News story

Energy Price Guarantee extended for an extra three months

Millions of households will get more support via the extension of the Energy Price Guarantee to help ease the cost of living, the Chancellor has announced today ahead of the Spring Budget.

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government
  • 皇冠体育app Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) will be kept at 拢2,500 for an additional three months from April to June, saving a typical household 拢160.

  • Energy prices are 50% lower than forecast in October, but remain high, with this support helping bridge the gap to lower prices forecast from the end of June.

  • Comes as Chancellor set to confirm new cost of living support at Spring Budget, including ending the prepayment meter premium and help with childcare costs.

皇冠体育app Energy Price Guarantee, which is protecting households by capping typical energy bills at 拢2,500, will be maintained at the same level for a further three months over April, May, and June, worth 拢160 in total for a typical household.

皇冠体育app Chancellor is announcing the extension today (15 March) as part of his Spring Budget, which focuses on easing the impact of rising prices, delivering on our promise to halve inflation, and growing the economy by supporting more people into work.

Government support has already cut the typical family energy bill by over 拢1,300 since October,聽stopping the average household energy bill hitting 拢4,279 a year this winter.

皇冠体育app Chancellor鈥檚 three-month extension of the Energy Price Guarantee at 拢2,500 means households won鈥檛 feel the full force of Ofgem鈥檚 Price Cap between April and June 鈥� which stands at 拢3,280 鈥� helping to bridge consumers into the summer.

Lower wholesale gas prices are expected to feed through to lower household energy bills from July, where聽Cornwall Insight data suggests the Ofgem Price Cap will reach an estimated 拢2,100 a year for a typical household.

From April, more support is coming online with 8 million low income and vulnerable households set to receive at least 拢900 in cash payments over the next year, benefits and pensions set to rise by over 10 per cent, and the National Living Wage increasing to a record 拢10.42 an hour, so that it always pays to work.

皇冠体育app Spring Budget will go even further, providing hundreds of pounds more in help with childcare costs for parents on Universal Credit and ending the energy premium paid by households who use prepayment meters, which will save 4 million families 拢45 a year from July.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

We know people are worried about their bills rising in April, so to give people some peace of mind, we鈥檙e keeping the Energy Price Guarantee at its current level until the summer when gas prices are expected to fall.

Continuing to hold down energy bills is part of our plan to help hardworking families with the cost of living and halve inflation this year.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said:

High energy bills are one of the biggest worries for families, which is why we鈥檙e maintaining the Energy Price Guarantee at its current level. With energy bills set to fall from July onwards, this temporary change will bridge the gap and ease the pressure on families, while also helping to lower inflation too.

Energy Secretary, Grant Shapps said:

Putin鈥檚 illegal war has cost British families, which is why we鈥檝e stepped in to pay around half of the typical household energy bill.

With wholesale prices falling families will start to benefit, but in the meantime we鈥檙e stepping back in with the Energy Price Guarantee to prevent the typical electricity and gas bill exceeding 拢2,500. It鈥檚 just part of our plan to help families this winter.

At Autumn Statement the Chancellor announced that the EPG was due to rise to 拢3,000 on April 1, with the Government then expecting to borrow 拢12 billion to fund this support. Since then, energy prices have fallen by 50%, cutting the borrowing needed to fund energy support by two- thirds to 拢4 billion.

皇冠体育app change announced today also follows the latest Ofgem Price cap of 拢3,280 from April to June which, in large part, sets the cost for this three-month extension. Households would pay the full Ofgem price cap rate if there was no Energy Price Guarantee.

Holding down energy bills is also part of the government鈥檚 plan to halve inflation this year, and in November the Office for Budget Responsibility said that the EPG would lower the peak rate of inflation.

Further information

皇冠体育app typical family will save 拢1,500 from the EPG and the Energy Bills Support Scheme, when factoring in the extension.

皇冠体育app total cost of the EPG from April to June is 拢4 billion. Within this, the additional cost of maintaining the EPG at 拢2,500 rather than 拢3,000 is 拢3 billion.

While the EPG will remain at 拢2500 on 1 April, there may be small tariff changes as suppliers re-balance between standing charges and unit rates. Implementation of any tariff changes will be determined by the energy suppliers.

皇冠体育app Cornwall Insight data referenced above can be found .

At Autumn Statement the government announced further support on the cost of living for 2023-24, targeted at those most in need:

  • UK households on means-tested benefits will receive a further 拢900 Cost of Living Payment

  • Pensioner households across the UK will receive an additional 拢300 Cost of Living payment

  • People across the UK on non-means-tested disability benefits will receive a further 拢150 Disability Cost of Living payment, to help with the additional costs they face

From July, households will pay the lower of the Ofgem Price Cap or the Energy Price Guarantee, which will revert to 拢3,000 from July 2023 until the end of March 2024.

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Published 15 March 2023