The average south east London and Dartford household is paying almost twice as much as last winter to fuel their home, new figures suggest.

National Energy Action said the situation will continue to deteriorate this year as customers face spiralling energy bills when the Government's Energy Price Guarantee – which means bills for a typical household are currently capped at £2,500 per year – rises in April.

Here are the latest figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy showing how much the average household consumed.

Energy usage varies throughout the UK, so local figures were used to work out how much an average household might pay in your area.

One kWh would run an average oven for around 30 minutes, while the median has been used to exclude extreme values which could skew the average.

 

The figures for south east London and Dartford:

 

Lewisham:

• The average Lewisham household consumed 10,582 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of gas and 2,361 kWh of electricity in 2021.

• At the current charging rates capped by the Government, it means the average household on a variable tariff continuing to use the same amount of energy as in 2021 would be paying around £2,131 per year to run their home.

• Based on prices last winter, the average Lewisham household would have had an annual spend of approximately £1,105 for the same amount of energy – just over half as much.

Bromley:

• The average Bromley household consumed 13,614 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of gas and 2,890 kWh of electricity in 2021.

• At the current charging rates capped by the Government, it means the average household on a variable tariff continuing to use the same amount of energy as in 2021 would be paying around £2,614 per year to run their home.

• Based on prices last winter, the average Bromley household would have had an annual spend of approximately £1,338 for the same amount of energy – half as much.

Bexley:

• The average Bexley household consumed 12,595 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of gas and 2,887 kWh of electricity in 2021.

• At the current charging rates capped by the Government, it means the average household on a variable tariff continuing to use the same amount of energy as in 2021 would be paying around £2,511 per year to run their home.

• Based on prices last winter, the average Bexley household would have had an annual spend of approximately £1,296 for the same amount of energy – just over half as much.

Greenwich:

• The latest figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy show the average Greenwich household consumed 10,927 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of gas and 2,401 kWh of electricity in 2021.

• At the current charging rates capped by the Government, it means the average household on a variable tariff continuing to use the same amount of energy as in 2021 would be paying around £2,179 per year to run their home.

• Based on prices last winter, the average Greenwich household would have had an annual spend of approximately £1,127 for the same amount of energy – just over half as much.

Dartford:

• The average Dartford household consumed 10,928 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of gas and 2,737 kWh of electricity in 2021.

• At the current charging rates capped by the Government, it means the average household on a variable tariff continuing to use the same amount of energy as in 2021 would be paying around £2,293 per year to run their home.

• Based on prices last winter, the average Dartford household would have had an annual spend of approximately £1,198 for the same amount of energy – just over half as much.

Households on a fixed tariff will pay for energy at their current rate until the term comes to an end.

Adam Scorer, chief executive of National Energy Action, said the situation could worsen this year following the end of the current Energy Price Guarantee, claiming one in three households will be in fuel poverty.

Mr Scorer said this means people "will be forced to bed wearing coats, ration showers and hot water, run up huge debts or self-disconnect and go cold".

"Millions of the most vulnerable – carers, people with disabilities, those on low incomes and living in inefficient homes – are already bearing the brunt this winter," he added.

"The effects of this are devastating on both physical and mental health. Make no mistake, cold homes can kill.

"Government intervention must prioritise the most vulnerable in 2023 and beyond."