Consumers increase gas usage by 65 per cent

Energy company Npower has reported a 65 per cent spike in gas usage last weekend compared with the previous one.

However, Npower said it expects customers to turn off heating over the next few days and said most families will turn on heating for the winter in the last weekend of October.

According to Npower, families have been putting the heating on for short periods over the last few days due to them experiencing a ‘faux winter’ where it feels colder due to a recent hot summer.

While gas usage is 15 per cent higher in September than it was the same time last year, the temperature is just marginally cooler by 0.25°C.

Patrick Purcell, Npower’s gas usage expert, said: “What we’re seeing is people turning their heating on for short blasts for an extra bit of comfort, as night-time temperatures drop. Looking at previous years, the weather forecast and listening to what our customers are saying, we wouldn’t expect to see ‘The Big Switch on’ until mid to late October.”