SUPPORT for household energy bills could continue after April as suppliers prepare to amend bills, according to reports.
Typical energy bills could rise up to £3,000 a year after the regulator confirmed a £500 increase from April.
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Calls have been made for the Government to continue its current level of support so they stay at £2,500.
But industry sources told the BBC that some energy firms are already preparing to amend bills, expecting that government support will continue.
Under the government’s current Energy Price Cap Guarantee, the average household bill has been limited to £2,500 a year, including a £400 energy bill discount, which ends in April.
From this point, help on offer is set to be scaled back and will push bills up by £500 a year on average – a 20% energy bill increase.
The number of households struggling to afford their bills could rise from 6.7million to 8.4m as a result of the April rise, according to fuel poverty campaigners.
While the Citizens Advice Bureau has said the increase in April would “spell catastrophe for millions of households”.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said extending the support for households and businesses is affordable and would cost the Treasury around £2.7billion.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has so far declined to extend the support.
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But the BBC has reported suppliers are predicting that Mr Hunt will keep support at its current level – or very near – and are preparing now to price this into bills from April.
Experts think it is increasingly likely he will change course when he delivers the Spring Budget on March 15.
What help can I get with energy bills?
Households are still getting the £400 energy bill discount.
Th rebate is being paid in instalments, with the last one ending this month.
In most cases, the discount is applied automatically by energy firms so customers don’t have to do anything.
Those on prepayment meters are having to redeem vouchers sent to them via email, text and post.
The £400 payment is split into six instalments which started being made in October.
Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert.com has unveiled a new calculator that can give you an estimation of what your bills might go up to from next month.
There is other help available.
The government has announced a second batch of cost of living payments that will be paid to millions of households.
This includes a £900 payment for millions on certain means-tested benefits.
Plus, a one-off £300 payment will be made to pensioners in Winter 2023/24.
It’s not yet known who will qualify for these payments but you qualified for the last payment if:
- You were born on or before September 25, 1956
- You lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of 19 to 25 September 2022 in what is known as the “qualifying week”
Those with disabilities will get a £150 payment this summer too.
The exact eligibility criteria for getting the payment has not been revealed yet though.
On top of this, plenty of energy companies offer customers grants if they are struggling to make payments.
This includes British Gas, Scottish Power, Ovo, E.ON, EDF and Bulb Energy.
It’s worth contacting your provider to see what help you might be able to get.
If you are on a prepayment meter and struggling to top up, you can also get fuel vouchers from your local council.
In most cases, you can then redeem them at PayPoints or a Post Office signed up to Payzone.
