Increasing energy prices

Ofgem have announced the energy price cap will raise an average of 6% from 1 April 2025. This means a typical housing paying by direct debit will pay £1,849 per year. The price cap sets a limit of the maximum amount suppliers can charge for each unit of gas or energy you use, if you use more you pay more, if you use less you’ll pay less.

Depending on your personal energy usage, you may be better off fixing your bills. Money Saving Expert have a handy calculator which you can use to see what is most suitable for you.

Energy price guarantee

If you are not on a fixed tariff or have not changed your supplier in the last 12 months, it’s worth checking you are on the most cost effective tariff. Money Saving Expert have a handy calculator which you can use to see what is most suitable for you. Take a look at our handy hints and tips to help you reduce your energy bills. You can get energy help from Green Doctors Get Energy Help - Groundwork

Request money support

Helping you reduce your energy bills

Our partners at Durham County Council’s Managing Money Better can help you reduce your energy bills. We will arrange for a home visit where Managing Money Better will carry out a free home energy assessment to:

Assess your fuel bills and help you to switch suppliers if savings can be made
Make sure you understand your heating system and controls
Provide energy efficiency advice and arrange practical support, if needed, such as insulation
Deal with fuel debt, including negotiating affordable payment arrangements and grant applications to Charitable Trusts.
Deal with complex energy issues such as disputing a bill
Access grants for insulation and other energy efficiency measures
Access benefits or schemes (for example Warm Home Discount and the Priority Services Register)
Provide budgeting help for ongoing energy consumption

Request money support

Priority Services Register

Vulnerable people could also be eligible for extra support by joining the Priority Services Register, a free support service for people in vulnerable situations. The register ensures that people with special requirements have access to additional support from their energy supplier as and when they need it, from large text or Braille bills, to priority service in a power cut.

You may be eligible if:

You have reached state pension age
You are pregnant or have children under five
You experience mental health issues
You are disabled or have a long-term medical condition
You have sight or hearing problems
You have difficulty communicating
You have recently suffered bereavement

Register for support

Citizens Advice County Durham Energy Redress Scheme

The Citizens Advice County Durham Energy Redress Scheme supports all energy consumers in County Durham, especially the most vulnerable and socially isolated, with the full spectrum of energy-related matters, including (but not exclusive to):

Energy debt advice
Supplier queries
Energy bill queries
Grants and schemes information
Your rights explained
Energy efficiency hints and tips
Maximising your income

We're here to support you access this scheme, find out more by clicking the button below.

Request support

We know that The Don't Pay Group are leading a campaign to get people to refuse to pay their energy bill.

If you are struggling to pay your gas or electricity bills make sure you contact your supplier and request support from us, as we may be able to help.

We don't provide financial advice, but we do want you to understand the impacts of not paying.

If you don't agree a payment plan with your supplier, they might try to force you to have a pre-payment meter installed.
In very rare cases, if you haven't paid a bill after 28 days you might be threatened with disconnection of your supply, but you'll normally be offered a meter instead.
Your supplier may pass your details onto a debt collection agency - and there may be charges to cover the cost of this.
Many suppliers charge extra fees for late payments, so this could be another additional cost.
Paying by direct debit is normally the cheapest way to pay for gas and electricity, so if you cancel your direct debit then your bills will likely increase.

Not paying your bills could damage your credit rating and make it more difficult for you to borrow money in the future.

Energy myth busting - spend less on gas and electricity

The MoneySavingExpert has a handy guide which focuses on the grey areas and a lot of disputed claims around saving energy.

Visit MoneySavingExper

It’s surprising how much you can achieve by making a few easy adjustments to your home and daily habits. Just be consistent and you’ll soon see the savings build up. Try these ideas to get started:

Do it whenever you leave the room. And fit energy efficient bulbs. They’re more expensive initially but they use much less energy and replacing all bulbs in your home with these could save about £40 a year on your electricity bills. So they’re well worth it.

Leaving your phone, tablet or laptop charger plugged in when you’re not using it drains money from your pocket. You’re just paying for it to waste energy by getting warm.

Leaving your TV on standby means it’s still using energy. And experts have calculated that UK households waste an average of £30 a year powering appliances they’re not even using.

Furniture pressed up against a radiator stops heat reaching the room. Move things an inch or two away and better air circulation will have your room getting warm and cosy much faster.

It’s surprisingly easy to add reflector panels behind your radiators to bounce more of the infra-red heat rays back into your room – so less warmth gets lost through the wall.

You can save £50 a year by using the 30 degree cycle on your washing machine and by avoiding using the tumble dryer. Try drying clothes on racks inside where possible or outside in warmer weather.

Stockpile energy now. Stockpiling is paying a large payment in one go, instead of a usual and more regular top-up. The advantage of this is that you buy the same amount of energy all at once but do so when it is at a cheaper rate. If you buy the same amount of energy but after the price rises come in on April 1, you will pay more.

For those paying for energy by direct debit, its best take a meter reading on 31 March before prices rise and tell your energy provider by submitting meter readings. Make sure you pay for everything you used at the cheapest rate.

What happens if my fuel supplier goes out of business?

Will I be cut off?

No, when this happens customers are automatically moved to a different supplier; no one will be cut off. But make sure you take meter readings when you are notified of a new supplier to prevent problems later down the line – take photos if you can.

If I am moved to a new supplier will I be on the same tariff as before?

No, the new supplier will put you on a new, probably higher, tariff. Any credit you had will move with you to your new account

Can I switch from the new supplier to a different one and get a cheaper deal?

You can switch suppliers and there will be no exit fee - there are still a few cheaper deals out there. But Citizen’s Advice says you may find it harder to get any credit back if you switch too soon and recommends waiting until you’ve moved to the new supplier first.

Should I cancel the Direct Debit for my old supplier?

Citizen’s advice recommend that you wait until your new account is set up before cancelling your direct debit

Will my prepayment meter be affected with a new supplier?

It’s best to just top up with small amounts while you are waiting for your new account to be set up – your new supplier will let you know how to top up your meter and the location of any new top-up point.

I was in debt to my old supplier. What will happen now?

Your new supplier will let you know if they are taking on the old debt or not. You may be sent a bill from the administrator dealing with your old company. Either way try to make an arrangement to pay back the debt gradually.

What can I do to stop my fuel bills from spiralling?

Contact us to arrange to talk to independent energy experts at Durham County Council’s Managing Money Better. They can:

Check if you are entitled to £140 off your fuel bills through the Warm Homes Discount.
Get help with energy debts.
Help you to find a cheaper deal.

Or visit moneysavingexpert.com to check for yourself.

More information

MoneyHelper

British Gas - Energy saving tips

Latest benefits support

Cheapest petrol near you