What is an average gas and electric bill?

Trying to calculate the average cost of an energy bill per month can be tricky, not least because there are so many variable that can affect the amount you pay – not only does everyone have different consumption habits, costs can also vary depending upon where you live, the amount of energy that you use, and even how you choose to pay for your energy.

If you’ve never compared energy switch deals before, you’ve recently moved house, or your fixed rate deal has expired, you’ll have been placed on a standard variable rate tariff (SVR).

If you're on an SVR, you'll be overpaying for your energy, which means its time to run a price comparison of gas and electricity suppliers and switch - not only do these tariffs usually offer your supplier's most expensive rates, they also fluctuate in line with market rates, meaning they go up whenever your energy company announces a price rise.

First you need an energy bill estimator. Below are some handy tables that show the average energy bill for customers on a standard tariff, ideal if you've ever wondered what the average energy bill is for a three-bedroom house or how much you should be paying in a one-bedroom flat. It is conveniently broken down into average electricity bill for 1-5+ bedroom house, average gas bill for 1-5+ bedroom house, and dual fuel bill.

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What is an average dual fuel bill?

What is an average electric bill?

What is an average gas bill?

What is dual fuel?

A dual fuel tariff is plan that means you get both your gas and electricity from the same supplier.

Energy companies often offer a discount for customers who commit to having both gas and electricity contracts with them, meaning that dual fuel tariffs can work out cheaper than getting your energy from separate suppliers.

Dual fuel is usually offered as a variable, fixed, or online tariff, so you’ll need to compare everything on offer to work out which is the best deal. If you don’t mind dealing with two suppliers, it’s definitely worth comparing dual fuel and single fuel deals to work out which will save you the most money. The more effort you put into scoping out suppliers, the better deal you can get.

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What is the cheapest dual fuel bill?

What is the cheapest electric bill?

What is the cheapest gas bill?

How estimated energy use is calculated?

For our calculations we have used the following annual energy usage amounts which are based on industry figures:

1. 1 or 2 bedroom house/flat - gas usage of 8,000kWh and an electricity usage of 1,800kWh
2. 3 or 4 bedroom house - gas usage of 12,000kWh and an electricity usage of 2,900kWh
3. 5+ bedroom house - gas usage of 17,000kWh and an electricity usage of 4,300kWh

The bills shown are the cheapest average standard tariff in the market, correct as of 01/04/2020

Your household is considered a small house or flat if:

• You use 1,800kWh of electricity and 8,000kWh of gas or less.
• There are one to two people living at your property.
• You’re both employed full time and spend little time at home.
• The heating is used occasionally, washing machine once a week and you don’t have a dishwasher or tumble dryer.

Your household is considered a medium house if:

• You use 2,900kWh of electricity and 12,000kWh of gas.
• There are three to four people living at your property.
• You’re all at work or school in the daytime, but home in the evening.
• The washing machine and heating are used a few times a week and the dishwasher is used occasionally.
• The TV and electrical appliances are used in the evening.

Your household is considered a large house if:

• You use 4,300kWh of electricity and 17,000kWh of gas or more.
• There are four to five – or more – people living at your house.
• You’re all regularly at home for evenings and weekends.
• The washing machine is used nearly every day, the heating is on regularly, the dishwasher is used regularly, the tumble dryer is used regularly and multiple TVs and electrical appliances are used regularly.

To work out how much energy your appliances are using and how much your energy bills should be, check our utility bill calculator.

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What affects energy prices?

There are a whole range of factors that affect the price of gas and electricity. Variables such as supply and demand, availability, wholesale costs, transport costs, and infrastructure maintenance all have an influence.

Then there are those things you probably wouldn't expect to affect the price you pay for gas and electricity, such as global conflicts and natural disasters, both of which are a reason for fluctuating prices. A lack of stability in an oil-rich area means lower fuel production and higher prices. The Libyan conflict in 2011, for example, meant that energy prices jumped to their highest in over two years and, more recently, Hurricane Harvey had an impact on energy prices.

How does increased demand affect energy prices?

The demand for energy not only drives the industry, but is arguably one of the largest factors affecting its price. Energy demand is about more than just domestic consumers. A huge range of industries have a part to play in the cost of our energy. From fuel and transportation, to manufacturing, computers, telecommunication and even construction - the industry is made up of many sectors and influencers. The price that we see is partly dictated by these.

How do wholesale costs affect energy prices?

The wholesale price of the raw resources - such as coal and gas – also plays a huge part in the price we pay for energy. These prices are continuously fluctuating on a global and European scale as countries bid to meet demand. As and when prices in the wholesale market change, it can affect the Big Six as well as smaller suppliers. Nobody is totally immune to increase in cost - from consumers to companies.

The world's growing adoption of sustainable energy sources is slowly beginning to erode our reliance on traditional fossil fuels. The use of more diverse energy resources means there is less demand on any particular supply, something that we predict will lead to price drops in the future.

What affects the cost of your energy bill?

There are a variety of factors that contribute to the amount you pay for energy, including:

Your household is considered a large house if:

• Your region
• Your energy tariff
• Your size of house
• Your energy consumption
• Your chosen payment method (most suppliers offer a Direct Debit discount).

The quickest and simplets way to cut your energy bills is to run an energy price comparison - to get started and see how much you could save, enter your postcode in the box on the right 👉