Powering Homes News: page 83
- February 2023
E3G publishes recommendations ahead of the UK Spring Budget 2023
E3G has published budget recommendations calling for a ten-year funding pledge and fairer distribution of public money for energy efficiency and heat pumps across the UK.
Government announces online portal for Alternative Fuel Payment claims
Heating oil customers who missed the £200 Alternative Fuel Payment through their electricity account will be able to claim it through a government online portal running by 6 March 2023.
Grants and SchemesEnergy Bills and the Price CapBoilers and Heating
Ofgem to announce April to June price cap level
Ofgem will set the April to June price cap on February 27th, with suppliers writing to households within days, as Energy UK urges the government to hold the Energy Price Guarantee at £2,500.
Ofgem sets price cap at £3,280 for April to June 2023
Ofgem has set the energy price cap for 1 April to 30 June 2023 at £3,280 for a typical dual fuel direct debit household, down from £4,279, but the Energy Price Guarantee rises to £3,000.
Online portal opens for £600 EBSS alternative funding applications in Northern Ireland
The UK government has opened an online portal and telephone helpline so more than 28,000 Northern Ireland households without a direct electricity supplier can apply for £600 energy bill support.
Grants and SchemesEnergy Bills and the Price CapYour Type of Home
Rooftop solar installations double in a year to post-subsidy record
Solar Energy UK reports 130,596 MCS-registered rooftop solar installations in 2022, more than double the 2021 figure, with a post-subsidy monthly record of 16,043 registrations in January 2023.
Study finds green hydrogen heating two to three times more expensive than heat pumps in Europe
An ETH Zürich study published in Energy Conversion and Management finds that heating homes with green hydrogen would cost roughly two to three times more than using electric heat pumps across the EU and UK.
House of Lords committee letter describes Boiler Upgrade Scheme as 'seriously failing'
The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee has told the government its Boiler Upgrade Scheme is seriously failing, citing cost, installer shortages and poor advice.
WMCA urges West Midlands residents to claim unclaimed energy bill vouchers
The West Midlands Combined Authority says more than 150,000 Energy Bills Support Scheme vouchers in the region are unclaimed, and the mayor has urged households to redeem them by 31 March 2023.
Call for evidence on prepayment rules launched
Ofgem opened a call for evidence on prepayment meter rules on 21 February 2023, the first step in a process that ended with new licence conditions taking effect on 8 November 2023.
Citizens Advice responds to Ofgem's outline of next steps on forced prepayment meter installations
Citizens Advice has welcomed Ofgem repeating its call for suppliers to check whether customers should be moved off prepayment meters, warning that the regulator and government must act if progress stalls.
Ofgem outlines next steps on forced prepayment meter installations
Ofgem has set out the terms of its British Gas investigation and the scope of a market-wide prepayment meter review, and asked suppliers to reverse incorrect installations during the current pause.
SSEN restores supplies to over 41,000 properties after Storm Otto with around 2,500 still off supply
SSEN restored power to more than 41,000 properties by 10am on 18 February after Storm Otto, with around 2,500 still off supply and 750 staff deployed across Aberdeenshire.
Jackery launches Solar Generator 1500 Pro in the UK
Jackery has put its Solar Generator 1500 Pro on sale in the UK, pairing a 1,512 Wh Explorer 1500 Pro power station with a 200W SolarSaga panel at £1,499 or £2,099 as a bundle.
ScottishPower launched SMART GEN and SMART GEN + tariffs
ScottishPower launched SMART GEN and SMART GEN + export tariffs on 16 February 2023, with Ofgem later recording SMART GEN as the highest unbundled Smart Export Guarantee rate of SEG Year 3.
Which? survey finds 23% of smart meter owners had problems in the last year
A Which? survey of 9,417 smart meter owners found 23% had at least one problem in the past year, with suppliers failing to receive readings the most common complaint.
Which? reports 1.42 million energy support vouchers unclaimed
Government data published on 14 February 2023 shows 1.42 million Energy Bills Support Scheme vouchers issued to prepayment meter customers in October and November 2022 were never redeemed.
Citizens Advice responds to DESNZ announcement on forced prepayment meter installations
Citizens Advice has welcomed a government announcement on forced prepayment meter installations but says suppliers must review whether prepayment is safe and that protection should cover remote switching of smart meters.
Rules and RegulationSmart MetersEnergy Bills and the Price Cap
Energy Security Secretary claims all suppliers committed to ending forced prepayment meter installations
Grant Shapps has claimed all energy suppliers have committed to ending forced prepayment meter installations in vulnerable customers' homes, a move the fuel poverty charity National Energy Action calls right but insufficient.
Rules and RegulationEnergy Bills and the Price CapSmart Meters
NRLA backs Money Saving Boiler Challenge as 2.5m renters may be missing out on energy savings
The National Residential Landlords Association has partnered with Nesta's Money Saving Boiler Challenge, as research suggests more than 2.5 million private rented households may be missing out on savings of around £112 a year.
Mitsubishi Electric launches expanded commercial and residential heat pump range
Mitsubishi Electric has added two commercial heat pumps to its renewable heating range and says it now offers the widest line-up of commercial and residential heat pumps on the UK market.
SSEN moves to Weather Warning status in the north of Scotland
SSEN Distribution has moved to Weather Warning status in northern Scotland ahead of severe gales forecast from Wednesday afternoon, with extra resources sent to key locations.
SSEN reports 16,000 properties off supply due to Storm Otto
SSEN restored power to more than 27,000 properties after Storm Otto but around 16,000 remained off supply at 4.30pm, with some rural customers facing more than 48 hours without electricity.
Storm Otto impacts SSEN high voltage network in north of Scotland
Storm Otto brought 85mph gusts to northern Scotland from around 4am on 7 February 2023, cutting power to 30,000 properties on SSEN's high voltage network and leaving some rural homes off supply for more than 48 hours.
Which? makes supplier practices assessment public and counts it in overall scores
Which? has published its behind-the-scenes assessment of energy supplier practices for the first time and folded the results into each company's overall score for 2023.
£200 Alternative Fuel Payments to off-gas-grid households begin
Households across Great Britain that do not use mains gas for heating began receiving £200 Alternative Fuel Payments automatically as credits on their electricity bills from 6 February 2023.
Cadent publishes cost comparison of heat pump and hydrogen heating
Cadent has published a cost comparison arguing that decarbonising home heating is not a straight choice between heat pumps and hydrogen, and that hydrogen could be cheaper for some homes.
Sir Robert Neill MP calls for inquiry into pre-payment meter scandal in House of Commons
Sir Robert Neill MP has told the House of Commons that the pre-payment meter scandal shows a flawed court process and requires an inquiry into those representing suppliers and Ofgem.
ECO4 Delivery Guidance version 1.1 published
Ofgem published version 1.1 of its ECO4 Delivery Guidance on 3 February 2023, adding and amending rules on eligibility, ECO4 Flex, projects, measures, scoring and administration.
Fuel poverty charity calls for ban on forced prepayment meter installations
National Energy Action has called for a temporary ban on forced prepayment meter installations after reports that suppliers used warrants to enter customers' homes and fit the devices.