Utilities

Broadband, mobile and pay TV firms will no longer be able to hit customers with inflation-linked price hikes mid-contract, under proposals put forward by the telecoms regulator. But while MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) founder Martin Lewis has welcomed the move, he has also called on Ofcom to ensure any rises are never above inflation.

The annual cost of a standard colour TV licence will rise to £169.50 from 1 April 2024 – an increase of £10.50 on the current price of £159 a year – the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has announced. It's the first increase to the fee since April 2021.

Broadband and mobile firms should be banned from hitting their customers with unpredictable mid-contract price hikes, consumer group Which? and charity Citizens Advice have said. The organisations have urged the telecoms regulator to stop these "unjust hikes" to ensure people are given certainty about how much their contract will cost when they sign up. 

Some water bills in England and Wales could rise by less than planned from April 2024, as 12 water companies have been hit with a collective £114 million penalty for missing targets on pollution, leaks and customer service.

Most households are on standard energy tariffs right now, with prices controlled by the Energy Price Cap, but deals are starting to return – including Octopus Energy's 'Tracker' tariff, which has relaunched and could be worth switching to. It's not right for everyone, but if you're willing to regularly keep track of daily price changes, it could mean big savings. We've full info below.

Agile Octopus is a variable tariff where the rates you pay for energy can change half hourly, based on wholesale prices. It's been cheaper than the Price Cap recently – and it even paid customers up to £22 to use electricity in July. It's not right for everyone, but if you use the tariff the right way, it could mean big savings. We've full info below.

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.

Over 400,000 more households could get access to energy efficiency improvements, such as loft or wall insulation, after the Government announced plans to expand the existing Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme. We've full info on who's eligible, what's available and how to get it.

Energy regulator Ofgem has this morning announced the new Energy Price Cap and, as expected, it's set to drop significantly. From Saturday 1 July, it'll fall to £2,074 a year for a typical household, 17% lower than the current Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) level. This means the EPG will fall away and almost everyone's bills will once again be controlled by the Price Cap.

Energy regulator Ofgem has this morning announced the new Energy Price Cap, with prices set to fall by 7% on average from October. Despite the drop, energy bills will still likely be more expensive than last winter. We've full info below.