Overview

• Cornwall Insight forecasts a 1% rise in the Ofgem cap on Wednesday to £1,737 a year for a typical household on a standard variable tariff.
• University of York research finds 12.1 million households are struggling with energy costs, with 43% spending over 10% of income and nearly 5 million over 20%.
• Pensioner households are heavily exposed, with an estimated 3.2 million in fuel poverty and 964,000 in deep fuel poverty.
• The strain is uneven across the UK, with the highest rates reported in Northern Ireland and the West Midlands, followed by Scotland and the North East, and greater risks for renters and families with children.
• Household energy arrears have hit about £4.15 billion as advocates call for structural reforms such as cutting gas reliance and reviewing cost allocations, even as schemes like the Warm Home Discount and supplier hardship funds remain in place.