Consumers counting costs of cold snap

One of the joys of winter is looking out from a warm house at the virgin snows, drinking a hot beverage as the flakes tumble for the first time.

Now that the snow has melted and the temperatures returned to positive figures we can begin to assess how the recent big freeze affected our finances.

A new report from MoneySupermarket.com has found that the icy snap has cost Britain a combined £1.6 billion.

The research found that as temperatures plummeted many of us bit the bullet and turned up our thermostats, but now we are paying the price.

According to the study, 81 per cent said that they used more fuel than they normally would as the snows fell, with 18 per cent stating that they left their central heating on constantly.

The site estimates that this will cost the average house an extra £77 and now nearly four in ten (38 per cent) state that they are now concerned about not being able to afford their next energy bill and are looking at the letterbox in trepidation.

Scott Byrom, energy manager at the group, said that households will really start to feel the financial effects of winter over the month.

"With the expensive Christmas period only just behind us, a quarterly energy bill could be landing on the doorstep in the next few weeks which could be anywhere between £500 and £600 leaving many cash-strapped energy customers struggling to find the money to cover it," he added.

One way to stop energy costs spiralling is to install a power monitor. This small and easy-to-use device offers homeowners a real-time view of their energy consumption.

This means that when families reach the top of their budget they will know that it is time to put on extra layers and bring down the duvets.