Andrew Capstick

Energy & Utilities Editor

Andrew's experience

Andrew joined MSE in July 2016 as an Energy Analyst, covering guides on energy and Cheap Energy Club content. As of September 2023, he's now Energy & Utilities Editor, covering content across energy, water, mobile phones and broadband.

Before joining MSE, Andrew worked as an analyst on a wide range of subjects, from energy and construction to entertainment and sports.

A little more about Andrew

Outside of work, Andrew enjoys travelling, walking, live music, gaming and a good pub garden.

Andrew says...

"Working at MSE is an incredibly rewarding experience, particularly in recent times, helping homes navigate the complexities of their household bills during Covid, and providing vital info for the thousands that have really struggled, and still do, due to the energy crisis and wider cost of living crises."

In the press

Money Saving Expert shares energy pre-payment loophole ahead of price rise Edinburgh Live

Energy firms confirm new rates Daily Record

British Gas, EDF Energy, Scottish Power and more reveal energy rates changing in April MyLondon

Latest from Andrew Capstick

With many complaining about unfair energy direct debit hikes, we take a look at variable direct debits, and MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shows you when it's worth considering them.

6 December 2022

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Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has today announced that the energy price guarantee (EPG), introduced in October to protect households from a hideous 80% increase in energy bills, will continue after April. However, the support available will be massively scaled back. Currently, a typical dual-fuel household pays £2,500/year under the EPG – from April, it'll be £3,000/year until 31 March 2024. We've full info on today's announcements below.

17 November 2022

Energy suppliers will soon be forced to make all of their tariffs available to both new and existing customers as a result of new measures announced by the energy regulator Ofgem. The idea is to ensure consumers can switch to cheaper deals, and suppliers can handle the risks, if wholesale energy prices fall.

15 November 2022

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Millions of households in Britain will get £400 this winter to help with rising energy bills as part of the Government's Energy Bills Support Scheme. Exactly how you'll be paid this money depends on your supplier and how you pay for your energy bills. Below we round up everything you need to know.

17 October 2022

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.

17 October 2022

On Saturday 1 October, prepay energy prices are rising by 27% on average. One question we get asked all the time is: "Can you top up energy NOW to keep cheaper prices for longer?" We've worked hard on this, but it has been tough to nail down.

26 September 2022

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Ovo Energy has announced a new support package for its customers, which will kick in this winter. Crucially, it plans to introduce a payment holiday for prepayment customers in debt from 1 October. Other measures include increasing the amount of emergency credit prepay users can get, offering free energy saving products and boiler services, plus additional funding for its grants scheme.

1 September 2022

Ofgem confirms energy price cap to rise 80% in October

Energy bills will rise by about £1,600/year on average for 24 million households in October, as regulator Ofgem confirmed the largest ever hike to the energy price cap this morning. We've been warning for months this catastrophic rise was coming, and now we know how bad it'll be. Here's what you need to know – including what you'll pay under the new rates and whether it's worth fixing.

25 August 2022

Energy regulator Ofgem has decided against moving the cost of supplier failures out of the standing charges for gas and electricity and recovering it through the unit rates instead. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis has been calling on Ofgem to shift the burden in the price cap away from the standing charge, to ensure that those who cut down their use see a real impact on their bills.

17 August 2022

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.

3 August 2022

Households to get £400 energy grant in six monthly payments from October

The Government has announced details of how the Energy Bills Support Scheme – a £400 payment for all households in Britain to help with energy bills this winter – will work. Most will get the grant automatically from their supplier in six instalments between October and March, but if you've a non-smart prepayment meter you WILL have to take action to get the money.

28 July 2022

Energy regulator Ofgem has ordered energy firms to improve how they set direct debits, after a review found a range of failings, with 100,000s of customers on standard variable tariffs seeing their direct debits doubled – way over the last price cap rise.

12 July 2022

Energy suppliers have massively hiked the early exit fees on their cheapest fixed deals amid the current energy crisis. You could be charged up to a staggering £600 to leave a fixed deal early, so if you're thinking of fixing your energy right now, make sure you check the exit penalties before signing up as getting it wrong could be costly.

22 June 2022

The energy price cap, which governs what most pay for their energy, is set to change every three months from October under plans announced by Ofgem today. The regulator also revealed it will make the 'market stabilisation charge' harsher. This is a charge levied on firms acquiring new customers with cheaper fixed deals, which will likely make it harder for suppliers to undercut the price cap.

15 May 2022

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We've been warning about big energy price hikes for months, but the harsh reality hits home today (Friday 1 April), as about 22 million households will see a massive jump of an average £700/year on their energy bills, as the new price cap kicks in – with most suppliers pricing their standard tariffs on or near the max allowed. Unfortunately, due to the dire state of the energy market, most still can't save by switching. Here's what you need to know.

4 April 2022

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Around 11 million households on standard energy tariffs are likely to see huge price rises this winter, with industry experts Cornwall Insight predicting an increase of more than £100/yr to regulator Ofgem's price cap. But many can beat the hikes and save £100s by switching now.

24 March 2022