue reading...

Australia leads world in residential solar per capita with 22GW installed but commercial and industrial sector has deployed only a quarter of thatGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s revolution in rooftop solar has left behind commercial and industrial buildings where installations have lagged far behind homes, according to new analysis.Australia leads the world in residential solar on per capita terms, with 22GW installed as of last December. But businesses have only installed about a quarter of that – 5.6GW – despite consuming more electricity than households, a report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) has found. Continue reading...

Under government’s price cap typical gas and electricity bills are forecast to rise by £209 from this summerMinisters face growing calls to cut utility bills as millions of households in Great Britain face energy cost “anxiety,” with gas and electricity costs forecast to rise to almost £1,900 from this summer.The typical dual-fuel bill is expected to climb by nearly 13% under the government’s energy price cap, adding £209 a year to household costs, in a blow to families already hit by rising prices for essentials. Continue reading...

Dip in credit card spending in April, particularly on travel, suggests Britons preparing for harder times amid Iran war falloutHouseholds cut back on their spending in April at the fastest pace in 18 months, as the conflict in the Middle East provoked fears of another cost of living crisis, a report from one of the UK’s biggest banks has suggested.Barclays, which processes nearly 40% of the UK’s credit and debit card transactions, said its data showed there had been a 0.1% fall in card spending last month compared with a year earlier. This was the first year-on-year fall since November 2024. Continue reading...

PwC survey reports fast fall in consumer confidence with people worried about Iran war’s impact on economy and personal financesBritish households are bracing for a new cost of living crisis, as the impact of the Middle East conflict dampens confidence in the economy and personal finances, a survey has suggested.Consumer confidence in the UK has dipped over the last three months at the fastest rate since June 2022, when inflation in the UK was soaring as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the spike in commodity prices. Continue reading...