Increasing Energy Prices
The energy price guarantee is a temporary additional measure to protect you from the price increases for gas. The guarantee was put in place on 1 October 2022 and will last until April 2024.
Energy price guarantee
From January 2024 the energy price cap will be set at an average of £1,928 a year for a typical dual-fuel household paying by direct debit. If you pay on receipt of a bill, prices are set to rise to £2,058 per year.
If you prepay for your energy the Government will continue to add a small subsidy to prepay rates. The cap for a typical repayment meter household will be £1,917 per year.
Remember, it is the rates that are capped, so the more you use, the more you will pay.
This MoneySavingExpert video explains what the price cap means for you.
Helping you reduce your energy bills
Priority Services Register
Vulnerable people could also be eligible for extra support by joining the Priority Services Register, a free support service for people in vulnerable situations. The register ensures that people with special requirements have access to additional support from their energy supplier as and when they need it, from large text or Braille bills, to priority service in a power cut.
You may be eligible if:
- You have reached state pension age
- You are pregnant or have children under five
- You experience mental health issues
- You are disabled or have a long-term medical condition
- You have sight or hearing problems
- You have difficulty communicating
- You have recently suffered bereavement
Citizens Advice County Durham Energy Redress Scheme
The Citizens Advice County Durham Energy Redress Scheme supports all energy consumers in County Durham, especially the most vulnerable and socially isolated, with the full spectrum of energy-related matters, including (but not exclusive to):
- Energy debt advice
- Supplier queries
- Energy bill queries
- Grants and schemes information
- Your rights explained
- Energy efficiency hints and tips
- Maximising your income
We're here to support you access this scheme, find out more by clicking the button below.
We know that The Don't Pay Group are leading a campaign to get people to refuse to pay their energy bill.
If you are struggling to pay your gas or electricity bills make sure you contact your supplier and request support from us, as we may be able to help.
We don't provide financial advice, but we do want you to understand the impacts of not paying.
- If you don't agree a payment plan with your supplier, they might try to force you to have a pre-payment meter installed.
- In very rare cases, if you haven't paid a bill after 28 days you might be threatened with disconnection of your supply, but you'll normally be offered a meter instead.
- Your supplier may pass your details onto a debt collection agency - and there may be charges to cover the cost of this.
- Many suppliers charge extra fees for late payments, so this could be another additional cost.
- Paying by direct debit is normally the cheapest way to pay for gas and electricity, so if you cancel your direct debit then your bills will likely increase.
Not paying your bills could damage your credit rating and make it more difficult for you to borrow money in the future.
Energy myth busting - spend less on gas and electricity
The MoneySavingExpert has a handy guide which focuses on the grey areas and a lot of disputed claims around saving energy.
Visit MoneySavingExpert Visit MoneySavingExpert
It’s surprising how much you can achieve by making a few easy adjustments to your home and daily habits. Just be consistent and you’ll soon see the savings build up. Try these ideas to get started:
Do it whenever you leave the room. And fit energy efficient bulbs. They’re more expensive initially but they use much less energy and replacing all bulbs in your home with these could save about £40 a year on your electricity bills. So they’re well worth it.
Leaving your phone, tablet or laptop charger plugged in when you’re not using it drains money from your pocket. You’re just paying for it to waste energy by getting warm.
Leaving your TV on standby means it’s still using energy. And experts have calculated that UK households waste an average of £30 a year powering appliances they’re not even using.
Furniture pressed up against a radiator stops heat reaching the room. Move things an inch or two away and better air circulation will have your room getting warm and cosy much faster.
When the sun goes down, heat starts to escape. Drawing the curtains or closing the blinds will help to keep the warmth in. Especially if you have draughty, old-fashioned sash windows.
It’s surprisingly easy to add reflector panels behind your radiators to bounce more of the infra-red heat rays back into your room – so less warmth gets lost through the wall.
You can save £50 a year by using the 30 degree cycle on your washing machine and by avoiding using the tumble dryer. Try drying clothes on racks inside where possible or outside in warmer weather.
Stockpile energy now. Stockpiling is paying a large payment in one go, instead of a usual and more regular top-up. The advantage of this is that you buy the same amount of energy all at once but do so when it is at a cheaper rate. If you buy the same amount of energy but after the price rises come in on April 1, you will pay more.
For those paying for energy by direct debit, its best take a meter reading on 31 March before prices rise and tell your energy provider by submitting meter readings. Make sure you pay for everything you used at the cheapest rate.
No, when this happens customers are automatically moved to a different supplier; no one will be cut off. But make sure you take meter readings when you are notified of a new supplier to prevent problems later down the line – take photos if you can.
No, the new supplier will put you on a new, probably higher, tariff. Any credit you had will move with you to your new account
You can switch suppliers and there will be no exit fee - there are still a few cheaper deals out there. But Citizen’s Advice says you may find it harder to get any credit back if you switch too soon and recommends waiting until you’ve moved to the new supplier first.
Citizen’s advice recommend that you wait until your new account is set up before cancelling your direct debit
It’s best to just top up with small amounts while you are waiting for your new account to be set up – your new supplier will let you know how to top up your meter and the location of any new top-up point.
Your new supplier will let you know if they are taking on the old debt or not. You may be sent a bill from the administrator dealing with your old company. Either way try to make an arrangement to pay back the debt gradually.
Contact us to arrange to talk to independent energy experts at Durham County Council’s Managing Money Better. They can:
- Check if you are entitled to £140 off your fuel bills through the Warm Homes Discount.
- Get help with energy debts.
- Help you to find a cheaper deal.
Or visit moneysavingexpert.com to check for yourself.