Energy switching

The price most households pay for gas and electricity will rise by 10% on average from Tuesday 1 October as energy regulator Ofgem has announced the latest Energy Price Cap rates.

The price households pay for gas and electricity will fall by 7% on average from 1 July as energy regulator Ofgem has announced the latest Energy Price Cap rates. Yet despite this, energy bills remain much higher than before the energy crisis hit. We've full info below.

Rules that prevent energy firms from offering cheaper deals to new customers could be scrapped by October, paving the way for you to cut your bills by switching supplier. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis said the move is a much-needed fix for the broken energy market, though while "better late than never", he cautioned that the change is still too far off.

The Energy Price Cap, which dictates the rates most people pay for energy, is now predicted to fall by less than expected over the next year, according to the latest data from analysts Cornwall Insight. It means you'd pay on average 15% less than the current Price Cap over the next year – but you could save more than this by fixing now. We take you through your options.

If you're a Shell Energy (or Octopus) customer on a standard variable tariff (SVT), you could make £50 with an easy trick shared by MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis on the latest episode of ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show Live.

Brand new app-only supplier Fuse Energy – the first new supplier to enter the market since the start of the energy crisis – has launched an electricity-only tariff that undercuts the Price Cap. Crucially, the Fuse deal has lower standing charges, making it especially attractive for lower users – but there are some potential drawbacks to consider before you switch.

E.on Next has become the first big-name energy supplier to launch a fixed tariff costing less than the Price Cap that's available to both new and existing customers. It's currently the cheapest 'open market' deal, costing 2% less than the current Energy Price Cap, though the tariff will cost more than the Cap once it falls from Sunday 1 October. We've full info on whether it's worth considering below.

Millions of Shell broadband and energy customers could be moved to a new provider in the coming months as the supplier has announced plans to sell these parts of its business following a "strategic review" – though there's no immediate change to your services and you should keep paying your bills as normal. 

Energy companies have been called on to voluntarily stop the practice of forcibly moving customers to prepayment meters without taking every step to support households struggling to pay bills first. The message has been put forward in a letter to firms from business and energy secretary, Grant Shapps. It follows a reported surge in households being moved to prepayment meters over recent months.

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.