Heat networks: £90m for 750,000 homes
The government has announced 90 million pounds of funding to expand heat networks and upgrade inefficient ones, benefiting more than 750,000 homes and creating over 2,000 jobs.
Winter Fuel Payment: Qualifying Week 21 to 27 September, Letters Follow
The Winter Fuel Payment qualifying week for winter 2026 to 2027 is 21 to 27 September 2026. Eligibility and amount depend on age and circumstances in that week. Letters arrive in October or November 2026, and most payments are made automatically in November or December 2026.
CMA Warns Heating Oil Suppliers Over Unfair Cancellation Terms
On 10 September 2026 the CMA published an open letter to heating oil suppliers, reminding them that contract terms must be fair and transparent.
CMA Heating Oil Compensation: Who Gets Paid and How Much
Around 1,700 UK heating oil customers whose orders were cancelled during the 2026 price spike will receive between 150 and 350 pounds in compensation, the Competition and Markets Authority has confirmed. Affected customers are contacted directly and need take no action.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme: £7,500 and £9,000 Heat Pump Grants
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £7,500 off a heat pump in England and Wales, rising to £9,000 for off-grid oil and LPG homes from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027. Grants, eligibility and how to apply.
Energy Price Cap Rises to £1,723 From October 2026
Ofgem has confirmed the energy price cap rises 4% to £1,723 a year from 1 October 2026, up £60 from £1,663. What is changing, why, and what to do before it takes effect.
UK Data Centres and the Electricity Grid: What the AI Boom Means for Energy
UK data centres used about 5 terawatt hours in 2025, but NESO expects consumption to rise to around 22 terawatt hours by 2030.
What a Portable Air Conditioner Costs to Run
Electricity is capped at 26.11p per kWh until the end of September. A 1.2kW portable air conditioner costs around 31p an hour, or £2.51 for an eight hour night, against roughly 10p for a fan.
Water Bills in a Drought: What Restrictions Do Not Change
The average household water bill for 2026/27 is £639, fixed in January and unaffected by drought restrictions. Bans do not cut bills, and unmetered households save nothing by using less water.
Energy Price Cap Explained: Current Rates and Next Change
The energy price cap limits what suppliers can charge per unit of gas and electricity on a standard variable tariff. For a typical dual-fuel Direct Debit household it is £1,663 a year from 1 July to 30 September 2026. Ofgem reviews it quarterly; the October cap is due by 26 August 2026.
Warm Home Discount: Check Your Bill Before 23 August
Around six million households qualify for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, but you must be named on your electricity bill by 23 August 2026 to get it automatically. Who is eligible, the trap that catches recent movers, and what else is changing on bills.
Energy Firms Wrote Off £172m Under Backbilling Rules: Ofgem
Ofgem's assessment of the seven largest energy suppliers found £172m of historical charges written off for almost 1 million customers under backbilling rules, 11 million bills issued late in 2024, and wide variation in support for vulnerable customers. Your billing rights explained.
Best Electric Radiators UK: Types, Running Costs and What Actually Saves Money
Every electric heater sold since January 2018 must meet Lot 20 ecodesign rules. At the 26.11p per kWh July 2026 cap rate, a 1kW radiator costs about 26p an hour flat out, with thermostatic cycling cutting real world costs well below nameplate.
Oil Back Above 100 Dollars: UK Petrol, Bills and Travel Impact
Oil has climbed back above 100 dollars a barrel for the first time since May as the Iran conflict escalates. Here is what it means for UK petrol prices, the October energy price cap, the £45 VAT saving and foreign travel plans.
Energy Debt Costs Hit £554 Million a Quarter: Ofgem Data Explained in Charts
UK energy suppliers reported £554 million of debt-related costs in the first quarter of 2026, the second-highest on record. Charts and tables from Ofgem's data: the £1.6 billion annual cost and who ultimately pays.
VAT Scrapped on Household Electricity Bills From 1 October 2026: What the £45 Cut Means for You
VAT on domestic electricity bills falls from 5% to 0% from 1 October 2026 until 31 March 2027, cutting around £45 a year off the Ofgem price cap. Announced 21 July 2026 and funded by cancelling the £1.8bn Digital ID programme, it stacks on the £150 removed at the last Budget.
North Sea Oil and Thames Water: What Burnham Is Planning
Incoming PM Andy Burnham is reportedly preparing new North Sea drilling policy, as polling shows 71% back domestic oil and gas production over imports.
Burnham Weighs Cutting VAT on Energy Bills to Save £130 a Year
Andy Burnham is considering removing VAT from energy bills, moving older renewables onto fixed-price contracts and an affordable energy guarantee, with estimated savings of around £130 a year per household.
Hosepipe Ban 2026: Which Areas Are Affected and What's Banned
Cambridge Water and Affinity Water hosepipe bans became enforceable on 17 July 2026, joining South East Water and Anglian Water. Here is which areas are affected, what's banned, and what's still allowed.
UK Heating Oil: Why Millions Depend On It, What Must Change
Around 4.4 million UK households are off the gas grid, 1.5 million on heating oil with no dedicated regulation. Why that gap exists, what a 92% price spike exposed, and what the CMA wants changed.
New fixed energy tariffs undercut the £1,862 cap by £316
A cluster of new fixed tariffs launched around the 1 July price cap rise to £1,862. The cheapest, a 24-month fix from Outfox Energy, undercuts the cap by around £316 a year for a typical dual-fuel household.
UK Power Networks Named Top UK Utility for Service
The Institute of Customer Service named UK Power Networks the UK's leading utility for customer service, alongside confirmed July 2026 sector leaders Nationwide, John Lewis, Jet2holidays and Jet2.com in banking, retail, tourism and transport.
Regional Energy Price Cap: How the 14 Regions Differ UK 2026
The Ofgem price cap is a national average that splits into 14 regional caps. How regional unit rates and standing charges vary and why your postcode decides your rate.
Cheapest Energy Supplier UK: Every Active Provider and How Prices Compare ()
There is no single cheapest UK energy supplier: it depends on tariff type, payment method and meter. Here is every active provider and the factors that decide your actual price.
Shell Energy UK 2026: What Happened to Its Household Customers?
Shell Energy sold its UK household supply business to Octopus Energy in 2023. Former customers were moved to Octopus automatically, with their accounts and tariffs transferred. The sale did not affect Shell's other UK operations.
Utilita Energy Review 2026: Prepayment Specialism, Smart PAYG and the Complaints Picture
A primary-source review of Utilita in 2026: the supplier's prepayment and smart pay-as-you-go specialism, in-home energy usage tools, tariff structure, and how Ofgem and complaints data assess the supplier.
SGE's 14-Reactor UK SMR Fleet: What Was Actually Submitted
SGE has submitted plans for 14 small modular reactors across three UK sites, delivering 4.2GW of capacity. How this compares to the Rolls-Royce SMR programme already underway at Wylfa, and the realistic timeline.
Before You Buy an Electric Car: Real Costs, Range, Charging and What to Check in 2026
Before you buy an electric car in 2026: total cost of ownership vs petrol, charging costs, range anxiety, VED tax changes, grants and the 5 checks to make before buying.
How to Switch Energy Supplier in the UK: Timelines, Exit Fees, Debt Rules and What Ofgem Guarantees
Switching energy supplier takes up to 5 working days under Ofgem's Faster Switching rules, with a 14-day cooling-off period and automatic compensation if it goes wrong. Debt rules, exit fees, smart meters, prepayment and what the £1,862 cap means for whether a fix is worth it. Primary sources only.
Millions of Britons Urged to Submit Meter Readings Before Energy Price Cap Rises
Ofgem's price cap rises 13% to £1,862 a year from 1 July 2026. Submit a meter reading around 30 June to avoid being billed the higher rate early.
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