WORKERS could reduce their energy bills by thousands this winter – but there’s a catch.
New analysis has found working from home will add more than £2,500 a year to bills.
The energy price cap is expected to soar over the coming months
Experts have suggested home workers are likely to be driven back into the office because of the added costs, The Telegraph reports.
It comes after Ofgem, the energy regulator, announced the average cost of household bills will reach over £3,500 from October.
Consultancy Auxilione has predicted that figure could reach as high as £6,500 next year.
According to price comparison website Uswitch, this will see energy bill costs hit £789 in January for home workers in comparison with £580 for workers heading into the office.
This works out as £209 a month and £2,508 a year.
Of course, the energy price cap, which is now being reviewed every three months, will mean these figures will vary, so you may not save exactly £2,508.
You’ll spend money on travel costs heading into the office as well, and may end up forking out more on food if you don’t bring a packed lunch.
While companies may struggle to fit staff into their offices if all workers return en masse.
A quarter of workers previously said they would rather quit their jobs than stop working from home.
The trend started after the coronavirus pandemic forced offices to close and people to stay at home.
But as the UK has opened back up, workers have steadily returned.
However, in February 2022, 84% of workers who had to work from home because of the coronavirus pandemic said they planned to work some days at home, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Meanwhile, Jacob Rees-Mogg suggested civil servants who refused to get back to the office could end up losing their jobs.
The MP made the comments as it was revealed Whitehall offices were still half empty.
Can you claim money back if you worked from home?
If you worked from home during the coronavirus pandemic you could be entitled to a rebate.
HMRC encouraged employees to claim working from home tax relief, to make up for higher electricity and internet bills that come with a home office.
The maximum you can claim is around £140 per tax year.
Employment expert Ally Fekaiki, chief executive officer of employee wellbeing company Juno, previously told SE: “If you were instructed by your employer to work from home at some point over the last two years, and if you had to pay higher costs due to remote working, then you’re likely to be eligible for this rebate.”
The rebate offer has been wound down, but if you haven’t claimed yet you can still apply – and you can backdate the payment too.
You have until April 5, 2025, to make a backdated claim for the 2020/21 tax year and until April 5, 2026, to make one for 2021/22.
We previously revealed how to get a pay rise without asking.
The government announced millions of public sector workers will get a 4.5% pay rise soon as well.
How to save money on your energy bills
If you want ways to reduce your energy bills, we’ve got you covered.
There are tonnes of ways that can help you reduce your energy use.
Air drying instead of using a tumble dryer might seem like a more drawn out process, but it could save £198 a year.
That’s because Uswitch research estimates tumble dryers use around 4.5kWh of energy per cycle – £1.27.
You can also save by dialling down your thermostat.
Even doing it by one degree could save you £100 a year.
The Energy Saving Trust said a temperature between 18C and 21C should be warm enough for most people.
Any degree above that adds 10% to your heating bill.
Switching appliances completely off instead of keeping them on standby could save you almost £80 a month and stopping draughts £45 a year.