Overview

• Octopus Energy told the Commons Energy Security and Net Zero Committee that typical household electricity costs could be about 20% higher in four to five years even if wholesale prices halve.
• Industry witnesses said non‑commodity costs such as policy levies and network charges add roughly £300 a year to bills and are set to grow.
• EDF UK highlighted higher UK delivery and service costs compared with France, attributing the gap to complex regulation rather than wholesale markets.
• Proposals aired to lower consumer costs included moving gas power plants into a strategic reserve and adopting targeted billing to shield very low‑income households.
• Ministers dismissed the projections as speculation, as MPs also heard energy debt could reach around £5bn by Christmas following a recent rise in Ofgem’s price cap to £1,755.