UK households 'with no children or elderly in house' handed £90 off energy bill

The Energy Saving Trust has shared an update over energy customers being handed £90 off energy bills before Christmas. Households who turn down their thermostat by just one degree can save a stack of cash - up to £90 - on their bills.

"There isn’t a specific temperature people are advised to heat their homes too. We all feel comfortable at different temperatures. This can mean if you’ve tried turning down your thermostat by 1°C and you still feel like it could be lower, you could try reducing the temperature further," the Energy Saving Trust explained.

But it said households who don't have children or elderly people can get £90 back. "Please note, that if you have members of your household who are considered vulnerable, for example, elderly people, children, or those with chronic illnesses you should be particularly careful about reducing your home's temperature. The general advice from the World Health Organisation is to keep homes between 18-21°C," it said.

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"In their Cold Weather Plan for England, the UK Government’s Health Security Agency advises homes should be heated to at least 18 degrees. If, if you are worried about the rising cost of energy and being able to pay your energy bills, we have information on the support and help which may be available.

"Find out more about the support available from the government including energy saving tips at the ‘Help for Households’ website." Regulator Ofgem announced its latest price cap on Friday morning, with average energy bills to increase by 1.2 per cent from January, to £1,738 a year.

The forecasters Cornwall Insight say the cap is likely to come back down again in April, by a modest 1.4 per cent – but that will make little difference for households struggling to make ends meet over the winter.