GWYNEDD has been named among the regions with the highest annual energy bills.

Research conducted by insurance experts A-Plan Insurance used new ONS data to analyse the energy bills in every local authority in England and Wales, to discover which region had the highest energy bills, and would be worst affected by the 54 per cent increase in energy bills in April.

Gwynedd ranked fourth behind the Isles of Scilly, Ceredigion and Eden in a list of average annual energy bill, with the average in Gwynedd a considerable £1,016.

However, when splitting new and old dwellings in Gwynedd, there was a stark contrast, with the average older property costing £1,069 per year, while new dwellings plummeted in energy cost, at just £484.

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This trend could be seen across the country, with the vast majority of new builds nationwide more environmentally friendly.

A spokesperson for A-Plan Insurance commented on the findings: “Energy bills are already sky-high and with bills soaring by a predicted £600 in Spring, it is those homes which are least energy efficient which will suffer the most from rising bills, as escaping heat will mean that your heating system works harder to compensate for the lack of warmth, costing you more.

“The government is advocating heat pumps as a solution to soaring energy bills, but these will not be effective without proper floor insulation – which 65 percent of homes in the UK currently lack.

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“While households can use some hacks to insulate their homes better, for example, buying inexpensive pipe insulation from a DIY store, unless something serious is done about the energy crisis, we will see many more households driven into poverty.

“Although the government is introducing an ‘Energy Bills Rebate’ where energy customers will have £200 knocked off their bills, this functions as more of a ‘loan’ or a ‘buy now pay later scheme’, according to Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis, who points out that families will have to pay back the loan in equal instalments of £40 a year.

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“Some energy suppliers offer hardship funds, where you can get up to £750 off your energy bills if you are living in fuel poverty, so if you are struggling, it’s worth checking if your supplier offers this.”

The top ten least cheapest regions for annual energy bills were all in or around London, with Tower Hamlets in the East End the least expensive at £423 per year.