Energy Bills and the Price Cap News: page 2
- May 2026
Power NI residential tariff to rise 6.2% from 1 July 2026
Power NI, Northern Ireland's largest electricity supplier, will raise its residential credit meter tariff by 6.2% from 1 July 2026, the Consumer Council has announced.
Consumer Scotland publishes Energy Affordability Tracker findings showing record energy debt
Consumer Scotland's Energy Affordability Tracker finds 19% of Scottish households reporting energy debt, a record high, as Ofgem confirms a 13% price cap rise from July.
Latest UK energy price cap increase announced
The latest UK energy price cap increase has been announced, with the Stove Industry Association saying households will again be thinking carefully about how they heat their homes this winter.
Ofgem publishes updated energy price cap levels for 1 July to 30 September 2026
Ofgem has published the energy price cap for 1 July to 30 September 2026, raising the Direct Debit annual bill level from £1,641 to £1,862, a 13% increase driven by wholesale gas costs.
Call for input on energy price cap technical approach to MHHS closes
Ofgem's call for input on adapting the energy price cap's wholesale allowance to Market Wide Half-Hourly Settlement closed on 6 May 2026, after responses were requested by 5 May.
Citizens Advice responds to Ofgem consultation on price cap technical approach to MHHS
Citizens Advice has told Ofgem it supports keeping a single-rate price cap alongside a time-of-use variant, but opposes moving all default consumers onto default time-of-use tariffs.
British Gas pledges £40 million to British Gas Energy Trust
British Gas has pledged £40 million to the British Gas Energy Trust, committing £8 million a year for five years to support households facing financial hardship and energy debt.
Ofgem to announce July price cap level towards end of May
Ofgem will announce the July to September 2026 price cap level towards the end of May, with forecasts pointing to a rise driven by wholesale gas costs after the Iran conflict.
- April 2026
British Gas Energy Trust highlights up to £1,700 grants for prepayment meter customers in debt
The British Gas Energy Trust has publicised grants of up to £1,700 for prepayment meter customers in energy debt in England, Scotland and Wales, open regardless of who supplies their energy.
Government moves to break the link between gas and electricity prices
The government has announced voluntary long-term fixed-price contracts for existing low-carbon generators, a move intended to reduce how often gas sets the wholesale electricity price.
Ofgem launches one-year lower standing charge tariff pilot
Ofgem has begun a one-year pilot under which four large suppliers offer eligible households lower standing charge tariffs, testing whether cutting the daily fixed fee changes how customers use energy.
WHD cost recovery moves to the unit rate from 1 April 2026
The government has confirmed that energy suppliers should recover Warm Home Discount costs from the unit rate for electricity and gas from 1 April 2026, moving the charge off the standing charge.
- March 2026
Average £150 of costs to come off energy bills from April
The government says policy changes have taken an average of £150 off household energy bills from April 2026, as Ofgem's price cap for 1 April to 30 June 2026 falls 7% to £1,641 for a typical direct debit household.
Ofgem opens call for input on adapting the energy price cap for MHHS
Ofgem has opened a call for input on how the wholesale allowance within the energy price cap should change to accommodate Market Wide Half-Hourly Settlement, with responses due by 5 May 2026.
Energy Ombudsman publishes guidance on energy bill debt support
The Energy Ombudsman has published guidance for households struggling with energy bills, setting out how financial difficulty is defined, what suppliers must offer and how to escalate a complaint.
Click Energy and Share Energy electricity tariffs to rise from 1 April 2026
Click Energy will raise its electricity tariff by 9.5% and Share Energy by 26.4% from 1 April 2026, the Consumer Council has announced.
Budget changes to bills to take effect in spring 2026
Budget changes to energy bills take effect in spring 2026, but average bills stay above winter 2020/2021 levels and the price cap's supplier profit allowance rises £1.51 per household.
Cornwall Insight predicts higher July energy price cap
Cornwall Insight expects the July price cap to rise by around 10% to about £1,800 for the average household, reversing April's £117 fall as Middle East gas tensions feed through to bills.
Fixed tariff availability fell from 39 to 20 during March
The number of fixed energy tariffs on the UK market fell from 39 to 20 between late February and 20 March as wholesale gas costs rose, with the cheapest deal up from £1,509 to £1,862 a year.
Number of new fixed tariffs fell
Ofgem reported that the number of new fixed tariffs on the market fell in March 2026, as suppliers withdrew some fixed deals and raised prices on others after wholesale gas prices doubled.
- February 2026
Cabinet Secretary met Ofgem officials on the next price cap
The Welsh Government's Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice met Ofgem officials the day before confirming the next energy price cap, which falls by £117 to £1,641 from 1 April 2026.
Lower standing charge tariff pilot to start in spring 2026
Ofgem has confirmed a pilot of lower standing charge tariffs will begin in spring 2026, offered first to eligible customers of EDF, E.ON, Octopus and British Gas, alongside a 7% cut in the price cap.
Warm Home Discount costs to move from standing charges to unit rate
Ofgem has confirmed that Warm Home Discount costs will move from standing charges to the unit rate, cutting standing charges by an average of £13 for dual fuel customers from April.
Ofgem announces 7% fall in energy price cap from April 2026
Ofgem has confirmed the energy price cap will fall by 7%, or £117, to £1,641 a year for a typical Direct Debit dual fuel household from 1 April to 30 June 2026.
Assessment period for the first 2026 price cap ends
The assessment window for the energy price cap that takes effect on 1 April 2026 closed on 17 February 2026, meaning later wholesale market movements will not feed into the level Ofgem announces.
Citizens Advice publishes State of the Smart report on consumer experiences of smart meters
Citizens Advice has published State of the Smart, a report on consumer experiences of smart meters, calling for enforceable in-home display replacement standards, a six-month back-billing window and a new test of whether a meter works.
Ofgem announced a one-year pilot of lower standing charges starting in April 2026, later put back to June 2026
Ofgem will pilot lower standing charges from June 2026, offered first by four large suppliers with a cap on how many customers can sign up.
- January 2026
Consumer Scotland publishes response to Ofgem consultation on energy debt when consumers move house
Consumer Scotland has responded to an Ofgem consultation on energy debt arising when consumers move house, tentatively supporting reform while setting out risks and recommendations.
2026 Flexi variable charges take effect from 1 January 2026
ScottishPower has published the variable cost breakdown for its 2026 Flexi product, showing the charges that apply from 1 January 2026 and the revised values due from 1 April 2026.
Affordability issues reach highest level since Aug/Sep'23
Ofgem's Energy Consumer Satisfaction Survey for January 2026 shows the share of households falling behind on bills or running out of prepayment credit for affordability reasons rose to 12 per cent, the highest since August/September 2023.