The price cap rose on 1 January 2024, and the fuel poverty charity National Energy Action responded the same day, saying 6.1 million UK households are now trapped in fuel poverty1. The charity said that is 1.6 million more households who cannot heat and power their homes than in October 2021, when it dates the start of the energy crisis1.
The figures come from a news release published on 1 January 2024 by the charity, which campaigns on fuel poverty in UK households1. The release does not give the level of the cap before or after the rise, nor the percentage increase, and no other figures for the cap itself have been reported1.
Chief Executive Adam Scorer set out the charity's position in the release1:
"At the dawn of a new year, vulnerable households sadly find themselves in a worryingly familiar situation, energy prices up, debts increasing and less support available to help them. 6.1 million UK households are now trapped in fuel poverty, 1.6 million more households who can't heat and power their homes since October 2021, when the energy crisis began."
Scorer added that the fortunes of those households over the year and beyond would depend on whether the UK Government can find the resources to provide more help with unaffordable bills, and that without it the most vulnerable will sink deeper into debt, with their mental health and wellbeing affected1.
The release names Anna Cook, Head of Communications and Campaigns, as the press contact1. It does not set out any new support scheme, eligibility change or payment, and none has been reported1.
Why it matters for households
A price cap rise sets the maximum a supplier can charge per unit of gas and electricity on a standard variable tariff, so it feeds directly into what a home pays for the energy it uses. For a household already at the point where bills compete with other essentials, the change lands on top of existing debt rather than replacing it, and the charity's count of 6.1 million households in fuel poverty is its measure of how many are in that position1.
The practical effect on a home's energy independence is that more of the household budget is committed to bought-in gas and electricity, leaving less room to absorb the next change in wholesale prices. The charity's statement points to the availability of support as the factor that decides how those households fare, rather than to anything in the cap mechanism itself1.
What happens next
The release gives no dated next steps. It says the outcome for affected households over the coming year rests on whether the UK Government finds resources for more help with bills, but sets out no timetable, no review date and no figure for any further support1.