Fuel price hikes in Locks Heath - what are you paying?

Fuel price increases, greenhouse emissions, the infamous carbon footprint; open any newspaper or listen to a news broadcast and you’ll come across some mention of how our ‘innocent’ usage of household and travel fuels is impacting on the environment and the economy!

But, do we, as consumers, really think about any of that, or are we just concerned with the impact to our pockets? With Xmas approaching fast, and the ensuing price-hikes by the energy companies, aren’t we just more concerned with trying to limit the cost of warming and lighting our homes than anything else?

Annual household energy bills range from a peak of £1646 in South Bucks, to a base of £964 in Islington, London! The AlertMe website depicts usage across the nation, with Fareham at 283rd on the table (£1187.83); Eastleigh at 282nd (£1188.92); Havant at 335th (£1151.80); Southampton 361st (£1128.93) and Portsmouth at 397th (£1041.59).

With no indication of either the government or the energy suppliers providing any foreseeable respite to increases being passed on to the poor consumer, what can we do to offset the extra burden to an already burgeoning household budget? With the disparity in bills across the nation, it would be interesting to know what local bills are; what are we paying in Locks Heath for example? Does the variation go as far as ‘town’ usage, or are the ‘city’ indicators a fair guide to what is going on? Does knowing what our area consumes make us more conscious of our personal usage and therefore more likely to take account of ‘global’ costs?

This page advises of several common-sense tips that will serve to reduce household usage. Covering the energy consumption of Appliances, Habits, Heating, Insulation, Lighting, Transport and Water, this site provides money-saving solutions that all members of the family can effect.

The E.ON Energy Company's website has an energy survey exercise that allows each household to monitor and evaluate their own usage and will then suggest ways to decrease consumption.

Ultimately, and despite the propaganda regarding energy wastage, we are mostly concerned with our own finances. Let’s start by monitoring our own usage for the benefit of the household budget – the climate might just take care of itself!