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British energy costs to fall to lowest in two years after cost cap cut

Many British home energy costs will fall from April after regulator Ofgem cut its domestic cost cap to its most affordable in more than 2 years.

The drop, prompted by lower wholesale energy prices, will offer some respite for families battling with a cost of living crisis, while likewise assisting to curb inflation.

Ofgem's new cap of 1,690 pounds ($ 2,139) a year for average use of electrical power and gas is down 238 pounds, or 12.3%, from the previous cap of 1,928 pounds.

This will see energy costs reach their least expensive level considering that Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ofgem stated.

Ofgem said that while the drop was excellent news for customers there were still challenges in the energy market, with a record 3.1 billion pounds in unpaid expenses.

The guard dog has actually allowed suppliers to consist of a short-term charge equivalent to 28 pounds a year to assist them to cover customer bad debt.

But longer term, we require to think of what more can be provided for those who just can not pay for to pay their energy bills even as prices fall, said Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley.

Project group National Energy Action stated that 6 million households would stay in fuel poverty in spite of the minimized cost cap. Fuel poverty is specified as being not able to afford to heat homes to temperature levels required to remain warm and healthy.

In a separate announcement, the government stated it would collect views on how energy offers can be made more versatile to When prices, make it possible for clients to pay less if utilizing electrical energy are lower, adding that 10 million pounds is readily available to help business test brand-new technologies and tariffs.

Experts at Cornwall Insight forecast the cap level will fall again when it is next set for July to October to around 1,462 pounds a year before increasing again somewhat in the winter.

While it's sensible not to get ahead of ourselves, there are promising signals that the energy market is starting to stabilise, said Cornwall's Concept Specialist Craig Lowery.

About 29 million consumers are on standard rate tariffs covered by the price cap, which was presented in 2019 to protect consumers.

The cap is set utilizing aspects such as network fees and social and environmental expenses as well as wholesale energy costs. It is upgraded every quarter to show modifications to those expenses.

(source: Reuters)