What will the spring Budget mean for your energy bills?

Last Wednesday’s Budget announcement by the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt included an extension to the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) for a further three months, to June 2023. 

The Energy Price Guarantee has been in place since October 2022 and ensures that unit prices for gas and electricity are capped. Currently, this means that the annual bill for an average household is around £2,500, or £208 per month. It is estimated that this extension will save the average household £160. 

Households that use more energy than average will pay more than this. 

Most households will see their payments increase from April, despite the Energy Price Guarantee extension, due to the Government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) coming to an end. The Energy Bills Support Scheme is a £400 discount on energy bills that most households have received as an automatic discount of £67 to their monthly payment for electricity. Households are being reminded to budget for this after the last discount is applied in March. 

Some households did not receive the Energy Bills Support Scheme automatically, if they do not have a direct relationship with an electricity supplier. The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Fund is now being offered to these households and, if eligible, they can apply through GOV.UK to receive a one-off payment of £400.  

See our cost of living webpages for more support, advice and resources from Shropshire Council and our partners.