Families in the least energy efficient properties could see their annual energy bill rise by more than £550 from the start of October, new data suggests.
As the energy price cap rises, thousands of families will be hit harder and left to manage their tight budgets.
Ofgem has announced that energy bills are set to rise by 10 per cent in October.
The average home currently pays bills of £1,568 a year but this will rise to £1,717 from October 1
This will add on average an extra £149 more a year to annual bills, however homes with the poorest insulation and energy performance will see costs soar even higher.
The energy performance of a home is rated based on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
The EPC is a rating scheme which bands properties between A and G
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The EPC is a rating scheme which bands properties between A and G, with an A rating being the most energy efficient and G the least efficient.
At least 18million homes (55 per cent) have an Energy Performance Rating of D or below, according to Rightmove.
Someone living in a home with an EPC rating of A could see their average annual bill increase by £56 once the price cap changes.
But someone living in a G-rated home, could pay almost ten times that at £558.
This is because their house will be poorly insulated and have appliances such as a boiler which are not energy efficient
Someone living in a D rated property can expect their annual bill to rise by £225 to £2,471, while someone living in an E rated home will see their annual bill rise by £319 on average.
One way to cut costs is by upgrading the home with energy efficient improvements.
Green improvements, if suitable for the home, could include window upgrades, roof or floor insulation, installing solar panels or moving from a gas boiler to a heat pump.
However with green improvements, households usually have to provide a lot of a capital upfront and see it as an investment for the future.
There are of course much cheaper improvements that can be made, such as draught-proofing and installing energy efficient LED lights.
Many of these budget-friendly solutions pay for themselves within a short period due to the energy savings they provide.
There is also speculation that Ofgem is introducing a more dynamic price cap, where the price of energy varies at different times of the day, meaning it could cheaper at less popular times of the day, or when renewable energy generation increases.
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Nearly three-quarters of people would be willing to change how and when they use energy, if it meant they could access cheaper energy rates at different times of the day, according to a survey by Rightmove.
Tim Bannister, a property expert at Rightmove, said: “The rising price of energy in recent years means that renters and homeowners are likely having to closely consider their total monthly outgoings when choosing their next home.
“We know that lower bills is one of the biggest motivators for people to go greener, so we expect over time people will increasingly seek out more energy efficient properties in order to keep bills down over the long-term.
“Our research suggests that if something like a dynamic price cap, where energy is cheaper at less popular times of day, was to be introduced, the majority would welcome it if it meant lower bills.”