Powering Homes News: page 95
- September 2022
UK Government confirms energy bills freeze at average £2,500 a year for Great Britain
The UK Government has confirmed average gas and electricity bills in Great Britain will be frozen at £2,500 a year, with the £400 rebate retained and a new fund for heating oil customers.
Liz Truss announces energy support package
Liz Truss has announced an energy support package setting the Energy Price Guarantee at £2,500 a year for the average Great Britain home, capping business costs for six months and lifting the fracking ban.
Rules and RegulationEnergy Bills and the Price CapEnergy Independence
Liz Truss appointed Prime Minister with 57.4% of the vote
Liz Truss has been appointed Prime Minister with 57.4% of the vote, and the National Insulation Association has summarised her stated positions on decarbonisation, net zero and the cost of living.
E3G publishes recommendations for UK emergency energy response
E3G has published a briefing urging emergency financial support, £5bn of energy efficiency investment, energy market reform and green finance regulatory reform in response to rising UK energy bills.
tado° acquired aWATTar in 2022
tado° has confirmed that it acquired aWATTar, a pioneer in dynamic energy tariffs, in 2022, as part of its push into home energy management and tariff-linked device control.
ASC provision increased considerably since the beginning of the gas crisis
Ofgem has reported that monthly provision of Additional Support Credit to vulnerable prepayment customers rose from around £4m before September 2022 to between £8m and £18m a month.
CIPHE warns households about burn and scald risks from heating hacks
The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering has warned that cost of living driven changes to heating systems may cause burns and scalds, especially in households with young, elderly or disabled occupants.
Citizens Advice published Out of the cold calling for a winter moratorium on forced prepayment meter installation
Citizens Advice has called for a winter moratorium on the forced installation of prepayment meters, warning that millions of households are disconnecting because they cannot afford to top up.
Energy Bills and the Price CapRules and RegulationSmart Meters
DCC warns up to 500,000 smart meters may not be migratable
The Data Communications Company told the government in September 2022 that technical limits on devices could leave more than 500,000 smart meters unable to move onto the central platform.
Government announces £2.5bn energy efficiency funding
The government has published how £630m of Home Upgrade Grant money and £780m of Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund money will be spent, part of a £2.5bn energy efficiency plan announced last September.
Green levies to be moved from bills to general taxation
Liz Truss confirmed that green levies which partly pay for insulating poorer homes will move off household energy bills and onto general taxation, a change backed by NGOs and the energy industry.
Mini-Budget announces £1bn ECO expansion from April 2023
The Chancellor's Plan for Growth adds £1bn to the Energy Company Obligation over three years from April 2023, targeted at vulnerable households in the least efficient homes.
Mini-Budget ends effective ban on onshore wind in England
The Chancellor's mini-Budget of September 2022 ended the effective ban on building onshore wind in England and added GBP1bn to a scheme that installs energy saving measures in fuel poor homes.
Rules and RegulationWind, Hydro and Micro-CHPWhere Our Energy Comes From
Mini-Budget pledges over GBP1bn for home insulation
The Chancellor's mini-Budget pledged more than GBP1bn of extra funding for home insulation over three years, which the End Fuel Poverty Coalition says falls far short of the GBP5bn needed.
Revised electricity storage requirements came into effect
Revised technical and compliance requirements for electricity storage in EREC G98 and G99 took effect from September 2022, aligning storage with other generating units on Great Britain's distribution networks.
SSEN invests £6.8m to refurbish Dorset overhead network
SSEN has begun a 55-week, £6.8 million refurbishment of the overhead electricity network from Poole through Blandford Forum to the edge of Yeovil, due for completion in August 2023.
Warm This Winter petition passes 110,000 signatures shortly after launch
The Warm This Winter petition passed 110,000 signatures within days of launching, as the End Fuel Poverty Coalition estimated 12 million UK households would face fuel poverty this winter.
Warmer Homes Scotland contract due to expire
The Scottish Government's national fuel poverty scheme, Warmer Homes Scotland, was due to end in September 2022, with ministers proposing a new seven year successor scheme to replace it.
Grants and SchemesYour Type of HomeScotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- August 2022
Chameleon Technology launches the ivie app
Chameleon Technology has launched the ivie app, a free energy-saving app that uses smart meter data and can be upgraded with live data through the ivie Bud in-home display.
JRF publishes energy price analysis of August 2022 price cap and Cornwall Insight forecasts
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has published a briefing on the August 2022 Ofgem price cap and new Cornwall Insight forecasts, warning that low-income households face severe financial harm.
Ofgem publishes default tariff cap levels for cap period 9a
Ofgem has set the default tariff cap for 1 October to 31 December 2022 at £3,549 a year for a typical dual fuel direct debit household, an increase of 80 per cent.
Period 9a cap level announced with separated additional risk allowance approach
Ofgem has set out how it split the wholesale additional risk allowance into two parts for the October to December 2022 price cap, to prevent suppliers recovering more than the efficient cost of hedging.
SSEN reports progress on £14.2m North West Highland network upgrade
SSEN Distribution says 200 new poles and 13km of overhead lines are in place between Slattadale and Ullapool as part of a £14.2m North West Highland network upgrade due for completion in March 2023.
Warm This Winter campaign launches in response to energy bills crisis
The Warm This Winter campaign launched on 26 August 2022, demanding emergency financial support, funded home insulation and a faster shift from gas to renewables as energy bills rose.
Resolution Foundation publishes report on policy options for soaring energy prices
The Resolution Foundation has published a report setting out policy options for soaring energy prices, proposing either a social tariff for poorer households or universal price cuts recouped through income tax.
Lunar Energy acquired Moixa
Lunar Energy, a home electrification company founded in 2020, has acquired UK battery software firm Moixa and announced a next-generation home battery system for launch later in 2022.
Nesta calls for COVID-style government response to cut household gas use 20% by next winter
Nesta has urged the government to set a target of cutting household energy demand by 20% by next winter, through boiler settings, smart thermostats and insulation.
Resolution Foundation calls on politicians to promote energy demand reduction ahead of winter crisis
The Resolution Foundation has urged UK political leaders to promote household energy demand reduction, citing French and Dutch guidance, alongside existing bill support measures, ahead of a winter crisis.
Scottish Government publishes analysis of domestic EPC reform consultation
The Scottish Government has published its analysis of responses to a 2021 consultation on reforming domestic Energy Performance Certificates, with broad support for new ratings on cost, carbon and energy use.
SSEN launches HOMEflex project for domestic flexibility market
SSEN Distribution has launched a two-year project, backed by £331,000 in Network Innovation Allowance funding, to build household and microbusiness trust in the domestic flexibility market.