Powering Homes News: page 15
- January 2026
Crisis and Resilience Fund page first published
The Department for Work and Pensions has published guidance for the Crisis and Resilience Fund, a grant scheme running in England from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029.
SSEN announces around £100m Swindon network upgrade programme
SSEN Distribution has begun an upgrade programme worth around £100m to strengthen the electricity network for more than 140 thousand customers in Swindon and the surrounding area by the turn of the decade.
SSEN returns to 'Weather Warning' preparedness level for north of Scotland
SSEN has returned to its first heightened preparedness level for the north of Scotland, bringing in extra engineers and contact centre staff ahead of high winds, low temperatures and further snow.
Scotland, Wales and Northern IrelandWhere Our Energy Comes From
Consumer Scotland publishes response opposing moving Warm Home Discount costs to unit rate
Consumer Scotland has told the UK government not to move Warm Home Discount costs from standing charges to unit rates, saying higher-use households would pay more and the change should wait for Ofgem's wider review.
Solarfair Ltd trading as Ekinect Energy recorded as inactive
The Energy Ombudsman has recorded Solarfair Ltd, trading as the energy broker Ekinect Energy, as inactive, with its membership of the scheme ending on 7 January 2026.
SSEN moves to 'Weather Warning' preparedness level ahead of Storm Goretti
SSEN has moved to its first heightened preparedness level in central southern England before Storm Goretti, texting more than 400,000 Priority Services customers as gale-force winds are forecast.
Consultation on WHD cost recovery closed
The government has confirmed that energy suppliers should recover Warm Home Discount costs from the unit rate rather than the standing charge from 1 April 2026, after a consultation that drew 778 responses.
Citizens Advice responds to consultation on amending ECO4 order for grant-funded cost recovery
Citizens Advice has backed amending the ECO4 order so suppliers are paid through Exchequer funding rather than higher bills, while warning that retrospective payments must not cut future fuel poverty funding.
Warm Homes Plan launched
The UK's Warm Homes Plan launched in January 2026 with £15 billion of public investment, covering grants, loans and supplier-funded schemes to upgrade homes across the UK.
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.
Appliance energy calculator updated
Smart Energy GB's appliance energy calculator, which compares running costs across three price cap periods, was last updated on 1 January 2026, with the current cap shown as £43 a month.
New benchmark consumption takes effect in the price cap
Ofgem has updated the assumed household consumption figures used to set the energy price cap, cutting the gas benchmark to 11,500 kWh and electricity to 2,700 kWh from 1 January 2026.
BUS to include air-to-air heat pumps by early 2026
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme will pay £2,500 towards air-to-air heat pumps in domestic properties from early 2026, with heat batteries added later and the scheme extended to 2030.
Comprehensive assessment of the MCS Customer Commitment expected in early 2026
The government expects to assess the MCS Customer Commitment in early 2026 before deciding whether to recognise it as a consumer code for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
Debt Relief Scheme to launch in early 2026
Ofgem has set the energy price cap for 1 January to 31 March 2026 and confirmed a Debt Relief Scheme for around 195,000 people on means-tested benefits will launch in early 2026.
Rules and RegulationEnergy Bills and the Price CapGrants and Schemes
DEFRA minister says no final decision made on wood-burning stove ban
A DEFRA minister said in January 2026 that no final decision had been made on banning wood-burning stoves, as a consultation on cutting domestic burning emissions runs.
Domestic price cap falls to £1,758 for January to March 2026
Ofgem's price cap for January to March 2026 is set at £1,758 a year for a typical dual-fuel direct debit household, down from £1,849 in April 2025 as wholesale costs eased.
Energy Bills and the Price CapStatisticsRules and Regulation
ECO4 end date extended to 31 December 2026 with no additional funding
The Warm Homes Plan confirms ECO4 will run until 31 December 2026 rather than ending on 31 March, with no additional funding attached to the extension.
Energy prices rose on New Year's Day for standard tariff households
Energy prices rose on New Year's Day for millions of households on standard tariffs, according to Uswitch, which puts the average annual cost of common energy habits at £625.
Existing Targets Framework to cease to have effect
The four-year smart meter Targets Framework ends on 1 January 2026, with no further annual installation targets set for suppliers, under post-2025 proposals from the government.
Financial vulnerability rises as "doing well" share falls for the first time since 2023
Ofgem's January 2026 survey shows the share of households classified as doing well fell from 53% to 44%, the first drop since 2023, with financial vulnerability back to January 2025 levels.
Funding confirmed to 2029/30 through the Warm Homes Plan
Government statistics confirm Boiler Upgrade Scheme funding runs to 2029/30 under the Warm Homes Plan, with £400 million allocated for 2026/27 and over £560 million paid out in the first four years.
Government consultation on continuing the Warm Home Discount concluded
A government consultation on continuing the Warm Home Discount has concluded, with changes to the scheme made in response from April 2026 onwards.
Government publishes Warm Homes Plan covering off-gas-grid homes
The January 2026 Warm Homes Plan set out its approach to homes off the gas grid under a rural communities heading, with Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants at the centre of the discussion.
Next price cap change due on 1 January 2026
The energy price cap rose 2% on 1 October 2025 to £1,755 a year for a typical household, and changes again on 1 January 2026, with the next level due by 25 November.
Ofgem publishes letter and guide for energy suppliers and debt advice providers
Ofgem has published a letter to energy suppliers and a guide for suppliers and debt advice providers after failing to agree a voluntary Code of Practice on debt support.
Ofgem to regulate heat networks
Ofgem becomes the regulator for heat networks across England, Scotland and Wales from January 2026, with consumer protection rules commencing on 27 January and the Energy Ombudsman already handling disputes.
Partial response to Energy Performance of Buildings regime reforms consultation published
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published a post-implementation review of the 2012 Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations for England and Wales, covering January 2018 to January 2023.
Phase 1 SLCs expected to come into force
Ofgem expects the first phase of its Debt Relief Scheme special licence conditions to come into force in January 2026, with applications opening to households on means-tested benefits in the first quarter of the year.