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 size Low end usage (kWh) High end usage (kWh)
Micro business 5,000 15,000
Small business 15,000 25,000
Medium business 30,000 50,000
Large business Supply handled differently

Average business gas usage (kWh) per year in 2020

Business size Low end usage (kWh)
Micro business 10,000
Small business 25,000
Medium business 30,000

Average business electricity bill in 2020

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

Average business gas bill in 2020

Business size Average 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?

Fuel Level Consumption per year (kWh)
Gas Low 8,000
Medium 12,500
High 18,000
Electricity Low 2,000
Medium 3,100
High 4,600

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.

Country Price per kWh in EUR – Household Price per kWh in EUR – Non-Household
Denmark  0.2984 0.0707
Germany 0.3088 0.1557
Belgium 0.2839 0.1147
Italy 0.2301 0.1661
Portugal 0.2154 0.1186
Spain 0.2403 0.1148
Austria 0.2034 0.1076
United Kingdom 0.2122 0.1517
Sweden 0.2015 0.0738
Greece 0.1650 0.1059
Netherlands 0.2052 0.0941
France 0.1765 0.1024
Norway 0.1867 0.0829
Poland 0.1343 0.1003
Estonia 0.1357 0.0197
Bulgaria 0.9978 0.0887

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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