Billpayers told to shop around as prices rise

Energy regulator Ofgem is urging billpayers to shop around as it announced another price rise in January – the second of the winter.

Someone paying by direct debit and using a typical amount of gas and electricity will pay £1,738, or £21 a year more, with bills now over 50% higher than pre-Covid levels.

The quarterly cap by regulator Ofgem sets a limit on the cost of each unit of energy, and affects 26 million households in England, Wales and Scotland.

It was always meant to be a backstop, and Ofgem said more options had emerged from suppliers, with a greater choice of fixed-price tariffs for customers.

The best deals are cheaper than tariffs based on the price cap. But, while offering certainty, anyone signing up risks missing out were prices to fall later next year.

Ofgem has admitted that prices are volatile and difficult to predict.

Some customers could immediately save £100 a year by moving from paying their bill every three months to paying by direct debit.

Energy bills have been high for three years, which charities warn has left many struggling to cope and choosing to go without heating at the coldest time of year.

After two relatively mild winters since energy prices soared, billpayers are braced for a colder period that could stretch their finances.

And over the longer term, analysts at the consultancy Cornwall Insight said high domestic energy prices were likely to be “the new normal”.

Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said the forecasts meant particularly families and people with disabilities faced “impossible choices”.

“For bills to remain at this high level… and with an expectation that they’ll remain at that level for the foreseeable future, we’re just expecting to see people continuing to be really squeezed.”

The cap means a household bill will typically rise by £1.75 a month.

It is also 10% down on the same period last year, but Ofgem said many billpayers would still be stretched.

“We understand that the cost of energy remains a challenge for too many households,” said Tim Jarvis, from the regulator.

“However, with more tariffs coming into the market, there are ways for customers to bring their bill down so please shop around and look at all the options.”

While the cost of each unit of gas and electricity is capped, the total bill is not. So, a long, cold winter could see higher energy use and high bills.

Energy companies say they have put extra support in place to help customers cope with the situation, such as emergency credit, hardship funds or striking off some debts or standing charges.

However a period of high prices – which analysts say is likely to continue – means households have collectively built up debt of £3.7bn to suppliers.

The average household in arrears owes more than £1,500 for electricity and £1,300 for gas.

The charity National Energy Action said many people were already “rationing their energy use” or building up debt to try to keep warm.

Angela, from Liverpool, is one of those who has fallen behind on bills.

As a carer for her mum, she told the BBC she was having to make tough choices.

“I’m over £1,000 in arrears with [my energy supplier] so I don’t put the gas and electric on,” she said. “We just sit there with our onesies on of a night. I think it’s terrible, it’s a disgrace.”

Close to where she was speaking is Kitty’s Laundrette, a co-operative which provides cheap washing and drying for the community, as well as a free service for those who need it.

Anthony Scott is part of the team running it, seeing dozens of customers every day, many of whom are struggling financially.

“I come across a lot of anger, I feel a lot of anger. People are being priced out of using energy in their own home,” he said.

The cap affects those on default, variable tariffs, not those who have fixed a price for a set period.