United Kingdom

Energy-hungry refrigerators can cost households an extra £ 130 to operate annually under increased price caps.

According to a new study, energy-inefficient freezer refrigerators will add more than £ 130 a year to household bills.

Consumer Advice Site Who? found that the average total operating costs of all white goods will increase by £ 77 a year after the increase in energy prices from 1 April.

However, households with energy-hungry white goods models are facing higher increases in their bills.

Refrigerators with a Hotpoint FFU3D or FFU3D X 1 freezer will cost £ 178.66 to operate annually at the new price of 28 pence per kilowatt-hour.

That compares to just £ 40.63 for the most energy-efficient fridge-freezer identified by the study – the LG GBB92MCBAP – leaving owners with more than £ 130 better than operators of the least efficient model.

Consumer Advice Site Who? found that the average price of operating appliances will increase by an average of £ 77 after the higher energy price rate, which came into force on 1 April

Who? He said: “Freezer refrigerators are the most expensive appliance.

“It’s 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year.

“However, our testing reveals that some use less than a quarter of the energy used by others.”

Although the purchase of a new, more energy-efficient model implies a significant upfront cost – of around £ 1,800 in the case of the LG GBB92MCBAP – this amount can be recovered in 13 years in the form of lower annual operating costs, which ones? said.

The study also examines the operating costs of other white goods at the new higher rate of energy prices, comparing the four most popular models on the market.

The Beko DTBC10001 heat pump dryer costs a whopping £ 174.67 a year, or £ 1.10 per load, to operate.

Meanwhile, the Miele TCB140 WP and TSB143 WP cost just £ 38.04 a year to operate – the equivalent of 24p for a load.

The washing machine department found that the Ebac AWM86D2H and AWM74D2H cost £ 25.61 to wash 40 ° C cotton four times a week for a year, compared to the Whirlpool W8W946WRUK, which consumes four times more energy and costs £ 94.60 per year.

The most energy-saving dishwasher was found to be Hisense HS620D10WUK, which costs an average of £ 60.51 per year, compared to £ 104.40 for the Candy CYF 6F52LNW-80.

Average annual energy bills rose in the UK to £ 1971 on 1 April, after a 54 per cent increase in the energy price cap.

As Russia’s war in Ukraine cripples global gas supplies, households have been warned to expect a further increase in bills in October.

Emily Seymour from What? told The Telegraph: “If you are in the market for a new washing machine or refrigerator with freezer, be sure to choose an energy efficient model.

“You can reduce energy consumption by avoiding small charges in the washing machine and dishwasher and not overfilling your refrigerator.”

Energy companies face fines of millions if they take advantage of the crisis to inflate profits, warns supervisor Ofgem

  • Energy companies warn against using cost of living crisis to increase direct debit payments
  • The ceiling on the price of gas and electricity has increased by a huge 54% on April 1
  • There is evidence that some companies have doubled their monthly direct debit bills

Watchdogs have warned energy companies not to use the bill crisis to increase direct debit payments to customers by more than justified.

The gas and electricity price cap rose by 54% on April 1st – but there is evidence that some companies have doubled their monthly direct debit bills.

Some companies also appear to be putting pressure on anxious customers to join long-term grabbing tariffs that will block them from paying extortionate bills for longer than necessary.

At the same time, there are fears that energy companies are sitting on millions of pounds in overpayments from families struggling to sustain their businesses.

Industry regulator Ofgem has warned energy traders that it plans to deal with the scandal and threaten fines of millions of pounds.

The gas and electricity price cap rose by 54% on April 1st – but there is evidence that some companies have doubled their monthly direct debit bills

A typical annual energy bill rises from the equivalent of around £ 700 to almost £ 2,000 a year, but some companies are pushing customers to pay even more.

Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brierley said: “There are concerns that some providers may have increased direct debit payments by more than necessary or directed customers to tariffs that may not be in their best interests. .

“We’ve also seen disturbing stories of how some vulnerable clients are treated when they get into trouble.”

Mr Breerley added: “This will include stricter oversight of how direct debits are processed, how much they hold on to customers’ credit balances and ensuring that companies adhere to higher standards of overall customer service performance and protection of vulnerable customers.

“This work will allow Ofgem to determine whether companies are meeting their licensing terms and working with them to address the shortcomings.

If they fail to do so, we will not hesitate to take swift action to enforce compliance, including the imposition of significant fines. ”

Energy companies sit on millions of pounds in customer balance sheets and money raised from taxes on customer accounts to fund support for green energy such as wind farms.

Ofgem is concerned that companies are attacking this money to fund their operations instead of keeping them safe.

Campaign organizer Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, recently told lawmakers that there are “alarming” signs that energy companies are trying to impose through much higher increases in monthly direct debit payments than are justified.

“There is no reason to double someone’s direct debit when they are on credit and the price ceiling rises by 54 percent. This is not mathematically sound and is a violation of the license conditions, “he said.

Citizens Advice surveys have found that customer service levels are collapsing. For example, people find it difficult to contact their suppliers, which creates a risk that they will not receive the help they need and are entitled to.

Its CEO, Lady Claire Moriarty, said: “The decline in customer service standards is coming at the worst possible time.”