Are you wondering what will happen when the UK Government scales back support towards energy bills from 31 March this year?
You’re not alone.
To help you, we’ve gathered all our energy crisis information on this page.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about staying warm, lowering your energy bills and the support available.
To support with spiralling energy costs, the UK Government put in place the Energy Price Guarantee.
This limits how much energy suppliers can charge you for a single unit of gas and electricity until 2024.
Costs would have been higher if the government hadn’t stepped in.
Currently, under the guarantee, typical households in England, Scotland and Wales are paying around £2,500 annually for energy bills. This will rise again to around £3,000 from 1 April this year.
In Northern Ireland, the Energy Price Guarantee limits the price of gas and electricity until 2023.
Between October 2022 and March 2023, the Energy Bills Support Scheme gives households (including those on prepayment meters) in England, Scotland and Wales £400 towards the costs of energy bills.
Under the same scheme, households in Northern Ireland will get £600 from January this year.
Support for most households will be reduced, but cost of living payments for low-income households, disabled people and pensioners will continue until spring 2024.
These payments will be spread out over the financial year, and you can find out when they will be made from the Department for Work and Pensions.
Meanwhile, the UK Government is also offering financial support for those on means tested benefits, people on disability benefits and pensioners.
We’ll update this page if more support is made available.
The ECO+ scheme was announced in December 2022 and launches in April 2023.
The scheme is designed to make homes more energy efficient by using insulation. The scheme will include people who:
The ECO+ should help people to bring their energy bills down.
The UK Government has also put money into the Help to Heat schemes, which provides funding to upgrade your home if you’re eligible.
If you own a home in England or Wales, you can also get simple energy efficiency advice from the UK Government.
Would you like some simple energy saving hacks to help you stay warm and save money this winter? Millions of people are already using our trusted information, and you join them by downloading your free warm home hacks guide today.
A smart meter can show you how you use energy at home.
Seeing this can help you start to make small changes to reduce your energy use, which will save you money.
Your supplier will install your smart meter, and you don’t have to pay anything upfront.
Buying home appliances that are more energy efficient might be an area where you could save money in the long-term.
This list of top five energy consuming appliances gives you advice on how to make these products more energy efficient or cut down on their energy use.
You can also get more tips from our guide to buying energy efficient products.
If you need more financial support with making your home more energy efficient, there’s support available based on where you live.
You can also get help from Citizens Advice, including tailored advice if you live in England or Wales and are struggling to pay your energy bills.
Find out how we’re working with Citizens Advice to help you save energy and money.
You can also read our blog with your questions about the energy crisis answered by experts at Energy Saving Trust and Citizens Advice.
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Last updated: 23 January 2023
