Help with energy bills
This Library briefing sets out financial and practical help for constituents with domestic energy bills.
Overview
Consumer energy bills are made up of a variety of different costs. These include the wholesale costs of energy, the network costs of transporting the energy, and also energy policy costs. This is because many aspects of energy policy are paid for through energy bills rather than through general taxation.
Since 2020, energy bills have risen to unprecedented levels because of increases in energy demand at the end of the covid-19 pandemic and supply impacts from geopolitical issues, including the conflict in Ukraine. These price rises have brought increased attention to consumer energy issues, including bill protection, energy efficiency, and fuel poverty.
Energy costs, as well as concerns around security and decarbonisation, have also increased focus on consumer energy transitions, such as installing domestic power generation (including solar panels), and transitioning to low-carbon home heating options.
This webpage collects all our energy consumer research in one place, and the links below are to various Library publications on this topic.
Briefings
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Help with energy efficiency, heating and renewable energy in homes
This briefing outlines the various financial support available across the UK for installing energy efficient measures, heating and renewable energy in homes.
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Fuel poverty in the UK
Record energy price rises have led to concern that more families will be drawn into ever deeper fuel poverty. This briefing at how fuel poverty varies across the UK, policies to address fuel poverty, and stakeholder comment on the issue.
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Energy Smart Meters
Between now and the end of 2020 more than 50 million new energy ‘smart meters’ are being rolled out to 30 million homes and smaller non-domestic sites in Great Britain.
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Households off the gas-grid and prices for alternative fuels
How many households use fuels other than mains gas and how have prices of these fuels changed in recent years?
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Energy efficiency of UK homes
Improving energy efficiency can help reduce energy bills, cut carbon emissions and improve energy security. How is the UK doing with efforts to increase energy efficiency?
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Local area data: fuel poverty
Find estimates of households in fuel poverty for constituencies in England, and local authorities across the rest of the UK.
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Introduction to the domestic energy market
This briefing introduces the domestic energy market in Great Britain, explains how energy bills are calculated, and what the current challenges are.
More energy policy collections
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Energy policy research
The Library’s research on energy policy, covering consumers, infrastructure, markets and prices, and legislation, is collected on this webpage.
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Energy policy research: Infrastructure
See all the Library’s research on energy infrastructure issues including large-scale energy generation, and transmission and distribution through grid networks.
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Energy policy research: Legislation
Various pieces of energy legislation have been passed recently or have been proposed by the Labour government. See all our briefings on this legislation here.
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Energy policy research: Markets and prices
See the Library’s research on energy markets, including wholesale and retail markets, domestic and non-domestic industry prices, and energy security issues.
