Energy

If you're an E.on Next customer, look out for a message from the firm offering you up to 50% off your bills this winter. The supplier has launched a new support scheme for some of its existing customers on low incomes or with medical needs.

An energy social tariff must be introduced urgently to prevent millions of households from falling into fuel poverty this winter. In a new open letter published today – and backed by MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) and its founder Martin Lewis – a coalition of 140 charities, consumer groups and MPs are calling on the Government to fulfil its repeated pledges to protect vulnerable energy customers.

EDF Energy will cut bills by £30 for some 260,000 of its customers who get the Government's Warm Home Discount this winter. But with a typical home paying £2,000 a year for energy, the one-off £30 discount is 'not a game-changer', says MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) founder Martin Lewis.

Many E.on Next customers could make an easy saving on their energy bills over the next year by switching to the firm's 'Pledge' tariff, according to MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who shared the tip in a new video briefing today (Thursday 21 September).

Energy standing charges unfairly penalise households on lower incomes and those looking to cut their usage, a cross-party group of MPs have said in a new report published today. Echoing calls from MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) and its founder Martin Lewis, the report urges the Government to "revise and replace" the charges, which make up around £300 of most people's yearly bills. 

If you are aged 75 or over, or have a child under two, energy suppliers will soon be permanently banned from forcibly installing a prepayment meter in your home. It comes as the energy regulator's current code of practice is to be extended, and become mandatory, in a bid to protect more households. Firms flouting the rules, which will take force from 8 November, will face fines.  

Brand new app-only supplier Fuse Energy – the first new supplier to enter the market since the start of the energy crisis – has launched an electricity-only tariff that undercuts the Price Cap. Crucially, the Fuse deal has lower standing charges, making it especially attractive for lower users – but there are some potential drawbacks to consider before you switch.

The maximum amount of compensation given to households and businesses that lose electricity power as a result of severe weather has increased from £700 to £2,000, as part of a raft of new measures announced by energy regulator Ofgem. 

Some Ovo customers with a smart meter can now earn £10 a month in bill credit by lowering their energy usage during peak times. If you can get it, it's a no brainer – but you should still consider and keep an eye out for cheaper fixed deals, as they could save you more money in the long term.

Energy Secretary Grant Shapps has been questioned by MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis about his lack of action to bring down standing charges and why he's yet to introduce an energy social tariff. On ITV's Good Morning Britain (on 19 July), Martin also grilled the minister on whether more support would be offered to vulnerable people this coming winter.