Household energy bills to rise as temperatures take plunge

MANY household energy bills will rise in the new year, just as Scotland battens down the hatches for several days of wintry weather.

- BEN BORLAND

The 0.2% hike to Ofgem’s energy price cap will mean a rise of about 28p a month for the average household in Scotland, England and Wales remaining on a standard variable tariff.

This amounts to an average overall bill of £1,758 a year, up from the current £1,755.

Yesterday’s increase to the cap — announced back in November — came as yellow snow and ice warnings for northern Scotland were upgraded to amber.

The north of the country is expected to be blanketed with up to 20cm (7.9ins) of snow even at low levels, with blizzard conditions forecast for 24 hours from noon today.

A yellow alert was already in place for all of Scotland north of Dundee, which was upgraded to amber for much of the north east and the far north.

Forecasters said some delays and cancellations to rail and air travel are likely, as are power cuts and disruption on the roads, while some rural communities could become cut off.

Challenging

Ferry services have already been disrupted by high winds and police have urged motorists to plan ahead before travelling.

Chief Superintendent Scott McCarren, Police Scotland’s head of road policing, said: “Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary during the bad weather or if it can be delayed until conditions improve.