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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Levi Winchester

Energy bill calculator: See how much your gas and electricity could rise by this winter

Households across the country are braced for another huge hike in energy bills this winter as the cost of living crisis continues to deepen.

Ofgem has confirmed its price cap for October will rocket to £3,549 - up 80% from its current figure of £1,971.

Prepayment meter customers - typically those struggling to pay for their energy - there is a bigger jump from £2,017 to £3,608.

Standard credit customers - so where you pay once you've received your bill - will see their price cap rise from £2,100 to £3,764.

But the price cap isn’t actually a total cap on your energy bills.

Instead, it sets a limit on the rates a supplier can charge for each unit price of electricity and gas you use.

Use our energy bill calculator to work out how much your gas and electricity cost could rise by:

This means your bill still changes depending on how much energy you use.

If you use more energy, you’ll pay more - or use less, and you’ll pay less.

The price cap also sets a maximum for the daily standing charge, which is what you pay to have your home connected to the grid.

To help you understand how much your monthly energy bill could change by, The Mirror has created this interactive calculator.

It's worth noting that this is just a rough guide and is only for people paying a duel fuel, variable tariff by direct debit.

It assumes your estimated energy usage is accurate, and doesn't include any Government help like the £400 energy rebate.

It is impossible to be 100% accurate as there are lots of variables that could impact your bill - and the price cap is what someone with "average" or "typical" energy use will pay.

If you've built up a lot of "credit" in the summer months, then this could mean you won't pay as much as 80% more in the winter.

Or if you find you're using more or less energy, this will also affect how much you're paying.

Unit rates for gas and electricity also vary slightly between regions - so this will affect your bill.

To work out an estimate of how much more you could end up paying, based on your direct debits now, simply enter how much you currently spend each month on energy.

As an example, someone paying £100 could see their bill rise by roughly 80% to £180.

For the January and April results, we've used the latest predictions from Cornwall Insight - these are not confirmed figures from Ofgem.

Cornwall Insight are predicting the price cap could hit £5,386.71 in January, before rising again to £6,616.37 in April.

Anyone on a standard variable rate tariff will be on the price cap - at the moment, this is around 24 million homes.

You’ll be on a standard variable rate if you haven’t fixed into an energy deal.

This calculator doesn't apply if you pay by prepayment or on receipt of your bills.

What energy bill help is available?

If you're struggling to pay your bills, don't bury your head in the sand - speak to your energy provider as soon as possible.

See what tailored support they have available to you - for example, they might be able to offer a payment plan.

It is also worth asking them if you're definitely on their cheapest deal.

All the big energy firms have charitable hardship funds and grants that you may be eligible for if you’re struggling.

For example, the British Gas Energy Trust can be accessed by anyone - not just its customers - providing you meet the eligibility criteria.

If you’re over the state pension age, you may be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment scheme, worth between £100 and £300 during the winter months.

The Government is also giving all people in receipt of this benefit an extra £300 this winter as a one-off cost of living payment.

The Warm Home Discount scheme, which is a one-off payment of £150 distributed by energy suppliers, will open again this winter for vulnerable households.

This will be available to those who get the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit and people on certain benefits who have high energy costs.

For specific energy debt help, speak to:

For wider debt help, speak to:

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