Households wasting Â£2.4m on energy bills

File photo dated 22/04/12 of money with energy bills, as many members of a leading union are asking for financial help amid a continuing pay freeze for public sector workers.
Unison said nurses, home care assistants, school cleaners and teaching assistants were among those asking for help. The union said many were struggling with energy and other bills and were cutting back on clothing and leisure, while some said they avoided turning the heating on. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday March 12, 2013. See PA story INDUSTRY Bills. Photo credit should read: Rui Vieira/PA Wire — File photo dated 22/04/12 of money with energy bills, as many members of a leading union are asking for financial help amid a continuing pay freeze for public sector workers. Unison said nurses, home care assistants, school cleaners and teaching assistants were among those asking for help. The union said many were struggling with energy and other bills and were cutting back on clothing and leisure, while some said they avoided turning the heating on. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday March 12, 2013. See PA story INDUSTRY Bills. Photo credit should read: Rui Vieira/PA Wire

The new figures from independent energy provider, First Utility show that the majority of people in Brighouse are on the most expensive energy tariff, costing them on average an extra £327 every year. This is £43 more than the current national average of £284.

Sarah Willingham, personal finance expert and star of BBC’s Dragon’s Den, is joining forces with First Utility, as it calls for the Government to do more to stop the Big Six energy providers overcharging their customers.

“It’s outrageous that for so many people in Brighouse and across Yorkshire, loyalty doesn’t pay,” she said.

Embargoed to 0001 Thursday February 11

File photo dated 10/11/15 of Dragons' Den star Sarah Willingham who has spoken of her fears that children are not being equipped with vital skills to help them learn the value of money. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday February 11, 2016. The businesswoman and mother-of-four said pocket money should be "earned, not expected," as new research found that 85% of parents who hand out pocket money say their children do not always have to do anything in return for it, such as doing chores. See PA story MONEY Children. Photo credit should read: David Parry/PA Wire — Embargoed to 0001 Thursday February 11 File photo dated 10/11/15 of Dragons' Den star Sarah Willingham who has spoken of her fears that children are not being equipped with vital skills to help them learn the value of money. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday February 11, 2016. The businesswoman and mother-of-four said pocket money should be "earned, not expected," as new research found that 85% of parents who hand out pocket money say their children do not always have to do anything in return for it, such as doing chores. See PA story MONEY Children. Photo credit should read: David Parry/PA Wire

“Switching only takes a few minutes, and people could save hundreds of pounds a year. Imagine what you could be spending that money on instead.”

The figures obtained by First Utility suggest that 85 per cent of Yorkshire households are supplied by one of the Big Six, and of those, 70 per cent are on their supplier’s most expensive tariff, the Standard Variable Tariff, rather than the much better value fixed price deals available on the market place.

As a region, combined overspending for Yorkshire and Humber is a shocking £355m in 2016.

Ed Kamm, UK MD, First Utility comments: “Yorkshire is the worst region in terms of overspend and this is down to the tactics of the largest energy companies.

“They deliberately keep their own customers in the dark about the better deals they have on offer.

“We want to help customers to realise that loyalty isn’t valued by these big firms.”