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.
AlamyEnergy bills will fall for millions of customers today, July 1[/caption]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/kWh.The 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.
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.
North Somerset Council has also announced it will provide food vouchers worth up to £100 to those in need.
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, E.ON Next, EDF Energy, Scottish Power, Octopus Energy or Utilita it asks you to go to them for assistance first.
To find out more, visit bget.org.uk/login.php.
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 octopus.energy/financial-assistance.
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.
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