Ofgem

Rules that prevent energy firms from offering cheaper deals to new customers could be scrapped by October, paving the way for you to cut your bills by switching supplier. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis said the move is a much-needed fix for the broken energy market, though while "better late than never", he cautioned that the change is still too far off.

If you are aged 75 or over, or have a child under two, energy suppliers will soon be permanently banned from forcibly installing a prepayment meter in your home. It comes as the energy regulator's current code of practice is to be extended, and become mandatory, in a bid to protect more households. Firms flouting the rules, which will take force from 8 November, will face fines.  

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. 

E.on Next will pay 500,000 customers £8 each in compensation after they struggled to get through to the firm on the phone last year. Below we explain who will get these payments and how.

Millions of Shell broadband and energy customers could be moved to a new provider in the coming months as the supplier has announced plans to sell these parts of its business following a "strategic review" – though there's no immediate change to your services and you should keep paying your bills as normal. 

The price households pay for energy "will drop considerably" in July, the energy regulator has confirmed to MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis on ITV's Good Morning Britain. It comes ahead of next week's Ofgem announcement on the new Price Cap rate from 1 July, which is predicted to fall below the Government's current Energy Price Guarantee.

Energy suppliers have been permanently banned from fitting prepayment meters into the homes of over-85s and those with chronic illnesses under a new code of practice. Firms also need to prove they meet the industry regulator's new code before restarting forced installations, plus they must now visit each home they plan to install meters into in advance.   

Energy companies have agreed to stop forced installations of prepayment meters, industry regulator Ofgem has confirmed. This includes the remote switching of smart meters into prepay mode, as well as physical meter installations through the use of court warrants. It follows reports that some households were being forcibly switched despite being clearly vulnerable. 

Energy suppliers have been told to do more to help support vulnerable customers this winter by the energy regulator. Improvements called for include demonstrating more clearly how pre-payment customers, who may be self-disconnecting, are identified and supported. 

If you're struggling to pay your energy bills and have built up a debt on your account, your supplier may want to move you onto a prepayment meter so they can collect repayments over time. But prepay is about £70 a year more expensive than direct debit (on typical dual-fuel use), and there's an added risk of being cut off from heat or power if you run out of credit. Below, we explain your rights to refuse prepayment.