News

Energy bills likely to fall by over £100 from 1 April

Cornwall Insight’s latest price cap prediction would suggest average energy bills will fall by £117 from 1 April to £1,641.

This represents an increase from their previous prediction (£1,620), caused by the spike in gas prices earlier this year. If Ofgem confirms this prediction, it will still leave average energy bills £599 above pre crisis levels and £73 above the level at 1 July 2024.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“The April price cap will see one of the biggest changes in the make-up of energy bills in recent years.

“Budget decisions to remove costs from bills and Government moves to alter how the Warm Home Discount is paid for, will mean changes across standing charges and unit costs. Even those on fixed tariffs will need to look carefully to check that energy firms pass on the changes and potential savings to these customers.

“Meanwhile, volatile gas prices earlier this year also make the wholesale element subject to uncertainty and may create an upward pressure on bills for those on the standard variable tariff.

“Households will need to keep a close eye on Ofgem’s announcement next week and pay careful attention to the changes in unit costs and standing charges, rather than focus on the headline ‘average energy bill’ figure.”

Uplift Deputy Director Robert Palmer said:

“Predictions that energy bills will fall in April suggest that the UK is starting to turn a corner on energy bills.

“Last year we generated record-breaking amounts of renewable energy, with wind power replacing gas and reducing the wholesale cost of electricity by a third. This was partly possible because of the government’s clean power plan.

“The only real, long-term route to lowering bills is to get off volatile gas, whether that’s supplied by Putin, Trump’s America or profit-hungry oil and gas companies.

“It’s not just our bills that will benefit from more renewables, it’s our planet. Already we’re seeing the impacts of climate change caused by our oil and gas dependency and the costs it imposes on everyone, whether that’s flooded homes and businesses or rising food prices.”

Windfall Tax in the firing line as Blair Think Tank backs energy industry

The Tony Blair Institute has repeated its call for an expansion of gas production in the North Sea and an end to the energy firm Windfall Tax.

The think tank has links to the Saudi government, the United Arab Emirates, Elon Musk’s Starlink [pdf, p8] and Trump apply Larry Ellison.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“The Tony Blair Institute’s so-called ‘reset’ looks less like a fresh start and more like a defence of fossil fuels and an energy industry that has made over £125bn in UK profits since 2020.

“For the Institute to call for the Windfall Tax to be scrapped, while energy giants post extraordinary profits and millions live in cold, damp homes, is staggering. That tax exists because companies benefited from a crisis that devastated household finances.

“Removing the Windfall Tax would reward profiteering and shift the burden back onto households that are still paying the price of Britain’s over-reliance on gas.

“It was exposure to volatile global fossil fuel marketsthat sent bills through the roof, not climate targets and doubling down on new North Sea exploration will not lower bills.

“Gas is sold at international prices and the North Sea is a declining geological resource that cannot meet the country’s heating needs in the long term. The answer to high bills lies in accelerating homegrown renewables, reforming electricity pricing and investing in energy efficiency, not returning to the solutions of the past.”

Jess Ralston from the Energy and Climate Information Unit said:

“With many households still facing debts from the gas crisis of the past few years, focussing on bringing down bills is particularly key for them. Electrification, through the adoption of net zero technologies like heat pumps and EVs, will gradually reduce our vulnerability to the volatility of international oil and gas prices.

While the thrust of this report is around cheaper power, it’s not clear how many of its recommendations will lower bills. More drilling in the North Sea won’t make any real difference to the gas bills British homes pay because it’s international markets driven by Putin and Trump that dictate the price. The regulator’s own analysis shows more drilling will make very little difference to how steeply North Sea output continues to decline.

“Renewable wind power lowered the wholesale power price by around a third in 2025, squeezing more expensive gas power off the system. Every wind turbine we build or solar panel we install means the UK is less dependent on gas imports and less vulnerable to volatility in the gas price. We don’t have to import wind or sunshine.”

Meanwhile a spokesperson from the Green Alliance think tank added:

“We don’t need to rethink a clean power plan that’s working – the UK generated record-breaking amounts of renewable energy last year, and wind power replacing gas cut the wholesale cost of electricity by a third. Tony Blair’s think tank rightly points out that we need to make sure businesses and families save as a result, but gives few suggestions for how to do this. Given the former politician’s extensive ties to petrostates and oil and gas firms, it’s a bad look to see his institute call for more drilling in the North Sea, which will do nothing for our energy security.”

Heat pump sales hit record high but major barriers still remain

Data from the Heat Pump Association has revealed there were a total of 125,037 units of air, ground, water and other heat pumps sold last year, a 27% increase on 2024.

More than a third of the heat pumps (36%) were manufactured in the UK, an increase on the number for 2024, the figures show. But the industry warned the growth rate in the sector has slowed compared to last year.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“High levels of heat pump sales are a welcome sign that cleaner heating is starting to scale up and the fact more than a third are now manufactured in the UK shows the potential for jobs and investment alongside lower emissions.

“But the reality is that 125,000 sales a year is still a long way from what we need to see. With gas prices continuing to show volatility and the UK unable to meet domestic heating needs from the depleting North Sea gas reserves from next year, moving onto heat pumps will be the way forward for many households.

“But moving onto a heat pump should come with a Warm Homes Guarantee, with independent advice, strong consumer protections and a clear promise that homes will be more comfortable after work is done.

“Ministers must also tackle one of the biggest barriers holding back heat pump take-up: the high cost of electricity. Without reform of electricity pricing and targeted support for those in fuel poverty, clean heating will remain out of reach for too many households.”

BP posts over £5 billion annual profits

BP has reported fourth-quarter profits of £1.12 billion and overall “underlying replacement cost profits” of £5.47 billion for 2025, just over £1 billion less than in 2024.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“Despite city watchers saying that BP’s profits have fallen, the reality is that the firm is still generating billions of profit every year. This is just another reminder that energy giants continue to make billions while households face a fifth winter of hardship.

“These corporate windfalls do not occur by accident, they reflect a system where profits flow out to shareholders as millions live in cold, damp homes. Ministers must ensure the energy system is on the side of consumers, not the companies that have generated more than £125bn in UK profits since 2020.”

Tessa Khan, Executive Director of Uplift added:

“These results – on the back of Shell and Equinor’s profits last week – are a stark reminder why we as a country urgently need to move away from volatile oil and gas by developing more homegrown renewable energy that would shield households from global price shocks and create stable, long-term jobs.

“BP is moving away from renewables just at a time when the costs of climate change are becoming clear to everyone – whether that’s people struggling with flooded homes and rising food prices, or farmers and businesses losing income from extreme weather.

“BP is also turning its back on the UK’s energy workers who, as the North Sea basin declines, need secure energy jobs that have a future. This is a company that puts its profits above all else.

More renewables approved with 10,000 jobs supported

Ministers have announced the largest ever procurement of solar projects in the UK alongside new onshore wind farm developments and three new tidal energy projects.

Taken together with previous announcements on offshore wind results, the Government has estimated that the announcements since 2024 will deliver enough power for the equivalent of 16 million homes.

The “strike price” for the new onshore wind has been agreed at £72.24 per mega watt hour generated (/MWh) and new solar at £65.23/MWh. The new plans will support around 10,000 jobs.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“Households are still paying the price for years of exposure to volatile gas markets. Cheaper, homegrown renewables don’t just help the planet, they can help cut bills by pushing expensive electricity from gas-fired power stations off the system.

“A comparison with fossil fuel generated electricity puts into perspective the deal households get from renewables. Any new gas-fired power stations generate energy at close to £150 per megawatt hour, whereas the last offshore wind auction came in at around £90/MWh and today’s auction strike prices are even lower.

“But affordability must be guaranteed, not assumed. As more private investment flows into clean power, consumers need transparency on how these contracts affect bills, clear limits on profits and further electricity pricing reform so the benefits are passed on to households.”

The announcement comes after Ministers also confirmed £1bn in funding for new community energy projects which the End Fuel Poverty Coalition described as having “real potential to help bring down bills while keeping the benefits of clean power rooted in local places.”

Investment aims to boost community energy schemes

The Government has announced a £1 billion “local power plan” to expand community-owned clean energy projects across the UK, from solar panels on public buildings to small-scale hydro schemes.

Ministers have called the plan “the biggest ever investment in community energy.”

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“This boost for community energy has real potential to help bring down bills while keeping the benefits of clean power rooted in local places.

“For too long, households have been trapped paying the price of a broken energy system where profits flow out to major companies, while communities living in cold, damp homes see little return. Community-owned renewables can start to change that, cutting costs, strengthening energy security and generating income for vital local services.

“But clean energy should not just be about new generation, it must also be about guaranteeing warmer homes, lower energy bills and building a better energy system.”

Shell and Equinor deepen UK fossil ties as more profits posted

Energy giant Shell has posted adjusted profits for the fourth quarter of £2.39 billion and has announced another £2.7 billion of share buybacks on top of a dividend hike.

It comes the day after Equinor also large profits. The two firms have recently announced they will merge their offshore drilling operations in the UK, with each company owning 50% of the joint venture and Equinor contributing its £1.3 billion UK ‘tax shelter’ – or credits that can be used against paying future UK taxes.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition said:

“With Shell reporting another substantial profits haul, it’s worth remembering that these corporate windfalls do not occur by accident.

“For example, the company’s new joint venture with Equinor to merge the two firms’ UK fossil fuel assets highlights just how intertwined big energy profits, tax arrangements and supply of gas from a depleting North Sea reserve have become.

“But as debate continues over the future of the Energy Profits Levy, the contrast between firms locking in billions of profit and households struggling with high energy bills is stark. Ministers must ensure the system is on the side of the consumers, not the energy giants that have generated more than £125 billion in UK profits since 2020, even as millions live in cold, damp homes.”

Equinor posts $6.2bn quarter as households continue to face winter hardship

Equinor, the Norwegian fossil fuels group, has posted adjusted earnings before tax in the last three months of 2025 of $6.2 billion.

While the North Sea is running out of gas, the firm is set to benefit from the UK market into the future with around 10% of national demand in the hands of two companies – Equinor and Centrica – under a deal struck in 2025.

Combined, energy giants have generated over £125 billion in profits on their UK operations since the energy crisis started according to an analysis of company reports.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition commented:

“Equinor’s latest results show that even major producers continue to deliver multi-billion-dollar profits, with plenty of money still flowing out of consumers’ bills and back to the energy giants and their shareholders.

“Yet while companies like Equinor capitalise on the ongoing energy bills crisis, millions of UK households are in a fifth winter of hardship.

“The contrast between corporate gains and household pain underscores the urgent need for a fairer energy system that uses excess industry returns to cut bills and improve home energy efficiency, not line shareholder pockets.”

Three years on – the forced prepayment meters scandal remains unresolved

More than three years after the forced prepayment meter scandal first broke, households are still facing forced entry into their homes under a court system now itself under formal investigation.

The 1st February 2026 marked the third anniversary of the Times‘ undercover investigation into British Gas. The Ofgem investigation into the firm is still ongoing with the regulator unable to confirm when it will be completed.

Campaigners continue to call for a full ban on forced PPMs until the justice process is proven to be transparent, lawful and safe.

What are “forced prepayment meters” (PPMs)?

Forced prepayment meters are installed when an energy supplier uses a court warrant or remote smart-meter switching to move a household onto pay-as-you-go energy without their consent, usually because of debt. When credit runs out, energy supply stops, leading to “self-disconnection”.

Key ongoing concerns

  • Lack of transparency: warrants approved in private, limited records, no public scrutiny.
  • Bulk processing: large batches approved together, sometimes after only a small “sample” was reviewed.
  • Procedural failings: reports of errors being found in some applications but the rest being approved regardless.
  • Risk to vulnerable households: including disabled people, those on the Priority Services Register and people living in cold, damp homes.
  • Regulatory delay: Ofgem’s British Gas investigation remains unresolved almost three years on.
  • Ongoing harm: energy debt remains at record levels, with PPM households at highest risk of self-disconnection.

Timeline

Before 2022

Forced PPM installations and warrant use were routine but largely hidden from public view.

2022

Media investigations reveal the scale of forced PPM installations and mass court warrants (4th December, the i). Evidence emerges of magistrates’ courts approving bulk applications with minimal scrutiny. Public and political concern grows over forced entry into homes of vulnerable customers.

Early 2023

The scandal escalates after reporting (1st February, the Times) exposes the practices of major suppliers, including British Gas.

Energy firms agree to a voluntary pause on forced PPM installations which campaigners say doesn’t go far enough.

Ofgem launches compliance reviews and enforcement investigations.

Mid–late 2023

As the public calls for a ban on forced PPMs and fresh concerns about energy firm behaviour toward vulnerable households are raised in the media, new “safeguards” and court processes are developed.

Ministers are accused of a dereliction of duty as a public consultation on the issue by Ofgem is overwhelmed with responses.

While formalised Ofgem rules replaced the voluntary commitment from 8 November, campaigners warn that a “cloak of secrecy” remains around warrant hearings and that the system risks repeating past failures.

2024

Some suppliers are allowed to resume forced installations under revised rules.

Ofgem announces redress and compensation schemes, but major enforcement cases continue.

2025

Energy debt reaches new highs.

Ofgem’s investigation into British Gas remains unresolved, now approaching three years.

Fresh reporting by journalists reveal that large batches of warrants are being approved. In some cases hundreds of warrants were authorised after only a small “sample” was reviewed and even when errors were identified in some applications, the rest were approved in bulk.

Following these revelations, the Chief Magistrate launches a formal review of the warrant process in England and new calls for a legislative ban on the process are made to Ministers.

Anne McLaughlin, the former SNP MP for Glasgow North East, led much of the Parliamentary pressure on the issue. She called the ongoing scandal “utterly ridiculous” and said:

“The fact that forced installations are still happening while both the courts process and Ofgem’s original investigation remain unresolved shows how little confidence there can be in the current system.

“The regulator has been painfully slow in investigating one of the worst culprits and as time drags on, memories fade and the people affected by the scandal are still to see justice done.”

Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“It is beyond belief that more than three years after the forced prepayment meter scandal first broke, families are still facing forced entry into their homes under a court process that is now itself under formal investigation.

“No one should be pushed onto a prepayment meter, or threatened with a warrant, simply because they are struggling to pay their energy bills. 

“Until the Chief Magistrate’s review is complete and the system is proven to be transparent, lawful and safe, all forced prepayment meter installations must stop.”

Frazer Scott, CEO, Energy Action Scotland, said:

“It is unbelievable and inconsistent with high standards of consumer protection that it has now taken 3 years to investigate the behaviour of British Gas.

“In cases of suspected wrongdoing it should act swiftly to ensure that people are not put at risk. Many vulnerable people remain at risk of a forced installation until all outstanding investigations are concluded.

“9 energy suppliers have resumed forced prepayment meter installations. Others may yet restart. It is a worrying time for those in debt to their energy supplier, debt that stands at over £4.5bn.

“Consumer protection should be at the beating heart of the energy regulator, it needs to do more.”

Jonathan Bean, Spokesperson from Fuel Poverty Action, added:

“Forced prepayment meters are inhumane and dangerous. Disconnecting people from essential heating and power when they are short of cash is the exact opposite of energy security. Ofgem continues to fail in its statutory duty to protect us.”

ENDS 

More background information available here:  https://www.endfuelpoverty.org.uk/about-fuel-poverty/forced-pre-payment-meter-transfer/

https://www.endfuelpoverty.org.uk/tag/ban-forced-ppms/ 

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/check-energy-suppliers-can-install-prepayment-meters-without-household-permission

Warm Home Discount extended across GB through to winter 2030/31

The £150 Warm Home Discount will be provided to eligible households every winter until 2030/1.

It follows the expansion of the Warm Home Discount last year, adding 2.7 million families to the scheme and bringing the total number of eligible households to around six million.

In England and Wales, households who are receiving a qualifying means-tested benefit should get the discount automatically.

In Scotland, the UK Government has implied that significant changes are expected. While an estimated 345,000 Scottish households will receive it automatically, some who previously received the benefit may now miss out.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“As gas prices continue to demonstrate their volatility, reaching an 11-month high in recent days, keeping the Warm Home Discount in place avoids a damaging cliff-edge for households struggling through a fifth winter of the energy bills crisis.

“But simply rolling it forward at the same level, with the same rules, risks locking in a scheme that we already know doesn’t reach everyone who needs help.

“If Ministers intend the Warm Home Discount to be the backbone of energy bill support to 2030, they cannot freeze it in its current form.

“Right now, too many people are left out altogether or not given enough support to make a meaningful difference. This includes households with electric-only heating, people living off the gas grid, residents of park homes and private networks, and families facing much higher costs because of disability, illness or poor housing.

“Without uplifts for high-cost households and a clear application route for those not captured by the main scheme, it will continue to miss large numbers of people in genuine fuel poverty.

“Industry Initiatives must also be properly funded and strengthened to catch those the support excludes, including people on non-standard supplies and those with additional health needs. And in Scotland, any move to automatic data-matching must be matched by expanded Industry Initiatives, clear supplier duties, and close monitoring to ensure households who previously qualified do not quietly lose support.”

The Coalition’s full response to the Government’s consultation on this issue is available as a pdf.