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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent

A social tariff could bring a warm glow to UK energy policy

A prepayment meter in a kitchen.
Almost 2 million households in fuel poverty will get no help with energy costs under the current system. Photograph: Sean Spencer/Alamy

Nearly a decade ago, former Labour leader Ed Miliband sowed the seeds of the energy price cap, vowing to protect households from unfair tariffs by freezing their energy bills. But even though a cap has been in place since 2018, bills today can be far from affordable, even when they are fair.

On Friday, industry regulator Ofgem will set its new limit on how much suppliers can charge per unit of gas and electricity. Analysts at Cornwall Insight expect it to lower the energy price cap from £2,074 a year for the typical household to £1,823, which would be its lowest level since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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