UK households face 4% rise in energy bills to average of £1,723 from October – business live

Gas and electricity bills rise to highest level in three years The 4% rise in the energy price cap is as expected. Neil Kenward, Ofgem’s director general for markets, said: High international gas prices are continuing to drive energy costs in the UK. We welcome the government’s intervention to remove VAT from electricity bills, without which customers would have faced even higher costs this winter. Savings are available by choosing a fixed tariff, which are available at £100 or more below the October price cap, and many suppliers offer tariffs with cheaper electricity to smart meter customers for electricity consumed out of peak times. It’s also worth considering different payment methods, with prepayment customers paying the lowest price cap rates, and could save consumers an average of about £45 compared to direct debit. This increase reflects higher wholesale gas prices as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with volatile global gas markets remaining the dominant driver of price changes. However, prices remain 52% below the height of the energy crisis in 2022 when the government stepped in to cap bills at £2,500. While higher wholesale prices are pushing up both gas and electricity costs, the VAT reduction means electricity bills will remain broadly stable. As a result, most of the increase in the price cap is driven by higher gas costs, with gas bills rising by 8%, meaning that households which do not use gas will see a much smaller increase of less than 1%. Without the government’s intervention on VAT, this figure would have been around £45 higher. The VAT removal also benefits customers currently on fixed tariffs, with the discount automatically applied by suppliers...