Powering Homes news, page 2
- October 2026
E.ON Next begins issuing £150 Warm Home Discount to 565,000 customers for 2026/27
E.ON Next has credited the £150 Warm Home Discount to 565,000 eligible customers for 2026/27, with payments continuing until the end of March 2027 as more eligible households are identified.
Government publishes policy paper on spray foam remediation, removal and lending
The government has published guidance on spray foam insulation remediation, removal and lending, saying it is working with lenders so homeowners with the foam can access finance options.
Regen publishes The Future of the Gas Grid report
Regen has published a report, commissioned by the MCS Foundation, on how Britain's gas distribution network should be funded, maintained and eventually decommissioned as gas demand falls.
Warm Home Discount letters begin arriving
Letters confirming eligibility for the £150 Warm Home Discount begin being posted today and will continue to be issued through to January 2027, with around six million households across Britain set to receive the discount this winter.
Consultation opens on amending building regulations for EV charging infrastructure
The Department for Transport and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have opened a consultation on extending Part S EV charge point requirements to covered car parks and reviewing the £3,600 installation cost cap.
Gas networks expand Safe & Warm Grassroots Community Scheme with £1.15 million next phase
SGN, Northern Gas Networks and Wales & West Utilities have extended the Safe & Warm Grassroots Community Scheme with the Centre for Sustainable Energy, a £1.15 million programme running to March 2028.
Government launches two consultations on home charging changes
The government has opened two consultations on home charging, covering a clearer route for tenants and leaseholders to install charge points and updated building regulations for covered car parks.
ONS publishes September inflation figures showing CPI at 3.5 per cent
The Office for National Statistics reported UK CPI inflation of 3.5 per cent for September, up from 3.1 per cent in August, with higher motor fuel prices the main driver.
Permitted development rights for cross-pavement EV chargers come into force in England
New permitted development rights in England mean cross-pavement EV chargers can be installed without planning permission from 21 October 2026, though highway authority authorisation and site restrictions still apply.
Planning permission removed for cross-pavement home EV chargers
From 21 October 2026 households in England without off-street parking no longer need planning permission for a cross-pavement EV charger, a change the government says saves up to £300 on installation.
CSE responds to Smart Data Repository consultation
The Centre for Sustainable Energy has backed government plans for a Smart Data Repository holding household energy use data, while calling for consumer groups to sit in its governance and for success to be judged on consumer outcomes.
Ofgem figures show £172 million in backbilling charges written off in 2024
Ofgem figures for 2024 show suppliers wrote off more than £172 million in charges for almost one million customers under backbilling protections, with around 11 million bills issued at least a month late.
Rules and RegulationEnergy Bills and the Price CapEnergy Suppliers
Warm Homes, Healthy Futures reaches 50,000 households
National Energy Action says its Warm Homes, Healthy Futures programme has supported 50,000 fuel poor households across England, Scotland and Wales, with fuel poverty down 29.3% among those helped.
Letters confirming £150 Warm Home Discount to reach thousands of Scottish households
Letters confirming the £150 Warm Home Discount are being sent to Scottish households from October 2026, with around 345,000 set to receive the rebate automatically this winter.
Ofgem launches consultation on switching on the Market Stabilisation Charge
Ofgem has opened a consultation on switching on the Market Stabilisation Charge as soon as November 2026, a mechanism that would make suppliers compensate rivals when customers switch after wholesale prices fall.
Wholesale gas prices hit highest level since 2022
Wholesale gas prices reached 217p per therm on Wednesday, their highest since 2022, as Scottish Power's chief executive warned of a household energy debt "doom loop".
Where Our Energy Comes FromEnergy Bills and the Price CapStatistics
West Northamptonshire Warm Homes Local Grant Scheme closed for 2026/27
West Northamptonshire Council has closed its Warm Homes Local Grant scheme for 2026/27 after using its full Year 2 allocation, with new funding due from 1 April 2027.
Government publishes response to CMA heating oil market study
The government has accepted the Competition and Markets Authority's recommendation to regulate the heating oil market for the first time, promising stronger consumer protections for households.
Rules and RegulationWhere Our Energy Comes FromBoilers and Heating
MCS launches four-week consultation on new Battery Storage Product Standard
MCS has opened a four-week consultation on its draft Battery Storage Product Standard, MCS 042, with comments due by 11:59pm on Tuesday 10 November 2026.
UK gas prices reach highs last seen in 2022
UK gas prices have risen to their highest level since December 2022, with wholesale costs approaching 200p per therm and gas unit rates up 27 per cent year on year.
Where Our Energy Comes FromStatisticsEnergy Bills and the Price Cap
Ofgem opens call for input on updating the price cap time-of-use methodology
Ofgem has opened a call for input on updating the time-of-use methodology in the energy price cap, with responses due by 20 November 2026.
Smart Energy GB research reveals energy support scams targeting households
Smart Energy GB research found 83 per cent of Brits received a scam text, email or call this year, with fraudsters exploiting the Winter Fuel Payment and Warm Home Discount.
Energy UK urges Burnham to act as bills forecast to surge
Energy UK has urged Andy Burnham to fund targeted bill rebates and a debt relief scheme, warning that typical household bills could reach around £2,100 in January.
Share Energy raises electricity prices by 12.6%
Share Energy has raised its standard 24 hour electricity tariff by 12.6% from 1 October 2026, adding £129 a year to the typical bill of its 41,000 customers in Northern Ireland.
Nesta warns against devolving the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Nesta has welcomed plans to devolve elements of the Warm Homes Plan but warns that devolving the Boiler Upgrade Scheme would effectively end the UK's most successful low-carbon heating scheme.
Competition watchdog approves E.on takeover of Ovo Energy
The competition watchdog has cleared E.on's takeover of Ovo Energy, a deal first mooted in May 2026 that will create Britain's largest energy supplier with about 9.6 million customers.
DWP sends Winter Fuel Payment letters ahead of winter 2026 to 2027
The Department for Work and Pensions is sending Winter Fuel Payment entitlement letters in October or November, with most payments due in November or December 2026.
Firmus energy raises Ten Towns gas prices by 8.98%
Firmus energy has raised regulated gas tariffs by 8.98% for 77,000 domestic and small business customers in the Ten Towns network area from 1 October 2026, its second increase this year.
Hackney urges residents to apply for Warm Homes Local Grant
Hackney Council has announced that more than 3,000 households in the borough will receive letters from the Greater London Authority urging them to apply for the Warm Homes Local Grant.
Marstek shows Venus E 4.0 at Solar & Storage Live UK
Marstek Energy showed its 3 kW, 5 kWh Venus E 4.0 plug-in battery at Solar & Storage Live UK in Birmingham, with the 5 kWh model named as its initial UK focus.