Latest news with #energySuppliers
The Sun
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Energy bills fall for millions today – five ways to get help if you're struggling
ENERGY bills will fall by 7% for millions of households today, but many will still be worried about bills. Ofgem's new price cap is set at £1,720, and will save a typical household about £129 a year. 1 The savings will provide relief to millions, as over 22million households on standard variable tariffs are directly affected by the price cap, which is updated every three months. The figure is £660 lower than what customers paid at the peak of energy crisis, but still £152 higher than what households paid this time last year. It is also worth noting that customers' monthly bills could come in higher or lower than the price cap, depending on their electricity usage. If you are worried about your energy bills then it's worth being clued up on what help is available. Support can come from local authorities or your energy supplier. Let's take a look at all the help below. How do I calculate my energy bill? BELOW we reveal how you can calculate your own energy bill. To calculate how much you pay for your energy bill, you must find out your unit rate for gas and electricity and the standing charge for each fuel type. The unit rate will usually be shown on your bill in p/ standing charge is a daily charge that is paid 365 days of the year - irrespective of whether or not you use any gas or electricity. You will then need to note down your own annual energy usage from a previous bill. Once you have these details, you can work out your gas and electricity costs separately. Multiply your usage in kWh by the unit rate cost in p/kWh for the corresponding fuel type - this will give you your usage costs. You'll then need to multiply each standing charge by 365 and add this figure to the totals for your usage - this will then give you your annual costs. Divide this figure by 12, and you'll be able to determine how much you should expect to pay each month from April 1. Household Support Fund If you are struggling with your energy bills, get in touch with your local council to enquire about the Household Support Fund. The programme is designed to help struggling families with rising food and energy costs. The scheme has been extended multiple times with the latest round running between April 2025 and March 2026. Each council in England has been allocated a share of the £742million fund and can distribute it to residents in need. Winter Energy Savings: Cosy Club's DIY Hacks The amount varies from council to council. For example, households in Camden can apply for support worth up to £500. Elsewhere, families in Cheshire can get help worth £200. British Gas 'You Pay We Pay' This scheme helps British Gas match 100% of a customer's energy debt repayments to help them clear their arrears. For example, if a customer pays £100, British Gas will pay off £100, too, effectively wiping half the amount owed and getting them back on track sooner. To be eligible for the scheme, you must have been a British Gas energy customer for a minimum of six months. You also must be able to make payments by Direct Debit. British Gas Individual and Families Fund This is currently only available to those who have prepayment meters. To qualify for the help, customers must owe between £50 – £1,700 in energy debt. They must also not have received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust within the last two years. Customers must also have a household income of less than £18,723. However, if someone in the household is registered disabled and receives a disability benefit or receives Carer's Allowance or has over three children, they could be eligible. This scheme's support is available to British Gas and non-British Gas customers. However, if your provider is Ovo Energy, Next, EDF Energy, Scottish Power, Octopus Energy or Utilita it asks you to go to them for assistance first. To find out more, visit EDF Customer Support Fund EDF has a customer support fund which on average wipes around £1,250 off customers' bills. It is available to vulnerable customers experiencing hardship. To apply, visit EDF's website and make sure you have details of your account number (find it on your energy bills or EDF emails) and the current debt balance on all EDF accounts you have. Octopus Energy Assist Fund Octo Assist is a £30million fund to help customers in need. Customers can get access to grants to help towards bills. It could also include loaning a thermal imagery camera to find heat leaks in your home, which you can fix to reduce energy usage and your bill. It also conducts home energy visits to discuss how households can reduce their usage and gives out free electric blankets. You can find out more by visiting 4 ways to keep your energy bills low Laura Court-Jones, Small Business Editor at Bionic shared her tips. 1. Turn your heating down by one degree You probably won't even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving fast. This one small action only takes seconds to carry out and could potentially slash your heating bills by £171.70. 2. Switch appliances and lights off It sounds simple, but fully turning off appliances and lights that are not in use can reduce your energy bills, especially in winter. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, can save you up to £20 a year on your energy bills 3. Install a smart meter Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your energy use, largely because they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity is being used. 4. Consider switching energy supplier No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you've let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. If you haven't browsed any alternative tariffs lately, then you may not be aware that there are better options out there.
Reuters
24-06-2025
- Climate
- Reuters
New England electric grid operates under precautionary alert
BOSTON, June 24 (Reuters) - The electric grid for Boston and the surrounding region operated under a precautionary alert on Tuesday as the surplus of power was expected to narrow to a razor-thin margin amid soaring temperatures. ISO New England, the electric grid operator for the six-state region, began operating under a precautionary alert late Monday as energy supplies tightened. Wholesale electricity prices over the past 24 hours have signaled tightening supplies, with the grid reporting nearly $430 per megawatt hour (MWh), a ten-fold increase over prices when the system is not stressed. To prepare for Tuesday's scorching heat, the grid directed power plant operators not to do any testing or maintenance that would affect electric reliability. New England joined other regional grids in the eastern half of the country in deploying exigent strategies to balance the supply and demand of electricity. Besides increasing imports from adjoining regions and asking power plant operators to defer maintenance, they called on stand-by units to boost the supply of electricity. Temperatures in Boston are forecast to approach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. ISO New England forecast that electricity demand would approach 26,000 megawatts (MW) late Tuesday, short of the record high of 28,130 MW set in August 2006. Last month, ISO New England predicted electricity demand to reach 24,803 MW under normal weather conditions, and up to 25,886 MW during any periods of above-average summer weather, such as an extended heat wave. The latest forecast predicted that demand would peak Tuesday evening at 25,800 MW. Surplus capacity was expected to fall to 266 MW, a departure from a typical margin of several thousand megawatts during more temperate weather.
The Sun
21-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Exact dates millions of energy customers must make essential bill check ahead of price cap change
ENERGY bills are set to fall by 7% in July, bringing much-needed relief to millions of households. The average annual gas and electricity bill will drop from £1,849 to £1,720, saving a typical household about £129 a year. 1 The savings will provide relief to millions, as over 22million households on standard variable tariffs are directly affected by the price cap, which is updated every three months. From July 1, electricity will cost around 25.73p per kWh with a daily standing charge of 51.37p. Gas will cost around 6.33p per kWh with a 29.82p standing charge. However, many might still pay more than Ofgem 's headline figure because the cap limits the prices you pay not your total bill. Ofgem's estimate assumes typical usage of 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas per year. Using more means a higher bill. Households on standard variable tariffs without a smart meter should make it a priority to submit their electricity and gas meter readings to their supplier as close to July 1 as possible. This ensures they are billed accurately at the new, lower rates. Failing to submit readings could mean some of your usage after this date is charged at the previous, higher rates. Suppliers who have not received meter readings rely on estimated usage, which could lead to households being overcharged. How to take a meter reading However, even if you take your meter readings near July 1, you don't need to submit them immediately. Many suppliers allow extra time for customers to provide their readings. Some offer a few days after the price cap changes to submit backdated readings, while others may allow up to a week or more. We've explained the deadlines for submitting your reading to your supplier and provided guidance on how to read your meter. When to submit a meter reading You should try and take a meter reading as close to today as possible to show how much energy you used up until this date. Once you have taken the reading you have a certain amount of time in which to send it to your supplier. The amount of time you have to submit it depends on who your energy supplier is. For example, British Gas customers have until July 14 to send in a reading. They can do this online, via its app, telephone or web form. At Ovo Energy you can send in your reading in your online account, via its app or by telephone and you need to do so by July 11. Next customers need to submit a meter reading before July 6 through their online account, via the app, telephone or email. Households who are supplied by Octopus Energy have until July 8 to submit their reading online, through a web form, via the app or by email. EDF customers need to send in a reading before July 10. They can do so online, via its app, online form, email Whatsapp, text or over the phone. At Utility Warehouse, customers can give a reading in the five days leading up to July 1 and submit it in their online account, through its app or by phone. How to take a meter reading The easiest way to take a meter reading is to take a photo of your gas and electricity meters. This means you have evidence in case you need to dispute a bill. You can send in your meter reading online via your energy account. Some providers will also let you send in the numbers by text or through their app. Check which options your supplier offers on their website. Electricity meters If you have a digital electricity meter then you will see a row of six numbers. Five of them will be in black and one will be in red. Write down the five numbers in black, which are shown from left to right. If you are on an economy 7 or 10 tariff, which gives you cheaper electricity at night, then you will have two rows of numbers. You need both to take a reading. If you have a traditional dial meter then you need to read the first five dials from left to right. Ignore any red dials. If the pointer is between two numbers then write down the lowest figure. If it is between nine and zero then write down the number nine. Gas meters If you have a digital metric gas meter showing five numbers followed by a decimal point then you need to write down the first five numbers. If you have a digital imperial meter then you will see four black numbers and two red numbers. Write down the four black numbers only. If you have a digital gas meter, follow the same steps as the digital electricity meter. Smart meters If you have a smart meter then you do not need to send your supplier a meter reading as it will be sent automatically. Check that your smart meter is in "smart mode" and is working properly to make sure you are accurately charged. What energy bill help is available? There's a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by. If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter. This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period. If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don't think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal. Several energy firms have schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills. But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances. For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000. British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund. You don't need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund. EDF, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too. Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR). The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill. Some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you're struggling. Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Major energy suppliers hand out £1,000s in compensation over energy meter scandal
MAJOR energy suppliers will hand out £1000,'s in compensation. Tens of thousands of customers are set to receive thousands and see debts written off in response to the scandal over the force fitting of prepayment meters. It follows a review by the energy regulator Ofgem.
Zawya
28-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Kuwait, Saudi strike new oil in joint zone
KUWAIT CITY: The Governments of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have declared new oil discovery in the partitioned zone, according to a joint press release, said the Kuwaiti Ministry of Oil on Monday. The ministry added in a statement that governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Kuwait announced that Wafra Joint Operations have made a new oil discovery in (North Wafra Wara-Burgan) field, located five kilometers north of Wafra field. Crude oil flowed from the Wara reservoir in the North Wafra (Wara-Burgan-1) well at a rate exceeding 500 barrels per day, with an API gravity of 26 to 27 degrees. This marks the first discovery since the resumption of production operations in the partitioned zone and its adjacent offshore area in mid-2020. The discovery is regarded as highly significant, given its positive impact on both countries standing as reliable global energy suppliers and their capabilities in the exploration and production sector. API gravity is a scale expressing the gravity or density of liquid petroleum products. (KUNA) Arab Times | © Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
