Average Gas & Electricity Usage in the UK – 2020

Gas guzzlers or careful consumers? In this infographic, we compare gas and electricity usage and costs in the UK.

The Average Gas & Electricity Usage in the UK – 2020

Ever wondered how your business energy and household gas and electricity consumption measures up against the rest of the region?

Average business gas & electricity usage and average energy costs

Average kWh usage per year in 2020 – business electricity

Business sizeLow end usage (kWh)High end usage (kWh)
Micro business5,00015,000
Small business15,00025,000
Medium business30,00050,000
Large businessSupply handled differently

Average business gas usage (kWh) per year in 2020

Business sizeLow end usage (kWh)
Micro business10,000
Small business25,000
Medium business30,000

Average business electricity bill in 2020

Business sizeAverage business electricity bill per year (£)
Micro business£1,062
Small business£2,038
Medium business£3,146

Average business gas bill in 2020

Business sizeAverage business gas bill per year (£)
Micro business£430
Small business£856
Medium business£1,424

Average domestic gas & electricity usage and average energy costs

Average kWh per year in 2020 – domestic

Take a look at your annual energy consumption. Is your usage high, medium, or low?

FuelLevelConsumption per year (kWh)
GasLow8,000
Medium12,500
High18,000
ElectricityLow2,000
Medium3,100
High4,600

And what about the average cost?

According to the latest figures from industry watchdog Ofgem, the average dual fuel variable tariff is £1,162 a year for 11 million households that use a standard variable energy tariff to buy their energy. The four million homes that have a prepay meter have an average gas and electricity price of £1,200. 

Level Average Annual Utility Bill
Low£734
Medium£1,066
High£1,494

Average domestic kWh per day in 2020

The exact amount of gas and electricity used per day will vary depending on

  • The appliances used on that day
  • The day – people generally use more energy on a weekend
  • The season – people  generally use more energy in winter

The average household uses:

  • Electricity: 8.5 – 10 kWh per day
  • Gas – 33 – 38 kWh per day

How to calculate your annual gas and electricity cost

Estimating your annual energy cost is a good way to compare the tariffs of different providers with one simple figure:

(Your annual energy usage) X (The amount quoted per kWh) = Your estimated annual cost

The UK vs. the World

How much electricity does the UK consume per average household in comparison to the rest of the world?

Average electricity consumption per household – World

In relation to the rest of the world, the UK has rather low consumption (3,100 kWh for a medium household). In fact, the United States consumes more than three times as much as we do (11,700 kWH per year); with Saudi Arabia consuming almost twice as much as the United States.

How do UK electricity tariffs compare?

These are the estimated average per kWh electricity costs in different European countries. The graph shows that the UK’s electricity prices are reasonably priced in relation to other EU countries, especially considering that the average UK wage is much higher than that of countries such as Portugal and Spain, whose electricity prices are higher than the UK’s.

CountryPrice per kWh in EUR – HouseholdPrice per kWh in EUR – Non-Household
Denmark 0.29840.0707
Germany0.30880.1557
Belgium0.28390.1147
Italy0.23010.1661
Portugal0.21540.1186
Spain0.24030.1148
Austria0.20340.1076
United Kingdom0.21220.1517
Sweden0.20150.0738
Greece0.16500.1059
Netherlands0.20520.0941
France0.17650.1024
Norway0.18670.0829
Poland0.13430.1003
Estonia0.13570.0197
Bulgaria0.99780.0887

Source

With the increasing price of gas and electricity and a growing competitive market, these areas present households and businesses with the potential for simple savings.

Contact us to discover potential savings on your gas and electricity bills.

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