THE places in Scotland where people are paying the most for their energy bills have been revealed by official government data.
The news comes just days ahead of the April 1 rise in the energy price cap, which will see a sharp increase of more than 54% for both prepayment customers and those on default tariffs.
The official data shows that people in Argyll and Bute are paying the highest total for their energy bills in Scotland. Customers in that local authority area pay £1842 annually for their electricity and gas bills.
Western Isles customers pay the second-highest bills, with annual totals of £1755.
However, Shetland comes close behind, with customers paying £1717 per year for electricity alone. People on the archipelago – and those on Orkney – are not connected to gas mains and so there is no data available for that form of energy.
At the other end of the scale, people living in Glasgow City pay the lowest energy bills in Scotland, at an annual total of £1113.
Following close behind are customers in West Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire, who pay an annual average of £1128 and £1180 respectively.
The map below shows the average prices paid for energy by customers across Scotland's local authorities:
The above map uses average consumption data by local authority and the average variable unit and fixed cost for North and South Scotland to estimate what an average energy bill cost is for households in each local authority.
Commenting on the news, a spokesperson for the price comparison site Compare Boiler Quotes said it seemed to be the more rural and remote areas which will suffer the most from skyrocketing bills.
They added: “Energy bills are already sky-high and with bills soaring by a predicted £600 in the next few days, it is concerning to see the stark regional differences in energy bills across Scotland.
“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”
The Scottish Government’s energy statistics hub can be found here.
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