London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Dec 04, 2025

Energy price guarantee: How bill freeze announced by Liz Truss will affect you

Energy price guarantee: How bill freeze announced by Liz Truss will affect you

An unprecedented intervention in the energy market will shield households, businesses and public sector organisations from the worst of the surge in wholesale gas prices.

The Truss government's "energy price guarantee" aims to keep the bill pain facing the public at less than half the amount predicted for the winter ahead, with firms also getting help to protect the economy - but not for as long.

Public sector organisations such as schools are included too.

While the plan shelters us all from the eye-watering sums predicted for bills ahead, there will be a price to pay eventually as the taxpayer is initially being placed on the hook for the support which could exceed the COVID-era bailout in scale.

Here, Sky News explains how you will be helped in the months ahead.

Households


Last month it was announced that the energy price cap would rise to an average annual £3,549 in October from the current £1,971.

That will now not happen.

Ms Truss says the cap will be superseded by the new price guarantee - a sum that will not exceed £2,500 from October for two years.

Helping bring that number back to the level of the current cap is the previously announced £400 discount for each household and a temporary removal of green levies, worth £150 a year, from bills.

The energy price guarantee covers the vast majority of households - around 24 million who pay for their gas and electricity by direct debit.

What this announcement does not mean is that you will not pay more for your gas and electricity. It is an average sum based on unit prices so the more you use, the more you will pay.

What the Treasury is doing is effectively covering the difference between (soaring) wholesale prices that will exceed the household bill 'guarantee' level of £2,500.

I am not currently covered by the price cap. Do I benefit?


A fraction of households are on time-limited fixed price deals.

There are 4.5 million on pre-payment meters who currently pay around 5% more than those under the price cap.

It is understood that the same comparable level of discount will apply across all current variable tariffs in the domestic market but answers are being sought from the government to clarify what that will mean for fixed rate customers.

As things stand, some may have to pay a penalty to exit their deal, assuming it is financially beneficial to do so.

Ms Truss's statement in the Commons did reveal that those who do not directly pay for their energy, such as people living in park homes, would be helped via a fund.

Properties on heating oil, the PM said, would also benefit from the new fund. More details are promised by next week at the latest.

Businesses


Firms have had no shield from rising energy prices unless they had or have a fixed deal.

The toll has led to typical five-fold increases in energy costs - worse for energy intensive companies.

Some of those additional costs have contributed markedly to inflation as they have been passed down the supply chain to consumers in the goods and services we use. Think food, attractions and transport.

What the government said on Thursday was business would benefit with energy assistance for six months, in line with the level of support for consumers.

A series of reviews, starting in December, will then determine which sectors will need targeted aid beyond April.

Ms Truss suggested hospitality would be among the sectors likely to qualify.

Public sector bodies


The same help being offered to businesses will apply to the likes of charities and schools.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
India backs down on plan to mandate government “Sanchar Saathi” app on all smartphones
King Charles Welcomes German President Steinmeier to UK in First State Visit by Berlin in 27 Years
UK Plans Major Cutback to Jury Trials as Crown Court Backlog Nears 80,000
UK Government to Significantly Limit Jury Trials in England and Wales
U.S. and U.K. Seal Drug-Pricing Deal: Britain Agrees to Pay More, U.S. Lifts Tariffs
UK Postpones Decision Yet Again on China’s Proposed Mega-Embassy in London
Head of UK Budget Watchdog Resigns After Premature Leak of Reeves’ Budget Report
Car-sharing giant Zipcar to exit UK market by end of 2025
Reports of Widespread Drone Deployment Raise Privacy and Security Questions in the UK
UK Signals Security Concerns Over China While Pursuing Stronger Trade Links
Google warns of AI “irrationality” just as Gemini 3 launch rattles markets
Top Consultancies Freeze Starting Salaries as AI Threatens ‘Pyramid’ Model
Macron Says Washington Pressuring EU to Delay Enforcement of Digital-Regulation Probes Against Meta, TikTok and X
UK’s DragonFire Laser Downs High-Speed Drones as £316m Deal Speeds Naval Deployment
UK Chancellor Rejects Claims She Misled Public on Fiscal Outlook Ahead of Budget
Starmer Defends Autumn Budget as Finance Chief Faces Accusations of Misleading Public Finances
EU Firms Struggle with 3,000-Hour Paperwork Load — While Automakers Fear De Facto 2030 Petrol Car Ban
White House launches ‘Hall of Shame’ site to publicly condemn media outlets for alleged bias
UK Budget’s New EV Mileage Tax Undercuts Case for Plug-In Hybrids
UK Government Launches National Inquiry into ‘Grooming Gangs’ After US Warning and Rising Public Outcry
Taylor Swift Extends U.K. Chart Reign as ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ Hits Six Weeks at No. 1
250 Still Missing in the Massive Fire, 94 Killed. One Day After the Disaster: Survivor Rescued on the 16th Floor
Trump: National Guard Soldier Who Was Shot in Washington Has Died; Second Soldier Fighting for His Life
UK Chancellor Reeves Defends Tax Rises as Essential to Reduce Child Poverty and Stabilise Public Finances
No Evidence Found for Claim That UK Schools Are Shifting to Teaching American English
European Powers Urge Israel to Halt West Bank Settler Violence Amid Surge in Attacks
"I Would Have Given Her a Kidney": She Lent Bezos’s Ex-Wife $1,000 — and Received Millions in Return
European States Approve First-ever Military-Grade Surveillance Network via ESA
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
UK Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Palestine Action as Critics Decry Heavy-Handed Measures
Investors Rush Into UK Gilts and Sterling After Budget Eases Fiscal Concerns
UK to Raise Online Betting Taxes by £1.1 Billion Under New Budget — Firms Warn of Fallout
Lamine Yamal? The ‘Heir to Messi’ Lost to Barcelona — and the Kingdom Is in a Frenzy
Warner Music Group Drops Suit Against Suno, Launches Licensed AI-Music Deal
HP to Cut up to 6,000 Jobs Globally as It Ramps Up AI Integration
MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Promises ‘Full-Time’ Education for All Children as School Attendance Slips
UK Extends Sugar Tax to Sweetened Milkshakes and Lattes in 2028 Health Push
UK Government Backs £49 Billion Plan for Heathrow Third Runway and Expansion
UK Gambling Firms Report £1bn Surge in Annual Profits as Pressure Mounts for Higher Betting Taxes
UK Shares Advance Ahead of Budget as Financials and Consumer Staples Lead Gains
Domino’s UK CEO Andrew Rennie Steps Down Amid Strategic Reset
UK Economy Stalls as Reeves Faces First Budget Test
UK Economy’s Weak Start Adds Pressure on Prime Minister Starmer
UK Government Acknowledges Billionaire Exodus Amid Tax Rise Concerns
UK Budget 2025: Markets Brace as Chancellor Faces Fiscal Tightrope
UK Unveils Strategic Plan to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
UK Taskforce Calls for Radical Reset of Nuclear Regulation to Cut Costs and Accelerate Build
UK Government Launches Consultation on Major Overhaul of Settlement Rules
×