Rather worrying I thought, an independent peice of research has revealed that where you live can affect how much you pay for gas and electricity.

In January around 4 UK utilities providers varied their gas prices in the UK according to the cost of piping it to your home. So amazingly if you just happen to live nearer wherever the companies begin piping gas in the UK you're better off when it comes to your bill - how unfair is that for people who don't live as close?! This is creating a 'lucky dip' for customers who have to pay the bills. There are also 3 more utilties companies considering charging customers on this basis. It would certainly be a better way to attract new switching customers if one of these energy companies could prove they do not charge us for piping the gas around the UK. After all that's part of their job and it should be factored into the maufacturing costs NOT passed onto the consumer by means of another bill increase.

As more gas suppliers adopt this pricing structure combined with the recent price increases, lots of people will have seen their home energy bills rise above inflation and smash the ?1,000 per year mark!

The adoption of regional gas prices by some suppliers further emphasises price variations around the country. The average gas price increase is now around 12.8 per cent, but customers living in areas like London and the East Midlands are being hit with much bigger price rises of around 23 per cent. People must try to find the best deal to fight the effects of what is really a lucky dip when it comes to utility bill prices.

You could Move house in order to change your tariff and lower energy bills, but there are easier ways to lower your fuel bills! There are plenty of comparison Web sites which help you to compare hundreda of tariffs on a nationwide basis to find a cheaper energy supplier. When switching energy suppliers you should also consider opting for an online tariff if you have internet access. An online tariff can be hundreds of pounds cheaper because the energy company doesn't have the administrational costs involved with an offline account. Get comparing and switching now!