Powering Homes News: page 94
- October 2022
Octopus Energy and Halifax announce heat pump pilot scheme
Octopus Energy and Halifax have announced a pilot scheme offering Halifax mortgage customers air source heat pumps for as little as £2,000 fully installed, according to analysis published by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit.
Octopus Energy identified as acquirer of Bulb
Octopus Energy was named in October 2022 as the buyer of Bulb's customers, business assets and liabilities, including customer credit balances, after a sale delayed from the summer.
Octopus Energy takes over Bulb customers
Bulb's customers were moved to Octopus Energy in October 2022 under Ofgem's Supplier of Last Resort process, ending the largest supplier failure of the energy crisis.
Energy SuppliersRules and RegulationEnergy Bills and the Price Cap
Ofgem publishes ECO4 delivery guidance
Ofgem has published version 1 of its ECO4 delivery guidance, setting out the minimum requirements, exemptions, scoring rules and scheme interactions that govern how energy suppliers deliver the obligation.
Policy costs removed from energy bills from October 2022
Social and Environmental Obligations were removed from household energy bills from October 2022, with the Chancellor funding the schemes through taxation instead of charging billpayers.
Price cap forecast raised to around £3,000 due to Ukraine conflict
Forecasts for the October 2022 energy price cap rose from £2,400 to around £3,000 after the conflict in Ukraine pushed up global gas prices, the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit said.
Energy Bills and the Price CapRules and RegulationWhere Our Energy Comes From
Public spending impact added to cap statutory factors
Ofgem has confirmed that since October 2022 it must consider the effect of the energy price cap on public spending when setting the cap level.
RPSA and PCA spray foam guidance withdrawn for review
Industry guidance on spray foam insulation published by the RPSA and PCA in November 2021 was withdrawn in October 2022 pending a full review, leaving surveyors and lenders without a shared framework.
SSEN announces VFES project to embed vulnerability features into network planning
SSEN Distribution has announced a £144,000 project to build forecasts of customer vulnerability into its network planning, with a report due in early 2023.
New unit rates and standing charges take effect under the EPG
From 1 October 2022 the Energy Price Guarantee replaced the planned price cap, setting variable tariff unit rates at around 34p per kWh and standing charges at 46p per day for direct debit customers.
Warm Home Discount to increase to £150 in October
The Warm Home Discount rises from £140 to £150 in October 2022 and its eligibility expands by almost a third, to reach three million households.
Winter Heating Payment replaced Cold Weather Payments in Scotland
The Winter Heating Payment replaced the Cold Weather Payment in Scotland from winter 2022/23, ending DWP cold weather payments to Scottish claimants and paying a flat annual sum instead.
- September 2022
Citizens Advice calls for winter moratorium on prepayment meter installations
Citizens Advice has called for a winter moratorium until April 2023 on moving customers to prepayment meters under warrant and on switching smart meters to prepay to recover debt.
Energy Bills and the Price CapSmart MetersRules and Regulation
Cost of Living Support Scheme closed
The Welsh Government's £150 Cost of Living Support Scheme closed on 30 September 2022, ending payments for retrospective and new-build council tax banding cases and the window for registration responses.
Reconciliation deadline for rebate payments
Councils in England had to complete all Council Tax Rebate payments within the reconciliation process by 30 September 2022, with unspent discretionary funding repayable after 30 November.
Home Upgrade Grant: Phase 2 guidance first published
The Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 guidance for local authorities was first published on GOV.UK on 29 September 2022, setting out £630 million for off gas grid homes in England.
SHDF Wave 2.1 and HUG Phase 2 open for applications
The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.1 and Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 opened for applications on 29 September 2022, under the government's Help to Heat collection of household energy schemes.
Up to £1.5 billion Help to Heat funding launched for SHDF wave 2 and Home Upgrade Grant
The government has opened up to £1.5 billion in Help to Heat funding for social housing providers and local authorities in England to upgrade around 130,000 low-income and social homes.
Ofgem publishes good practice for supporting customers in payment difficulty
Ofgem has published examples of good practice for energy suppliers supporting customers in payment difficulty, saying it wants to raise standards across the consumer debt journey.
Rinnai UK announces availability of Naked Energy VirtuHOT products
Rinnai UK has added Naked Energy's VirtuHOT solar thermal and PVT range to its continuous flow hybrid hot water systems, claiming up to 3.5 times the carbon savings of conventional solar panels.
Welsh Fuel Support scheme opens for applications
The Welsh Fuel Support scheme opened for applications on 26 September 2022, paying eligible households a one-off £200 from their local authority towards winter fuel bills.
Grants and SchemesEnergy Bills and the Price CapScotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Energy Bills Support Scheme ministerial direction published
The government has published the ministerial direction that puts the Energy Bills Support Scheme on a legal footing, requiring domestic electricity suppliers to pay the £400 discount to eligible households.
Rules and RegulationEnergy Bills and the Price CapGrants and Schemes
Government confirms energy bill support for Northern Ireland and off-grid homes
The government has confirmed Energy Price Guarantee support, the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme discount and a £100 alternative fuels payment for Northern Ireland and off-grid households.
Scotland, Wales and Northern IrelandEnergy Bills and the Price CapYour Type of Home
Nesta launches live heat pump show home service at visitaheatpump.com
Nesta has launched a live booking service at visitaheatpump.com to test how people interested in heat pumps move from signing up to visiting a working system in London and Glasgow.
ev.energy app release adds detailed charge summaries
ev.energy has added energy source breakdown, charging duration, Smart Charging and Solar Charging savings, reward point insights and a simplified carbon rating to its app's charge summaries.
PBCC adds postcode-level energy consumption and EPC datasets
The Place-Based Carbon Calculator has added postcode-level gas and electricity consumption data for England, Scotland and Wales, plus UPRN-linked Energy Performance Certificate data for England and Wales.
Analysis updated for Energy Price Guarantee announcement
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit has updated its analysis of home insulation costs to reflect the Energy Price Guarantee, finding that Treasury could recover insulation spending through lower bills by early 2025.
Energy Markets Financing Scheme announced jointly by HM Treasury and Bank of England
HM Treasury and the Bank of England have announced a joint Energy Markets Financing Scheme to address liquidity requirements faced by energy firms in UK wholesale gas and electricity markets, designed as a last resort.
Government announces lifting of moratorium on UK shale gas production
The government has lifted the moratorium on UK shale gas production and set out a two-year Energy Price Guarantee limiting a typical household bill to £2,500 a year from 1 October.
Government announces two-year Energy Price Guarantee at £2,500 for typical household from 1 October 2022
The government has announced an Energy Price Guarantee limiting a typical UK household to £2,500 a year for two years from 1 October 2022, superseding the energy price cap.