Home energy

If you're a Scottish Power smart meter customer, you're likely to be paying 5% more than it shows on your linked monitor – also known as your 'in-home display' (IHD) – new research from MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) reveals, so check now.

Energy standing charges, which make up around £300 of most people's yearly bills, are to be reviewed by the energy regulator. Ofgem has asked bill payers, suppliers, charities and consumer groups for their views on how an alternative system could work. 

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.

The Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho has written to the regulator Ofgem asking it to tackle the issue of high standing charges, which make up around £334 of most people's annual bills. It comes just days after MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) founder Martin Lewis met with the minister and pushed her on the issue.

Unbelievably, a debt collection firm has been sending emails that appear to be signed by the late pop star Michael Jackson asking for repayments owed to energy firms that have gone bust. In some cases, people don't owe the debt, in others they do – unfortunately it's not always 'black and white'.

Octopus Energy has bought Shell Energy UK in a move which will see Shell's gas and electricity customers moved to Octopus. If you're with Shell, your account, including payment details, will be transferred automatically in the coming weeks and months – just look out for a welcome email from Octopus. Until then, there are no changes and you should keep paying your bills as normal.

EDF Energy will cut bills by £30 for some 260,000 of its customers who get the Government's Warm Home Discount this winter. But with a typical home paying £2,000 a year for energy, the one-off £30 discount is 'not a game-changer', says MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) founder Martin Lewis.

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.

The maximum amount of compensation given to households and businesses that lose electricity power as a result of severe weather has increased from £700 to £2,000, as part of a raft of new measures announced by energy regulator Ofgem. 

Some Ovo customers with a smart meter can now earn £10 a month in bill credit by lowering their energy usage during peak times. If you can get it, it's a no brainer – but you should still consider and keep an eye out for cheaper fixed deals, as they could save you more money in the long term.