Ofgem has today announced that the energy price cap will rise by 5% from January for the first quarter of 2024.
After the energy regulator brought the average annual household energy bill to below £2,000 for the first time since April 2022 with its last announcement back in August for the final quarter of 2023, Ofgem has just announced this morning that the energy price cap will unfortunately be rising once the new year rolls around.
The energy price cap is – which is updated every quarter throughout the year – sets a maximum that can be charged to customers for energy bills.
From 1 January 2024, the price cap will increase by 5% on the previous quarter to 31 March, which means that, for an average household paying by direct debit for dual fuel, this equates to £1,928 and a rise of £94 over the course of a year.
The 5% rise also means the average household could be spending around £7.83 extra on bills a month.
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The quarterly energy Price Cap will change from 1 January 2024.
With the rising cost of living crisis sadly continuing the make its impact felt nationwide, the energy price cap increase is sure to mean thousands of Brits will be facing another difficult winter.
According to Ofgem, today’s price cap increase is driven almost-entirely by rising costs in the international wholesale energy market, and is due to “market instability” and “global events” – particularly the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
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Ofgem’s announcement of the energy price cap rise comes only a few months after a shocking survey by Which? found that nearly nine in 10 (85%) British households admitted to trying to cut back on their energy usage due to rising bills putting significant financial, physical, and emotional strains on consumers.
The same survey also revealed that 13 million Brits didn’t put their heating on when it got cold last winter, as they claimed they were just “too scared” to do so.
Ofgem announces energy price cap will rise by 5% to £1,928 from January / Credit: Pxhere
Ofgem says its “priority” is to “protect consumers” and “ensure they pay a fair price for their energy” this winter.
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“This is a difficult time for many people, and any increase in bills will be worrying,” Ofgem’s CEO Jonathan Brearley commented on the price cap announcement today, “But this rise is a result of the wholesale cost of gas and electricity rising, which needs to be reflected in the price that we all pay.
“It is important that customers are supported and we have made clear to suppliers that we expect them to identify and offer help to those who are struggling with bills.
The Price Cap sets a limit on the maximum amount suppliers can charge for each unit of gas and electricity you use, including the daily standing charge.
Today we have announced what the price cap will be from 1 January 2024.
“We are also seeing the return of choice to the market, which is a positive sign.
“Customers could benefit from shopping around with a range of tariffs now available offering the security of a fixed rate or a more flexible deal that tracks below the price cap.”
Mr Brearley added that people should “weigh up all the information” and “seek independent advice” from trusted sources, all while consider what’s “most important” for them – whether that’s the lowest price, or the security of a fixed deal.
The next quarterly energy price cap announcement covering April – June 2024 is expected to be made next February, Ofgem has confirmed.
Featured Image – Pxhere
News
Onlookers ‘in tears’ after tiny duckling rescued from storm drain in beauty spot
Daisy Jackson
The RSPCA has shared a heartwarming video of a reunion between a tiny duckling and his mum, after the baby bird fell into a storm drain.
The charity, with the help of staff in the nearby Grandpa Greene’s Luxury Ice Cream Parlour, managed to fish the tiny bird out of the storm drain in a painstaking two-hour-long operation.
Miraculously, the duckling was unharmed, and his mum was waiting nearby on the canal in Saddleworth ready to be reunited with her baby.
The RSPCA has now thanked the staff member who helped rescue the duckling, and issued a warning to the public to keep dogs on a lead when near wildlife, believing the poor bird was chased by a dog before falling down the five-feet-high grid.
The rescue operation too place in Diggle last Wednesday 9 April, with Animal Rescue Officer Lee Ferrans taking on the ‘long and painstaking’ process of tempting the duckling into a net.
Lee said: “I wasn’t able to lift the grid so the only thing I could do was push an extendable pole straight down and try to catch the duckling in a net. There wasn’t a lot of room for manoeuvre and the net kept catching on all the debris.
“Just when I thought I’d been successful, the duckling kept disappearing into a drain on one side and then popping out again. A member of staff from Grandpa Greene’s had just finished her shift and came across to the other side of the canal to help me. I unscrewed the top of the pole with the net and held it down on one side of the drain while she used another section to gently encourage the bird to go into the net.
“It was quite a long and painstaking rescue but we eventually managed to bring the little one back up safely after more than two hours.”
The pair then placed the duckling into a cardboard box before heading further up the canal to reunite them with their mother and six sibling ducklings.
The adult duck ‘instantly recognised’ the chirping and swam straight towards it.
Lee added: “A little crowd had gathered and as the family were reunited people were shedding tears. It was a really lovely moment to see them all back together.
“I’d especially like to thank the member of staff from Grandpa Greene’s who offered an extra pair of hands – I couldn’t have done it without her – and to all the people in the area who stopped and were concerned.
“Storm drains can be a bit of a menace for ducklings, especially at this time of the year when there are babies around, and this brood was only a few days old.”
Man jailed for throwing acid in the face of a 16-year-old boy
Daisy Jackson
A man has been thrown behind bars for eight years and two months after throwing a corrosive substance over a 16-year-old boy, leaving him with serious injuries.
When Gilson Martins of Ashton Street, Rochdale, was arrested, he was found to be in possession of acid, being kept in a bottle of hair dye.
He pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of a corrosive substance, and witness intimidation, and was also sentenced for unrelated drugs offences in 2022.
On 24 March 2024, Martins plotted the attack on his 16-year-old victim, even demonstrating to another man how effective the acid would be by using it on a piece of paper.
The victim was then lured to an address in the Woodley area by an accomplice, where he was confronted by Martins.
When an altercation broke out, a corrosive substance was thrown over the teen.
He was taken to hospital with serious injuries which required intensive treatment at a specialist burns unit, with several more procedures taking place since.
When a man spoke to police about the acid attack, Martins attended his home and threatened to ‘stab him, throw acid on him, and carve his name’ into him.
#JAILED| A man has been jailed following an acid attack on a 16-year-old boy in Stockport last year.
Gilson Martins (06/12/01) was arrested by armed police following the attack, and was discovered with an acid-filled bottle of hair dye.
The man in question barricaded himself in his bedroom while Martins knifed the door, fleeing shortly before police arrived.
He was arrested by armed officers on 10 April this year, where he was found with a bottle of hair dye.
Detective Constable Heather Parke, from GMP’s Stockport district, said: “The effects of attacks involving corrosive substances are well-known, and can result in severe, life-changing injuries or even death.
“Using them in attacks is utterly vile and I am glad Martins is now behind bars for his vicious assault. His victim received injuries from which he is still suffering, and has already received numerous treatments.
“We have zero tolerance for these sort of crimes, and we put considerable resources into ensuring that Martins was arrested, charged, and sentenced. He now has a long time to think about his actions inside a prison cell.”
Emily Sergeant -
23rd November 2023 
