news UK households have cut energy consumption by 10%, say suppliers | household bills

Britons have cut their gas and electricity use by more than 10% since October in the first evidence of the impact of the energy crisis on household habits, according to two of

Britain's biggest suppliers.E.ON, Britain's second-largest supplier, and the owner of Utility Warehouse have reported “double-digit” declines in recent weeks.As households cut

back on use in response to surging bills, the business secretary, Grant Shapps, has written to bosses across the sector to say that customers cutting back on energy use to save

money should not face an increase in their direct debits.Sharing a letter he sent to the chief executives of Britain's energy suppliers over the weekend, he tweeted on Sunday:

“Households shouldn't see their direct debits rise when their energy use falls.”In the letter, Shapps said he was “disturbed” by reports that some consumers had been told

their direct debits would go up “when they are making huge efforts to reduce their usage to save money at a time when household incomes are squeezed”.He added: “With other

costs increasing for households, it is critical that we do what we can to help. I am interested in understanding how you intend to ensure that your direct debit system does not

overestimate charging.”Households shouldn't see their direct debits rise when their energy use fallsMy letter to suppliers making clear people's bills should reflect the energy

they use ? pic.twitter.com/Lrsdtsjroz— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) November 27, 2022 Energy industry executives are watching keenly to see if concerns over high bills

will translate into a significant reduction in usage this winter.Michael Lewis, the chief executive of E.ON, which has 5.6 million customers, said the supplier was “seeing

reductions of 10 to 15%” against seasonal averages in recent weeks.“It's quite a big effect. We're analyzing our data and trying to understand what's happening. It will likely

be people putting the heating on for shorter periods or turning down the thermostat in their home. Those are the two big levers.”Andrew Lindsay, the chief executive of stock

market-listed Telecom Plus, said gas use was down about 10% in recent months and “our expectation is that there will be a further decline in consumption as people self regulate.

We're forecasting a further double-digit decline in consumption”.Telecom Plus owns Utility Warehouse, which has more than 800,000 customers and offers cheap tariffs by bundling

together energy, broadband, mobile and insurance services.Lindsay and Lewis both said the unseasonably mild weather in October and November had made analyzing consumer behavior