Support with rising energy bills

The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak delivered a statement to the House of Commons on 3 February 2022 announcing a number of measures to help people cope with fast rising energy costs. Record increases will see a 54% jump in the energy price cap from 1 April

The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak delivered a statement to the House of Commons on 3 February 2022 announcing a number of measures to help people cope with fast rising energy costs.

Record increases will see a 54% jump in the energy price cap from 1 April 2022 affecting some 22 million customers across the UK. This will mean the average consumer paying by direct debit will face an annual increase of £693 from £1,277 to £1,971 per year with those paying by prepayment facing even higher costs. The price cap is updated twice a year and tracks wholesale energy and other costs that have seen.

The emergency package of measures announced by the Chancellor will see the government offer support with energy bills worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23.

This includes:

  • A £200 discount on their energy bill this Autumn for domestic electricity customers in Great Britain. This will be paid back automatically over the next 5 years starting in 2023-4 when wholesale gas prices are expected to come down.
  • A £150 non-repayable Council Tax Rebate payment for all households that are liable for Council Tax in Bands A-D in England.
  • £144 million of discretionary funding for Local Authorities to support households who need support but are not eligible for the Council Tax Rebate.

The devolved administrations will receive around £715 million funding through the Barnett formula where UK Government support doesn’t cover Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Source: HM Treasury Tue, 08 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Latest INSIGHTS

Check out our latest Insights for useful accounting tips and information.

Entitlement to carer’s allowance

Carer’s credit is a National Insurance credit that can help carers to fill gaps in their National Insurance record. Carers who don’t qualify for Carer’s Allowance may qualify for Carer’s Credit. This may also help carers increase their State Pension

Read More

Rent a Room Scheme – another income stream

The rent-a-room scheme is a set of special rules designed to help homeowners who rent-a-room in their home to create a valuable tax free income stream. If you are using this scheme, you should ensure that rents received from lodgers during the

Read More

HMRC to accept service of legal proceedings by email

HMRC has issued an updated ‘news story’ to confirm that, where possible, new legal proceedings and pre-action letters can be served on the department using email instead of post. This measure was originally introduced in April 2020 in response to the

Read More