Energy price cap now expected to rise in April as bills increase again in January
As energy bills become more expensive from today, respected forecasters have said they are likely to rise further in spring instead of fall, as first anticipated.
The energy price cap rises from January, bringing the cost of a typical annual bill to £1,738 – £21 a year more than from October to December.
Bills had already become more expensive from October, up 10% a year – or £12 per month.
But now the forecast dip in April will not materialise, according to energy consultants Cornwall Insight.
Instead, the firm said the cost in April is expected to rise to £1,785 a year for a typical consumer, nearly a 3% increase on January’s cap, about an extra £4 a month on the average bill.
Compared to the three months from July, it will cost £217 a year more, according to the forecast.
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Billpayers have seen energy costs rise every three months since July. Energy regulator Ofgem revises its price cap four times a year, setting out the maximum a provider can charge per unit of gas and electricity.
It’s assessed based on how much providers themselves are being charged to supply power and is intended to protect consumers and utilities.
Why are bills going up?
Continued volatility in international energy markets is behind the cost increases.
EU gas storage levels and uncertainty over the gas transit deal between Russia and Ukraine have contributed to “a level of volatility we haven’t seen for months”, according to Cornwall Insight’s principal consultant Dr Craig Lowrey.
The unknown impact of a Trump presidency on liquified natural gas (LNG) flows means the firm said its forecasts will “display a high degree of variability”.
These events resulted in higher wholesale prices which impact how much households are billed in the UK.
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Energy price cap rises again
These forecasts “could very well increase or decrease several times before the April cap is set”, Dr Lowrey said.
The official energy price cap announcement for the three months from April will come on 25 February.
Also influencing bills are possible changes to the standing charge, the fixed daily amount to receive gas and electricity.
Ofgem is consulting on introducing an option to include zero-standing charge options alongside existing tariffs, offering more consumer choice.
As of 31 December, Cornwall Insight anticipated a July price cap fall before an October rise.
Former RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner James Lee Williams, known as The Vivienne, has died at the age of 32.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: “It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams – The Vivienne, has passed this weekend.
“James was an incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person.
“Their family are heartbroken at the loss of their son, brother and uncle. They are so proud of the wonderful things James achieved in their life and career.
“We will not be releasing any further details. We please ask that James’s family are given the time and privacy they now need to process and grieve.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage said she was “utterly heartbroken” by the news.
Sharing photos of herself with The Vivienne, she said: “I don’t know how to say how I feel. My darling @thevivienne_ we go back to when I started coming over here to the UK.
“You were always there, always laughing, always giving, always on point. Your laughter, your wit, your talent, your drag. I loved all of it but I loved your friendship most of all.”
She added: “I love you my darling. You will be so missed my lovely. May your light shine fiercely, forever.”
The Vivienne had risen to prominence in 2015 after becoming the UK Drag Ambassador for the American series of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
The show sees drag queens competing in front of a panel of judges to become the next drag superstar.
The Vivienne later competed in the first UK series of the show in 2019, going on to win it after lip-syncing in the final to the Wham! hit I’m Your Man.
Their drag name came from their love of designer Vivienne Westwood.
Williams, who was born in Wales, also came third on the 2023 series of Dancing On Ice.
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A host of celebrities and co-stars have paid tribute on social media, with former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts writing: “Omg! I can’t believe this. This is heartbreaking news.”
Shea Coulee, who won the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, said: “I am in complete and utter shock. This is so devastating.”
Another Drag Race star, Bimini Bon Boulash, wrote: “I’m so sorry. I’m in total shock.”
Williams’s publicist Simon Jones also described their “immense talent” and “comic genius and quick wit”.
Mr Jones wrote on Instagram: “These are words I never ever wanted to write. Viv was a close friend, a client and someone I loved very much.
“From the moment I met them in 2019 I knew we could create magic together and I became their manager. Their talent was immense and the light they brought to every room was astonishing. No-one has ever made me laugh in my life as much as Viv did. Their comic genius and quick wit was like no other.”
He said he was “heartbroken and devastated” by the news, adding: “RIP my wonderful friend. You left us way too soon.”
Mindy Kaling has praised the Duchess of Sussex’s culinary skills and said Prince Harry is “a pretty good cook” too.
The 45-year-old actress is a special guest on the royal’s forthcoming Netflix show – With Love, Meghan – which the streamer says “reimagines the genre of lifestyle”.
Kaling, who has three children – Katherine, seven, Spencer, four, and Anne, 11 months, told Deadline on the Golden Globes red carpet: “I was just in my maternity leave and Meghan texted me and said, ‘Hey do you want to come be in my show and come to Montecito and have me cook for you?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah that sounds perfect, I would love to do that’.”
She went on to shower praise on Meghan’s skills in the kitchen, saying: “I think of myself as kind of an okay cook, but she unsurprisingly blew me out of the water.
“The thing about her recipes and being there was that it was just really accessible. She has a garden from scratch which I could never do, and chickens. They would probably all die if I tried to take care of chickens.”
When asked about the Duke of Sussex, Kaling said: “Harry was there, but he didn’t cook for me. But I hear he’s actually a pretty good cook. He knows his way around a kitchen.”
Kaling on the Golden Globes red carpet. Pic: AP
Meghan announced her new show by returning to Instagram after four years away, posting a black and white video of her on a beach on New Year’s Day and writing 2025 in the sand with her finger.
She followed it up the next day with the trailer for the show, with the message: “I have been so excited to share this with you! I hope you love the show as much as I loved making it.”
Split into eight half-an-hour shows, other special guests include chefs Roy Choi and Alice Waters.
Kaling was at the Golden Globes on Sunday night presenting an award alongside Kate Hudson, who stars in her upcoming Netflix show Running Point, about an LA basketball team.
She is also a producer on the Oscar-shortlisted short film Anuja, about two young sisters working in a New Delhi sweatshop.
With Love, Meghan streams on Netflix from 15 January.
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