In terms of energy consumption, customers tend to be grouped by the industry into low, medium and high users. These groups were originally identified by industry regulator Ofgem.
Different tariffs will be aimed at different level users accordingly, so – for example – the best value deal for a high user may not be such good value for someone who uses considerably less fuel.
But which are you? Well, the following summaries of typical users should help.
But do bear in in mind that the best way to tell is by knowing how many kilowatt hours (kWhs) of gas or electricity you use.
You can judge this from your bill or even find out in real time if you have a smart meter.
Low energy users
Your average low user will use 11,000 kWhs of gas and 2,100 kWhs of electricity in a year.
This level of use will typically be incurred by a small household ofone or two residents in a modestly-sized property.
Other factors may limit usage, such as spending a lot of time away or working long hours. Users in this group are likely to use appliances only sparingly.
Medium energy users
Your average medium user will use 16,500 kWhs of gas and 3,300 kWhs of electricity annually.
Best buy tables for gas and electricity are generally based on this group.
Medium users will tend to live in mid-sized houses with two or three bedrooms and consist of parents who work in the day so are therefore likely to use more power in the evenings and on weekends.
High energy users
According to the industry, those in the high group consume 23,000 kWhs of gas and 5,100 kWhs of electricity each year on average.
This level of use will be incurred by a large household of four or more occupants in a property with four or more bedrooms.
Regular heating and appliance use is likely as is multiple televisions and so this will bump up the usage.
Find the best energy deal for you
It's important to remember that these group summaries are intended as a guide only. The group you’re in isn’t necessarily hard and fast.
It could conceivably change with your circumstances – for example if you have chldren or take in lodgers.
Realistically, energy usage will vary from one household to the next. For this reason, using a Consumer Focus accredited price comparison site such as Confused.com is your best bet for finding the tariff that suits your circumstances.
If you don’t have bills handy to do the maths, you might find our reading your meter article helpful.
Also if you’re concerned that your consumption is too high, and you’d like to save a bit of money, then read our article on how to cut down on energy bills.
photo: paul (dex)
