CELEBRITY chef Jamie Oliver spends more than £30,000 a year on gas and electricity at his Essex mansion, a report by comparison site Uswitch.com claims.

According to the website, Oliver, 45, spends £32,875 a year on the utilities at his £6 million home, Spains Hall in Finchingfield.

Uswitch.com has ranked him fourth on the list of celebrity energy bills, behind Robbie Williams, Sir Elton John and the Queen.

The Queen's bill is estimated at a whopping £1.127 million per year - although she does have rather a lot of lightbulbs to worry about in Buckingham Palace.

It is thought the palace’s roughly 40,000 bulbs alone cost around £28,000 each year to power.

Sir Elton's bill is believed to be almost £50,000 and Williams' around £33,000.

Ed Sheeran, who owns a collection of properties in neighbouring Suffolk, is behind Oliver in fifth with estimated bills of £21,000.

Sarah Broomfield, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said: "If you've ever opened your energy bill and had a shock then spare a thought for poor Sir Elton.

"Thankfully, most of these celebrities don't have to worry about paying the bills, but celebrity or not, there's always a benefit to keeping down the amount of energy you use.

"Sometimes it can be as simple as closing windows, turning off lights when you leave the room, and turning down the thermostat, but for Sir Elton it might be a question of turning down the temperature of his swimming pool.

"Switching tariffs is another great way to keep those utility bills down. If you're on a standard variable tariff, you can save up to £479 a year by switching, so do a search online and compare what deals are out there."

To view the full research, click here.

The average UK household spends £1,125 a year on energy according to Uswitch.com.

Uswitch is warning energy bills could rise by £219 million for almost 1.5 million households, as 125 fixed deals from 21 suppliers end in July and August.

Switching onto a cheaper plan could help bill payers avoid an average £149 price hike as they are moved onto expensive Standard Variable Tariffs. These default tariffs are among the worst value energy plans on the market.

The cheapest fixed deal is currently the Simple and SuperGlow tariff from Avro Energy at £810 fixed for 12 months, which is £316 cheaper than the current £1,127 default price cap.

Ms Broomfield said: “There are 125 fixed deals coming to an end in July and August, and it’s important to bag yourself a new one before you get dumped on your supplier’s standard variable tariff.

“With some families facing financial difficulties and uncertainty at the moment, no one should be paying more than they need to for their energy.

“Britons could face an average £149 price hike if they do not take action and switch to a cheap deal now to avoid rolling onto a poor value Standard Variable Tariff.

“If you’re unsure about when your deal might be coming to an end, check your energy bill or use our online guide about tariffs ending soon to point you in the right direction.”

Visit www.uswitch.com.