Two thirds worried about cost of heating home

Almost two thirds (62%) of energy customers in the UK are worried about covering the cost of energy bills following price increases, according to new research from moneysupermarket.com.

A poll of 1,157 moneysupermarket.com users found that nearly a third (32%) of people are worried they won`t be able to heat their home this winter if all of the `Big Six` energy providers announce price increases.

This concern about rising energy costs comes after Scottish Power recently announced it would increase the standard cost of gas and electricity - which could see around £180 added to customers` annual bills.

30% of energy customers polled said they will have to cut back to afford their gas and electricity bills, while nearly one in five (18%) said they will change to a different tariff in order to save money. Bill payers could potentially save up to £382 a year by switching to the cheapest available fixed deal.

An expert at debt management company Gregory Pennington said: "We would advise people to shop around to find the best energy tariffs, which could significantly reduce the amount they spend on heating their home - and make managing bills much easier."