Everything you need to know about the energy price cap change

Published

1 year ago

June 30, 2023

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Households will see their gas and electricity bills change on Saturday when Ofgem’s latest energy price cap comes into force.

The Industry regulator made the announcement in May, and a recent forecast from Cornwall Insight said energy bills will rise again under the January 2024 price cap.

The research firm said it saw the cap for a typical household at the equivalent of £1,871 per year from October to the end of December.

Here’s everything you need to know

Released quarterly, the cap limits what utility companies can charge customers for each unit of gas and electricity they use.

It sets these two things:

• The maximum amount energy firms can charge for each unit (measured in kilowatt-hours) of gas and electricity
• The maximum daily standing charge – which is part of your bill that pays to be connected to the grid

This still means the more energy you use, the more you pay.

Currently, this is most households – whether you pay by direct debit or a prepayment meter.

It doesn’t apply to the small numbers of people on fixed rate tariffs – set by the energy companies, not the regulator – and people who use oil to heat their homes.

Ofgem announced it was cutting its price cap from £3,280 to £2,074 in May – but Saturday is when it comes into force.

It means the average household energy bill will fall by £426 a year.

The £2,074 figure is how much the average household would typically use over a period of a year based on the updated unit price.

But the total annual cost per customer will be different depending on how many people you live with, the size of your home and how much energy you use.

Unit prices for gas and electricity are going down by around 3p.

According to money-saving campaigner Martin Lewis, this means bills will decrease by roughly 17%.

So for every £100 you were paying for energy, you will now only pay £83, he said.

What about the government help scheme?

Households have been partly shielded from the most recent rise in prices by the government’s energy price guarantee (EPG), which limited annual energy costs to £2,500 for the average household – subsidising Ofgem’s price cap.

It meant the current price cap of £3,280 for March to June was redundant because the government’s EPG was lower.

That support – of £400 over six monthly instalments – comes to an end tomorrow, which allows the price cap to come back into play.

People have been urged to submit meter readings before midnight on Friday to ensure they are paying the lower prices as soon as they come into effect.

Five things you should do to make sure you’re saving money when price cap changes

Ahead of the energy price cap changing tomorrow, Uswitch has revealed a handy checklist for customers to tick off beforehand.

Energy expert at the company Ben Gallizzi said: “Taking regular meter readings and checking the level of your direct debit are as important as ever, and it is also worth keeping a close eye on the energy market as fixed deals return.

“The energy market remains volatile, so deals are mostly being offered only for short periods and to limited numbers of customers.

“Consumers need to be proactive and prepared to move quickly if they want to lock in certainty over their energy bills with a fixed deal.”

Here is a checklist for households preparing for the price cap, courtesy of Uswitch:

• Keep your meter readings up to date and if you do not have a smart meter, regularly take meter readings and submit them to your supplier. This makes sure your bill is accurate.
• Check your monthly direct debit payments reflect your actual use and inform your provider if not.
• Monitor how much energy you’re using by downloading Utrack, a free mobile app that offers regular insights into your energy spend.
• Sign up for alerts on fixed tariff announcements so you can decide to lock in a deal if one becomes available.
• Check what energy support schemes or grants you, or any vulnerable friends or relatives, may qualify for.

UK

Teenage girl killed on M5 in Somerset after getting out of police car named

Published

7 hours ago

November 15, 2024

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Teenage girl killed on M5 in Somerset after getting out of police car named

A teenage girl who was killed after getting out of a police car on the M5 in Somerset has been named.

Tamzin Hall, 17 and from Wellington, was hit by a vehicle that was travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton shortly after 11pm on Monday.

She had exited a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side of the motorway while transporting her.

A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is now carrying out its own investigation into what happened.

Avon and Somerset Police said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss.

“A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.

“The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”

The police watchdog, the IOPC, has been asked to investigate.

In a statement, director David Ford, said: “This was a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with Tamzin’s family and friends and everyone affected by the events of that evening.

“We are contacting her family to express our sympathies, explain our role, and set out how our investigation will progress. We will keep them fully updated as our investigation continues.”

Paramedics attended the motorway within minutes of the girl being hit but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The motorway was closed in both directions while investigations took place. It was fully reopened shortly after 11am on Tuesday, Nationals Highways said.

UK

Mohamed al Fayed’s brother Salah also abused women, say female Harrods employees

Published

7 hours ago

November 15, 2024

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Mohamed al Fayed's brother Salah also abused women, say female Harrods employees

A survivors group advocating for women allegedly assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed has said it is “grateful another abuser has been unmasked”, after allegations his brother Salah also participated in the abuse.

Justice for Harrods Survivors says it has “credible evidence” suggesting the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated at Harrods and the billionaire’s properties “was not limited to Mr al Fayed himself”.

The group’s statement comes after three women told BBC News they were sexually assaulted by al Fayed’s brother, Salah.

One woman said she was raped by Mohamed al Fayed while working at Harrods.

Helen, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she then took a job working for his brother as an escape. She alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted while working at Salah’s home on Park Lane, London.

Two other women have told the BBC they were taken to Monaco and the South of France, where Salah sexually abused them.

The Justice for Harrod Survivors representatives said: “We are proud to support the survivors of Salah Fayed’s abuse and are committed to achieving justice for them, no matter what it takes.”

The group added it “looks forward to the others on whom we have credible evidence – whether abusers themselves or enablers facilitating that abuse – being exposed in due course”.

Salah was one of the three Fayed brothers who co-owned Harrods.

The business, which was sold to Qatar Holdings when Mohamed al Fayed retired in 2010, has said it “supports the bravery of these women in coming forward”.

A statement issued by the famous store on Thursday evening continued: “We encourage these survivors to come forward and make their claims to the Harrods scheme, where they can apply for compensation, as well as support from a counselling perspective and through an independent survivor advocate.

“We also hope that they are looking at every appropriate avenue to them in their pursuit of justice, whether that be Harrods, the police or the Fayed family and estate.”

The Justice for Harrods Survivors group previously said more than 400 people had contacted them regarding accusations about Mohamed al Fayed, who died last year.

One of those alleged to have been abused is Bianca Gascoigne, the daughter of former England player Paul.

Speaking to Sky News in October, Gascoigne said she was groomed and sexually assaulted by al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.

UK

Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman

Published

7 hours ago

November 15, 2024

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Wes Streeting 'crossed the line' by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman

Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.

Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.

MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.

But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.

He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.

Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.

👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈

“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.

“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.

“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.

“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”

Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.

She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.

“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.

The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.

Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.

The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.

MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.