Ofgem

The price households pay for energy "will drop considerably" in July, the energy regulator has confirmed to MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis on ITV's Good Morning Britain. It comes ahead of next week's Ofgem announcement on the new Price Cap rate from 1 July, which is predicted to fall below the Government's current Energy Price Guarantee.

Energy suppliers have been permanently banned from fitting prepayment meters into the homes of over-85s and those with chronic illnesses under a new code of practice. Firms also need to prove they meet the industry regulator's new code before restarting forced installations, plus they must now visit each home they plan to install meters into in advance.   

Energy companies have agreed to stop forced installations of prepayment meters, industry regulator Ofgem has confirmed. This includes the remote switching of smart meters into prepay mode, as well as physical meter installations through the use of court warrants. It follows reports that some households were being forcibly switched despite being clearly vulnerable. 

Energy suppliers have been told to do more to help support vulnerable customers this winter by the energy regulator. Improvements called for include demonstrating more clearly how pre-payment customers, who may be self-disconnecting, are identified and supported. 

If you're struggling to pay your energy bills and have built up a debt on your account, your supplier may want to move you onto a prepayment meter so they can collect repayments over time. But prepay is about £70 a year more expensive than direct debit (on typical dual-fuel use), and there's an added risk of being cut off from heat or power if you run out of credit. Below, we explain your rights to refuse prepayment.

The energy price guarantee, which was introduced on 1 October to protect households from a hideous 80% increase in energy bills, will now only last until April 2023, rather than for the next two years as originally planned. Here's what we know so far, and how the shake-up could impact your future bills.  

Thousands of Shell Energy prepayment meter customers on standard variable tariffs will receive a refund of just under a tenner on average after being overcharged for the past three years. In total, 11,275 customers will receive a share of £136,970. 

The price cap on how much energy suppliers can charge households will now change every three months from October, instead of every six months, regulator Ofgem has confirmed. Due to the current high wholesale energy costs, it means we're likely to see price rises TWICE this winter. 

The Government must "immediately" update its energy bills support package to provide additional help that is better targeted towards the most vulnerable, a cross-party group of MPs have said in a new report published today.

Action Fraud, which collects reports of fraud on behalf of the police, has issued a warning for people to beware of fake text messages claiming to be from Ofgem, the energy regulator, which offers bogus £400 rebates. But this is a scam and you should not reply to it.