Price cap

  • Home supply and services

    Reforming Energy Bills: What’s on the Table?

    There has been much speculation in the energy industry over what reforms to household energy bills could potentially be introduced, particularly with Ofgem due to announce its Q3 (July – September) 2024 Default Tariff Cap figures on Friday (24th). With so many areas under review, we’ve put together an overview...

  • Regulation and policy

    Our response to the Spring Budget

    Once again, a UK budget has seen some significant energy policy announcements that will stir up conversation and opinion across the country. It also shows how reining in energy prices is seen as key to restraining inflation. The pre-budget announcement to maintain the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) at £2,500 had...

  • Home supply and services

    Our response to the publication of the REMA consultation summary

    On 7th March the government published the summary of responses received from its Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) consultation. The responses received showed the industry has expressed strong support (92% agreement) for energy market reform that prioritises decarbonisation, security of supply, and cost-effectiveness. Respondents also agreed that the current...

  • Home supply and services

    Our response to the announcement of the April price cap

    The predictions for the Default Tariff Cap in this piece are out of date, please click here to find our latest forecasts and commentary on the cap. Following the announcement by Ofgem that April’s Default Tariff Cap (price cap) will fall to an average £3,280 per year, nearly a £1,000 drop for...

  • Home supply and services

    Our final forecast for the April price cap

    The predictions for the Default Tariff Cap in this piece are out of date, please click here to find our latest forecasts and commentary on the cap. We have released the final prediction for the April Default Tariff Cap (price cap) following the closure of the observation window1, on 17 February. We...

  • Regulation and policy

    Energy Market Alerts service and key alerts

    Australia’s energy market is rapidly changing, with increasing renewable generation, exiting thermal plants, and new technologies on the horizon, such as hydrogen. Policymakers and regulators at the Federal and State levels are grappling with this transition. As a result, it may seem there are a bewildering number of regulatory changes...

  • Business supply and services

    Predicted fall in the April 2023 Price Cap but prices remain significantly above the EPG  

    The predictions for the Default Tariff Cap in this piece are out of date, please click here to find our latest forecasts and commentary on the cap. Our latest Default Tariff Cap (price cap) forecasts for April – June 2023 (Q223) have dropped by over £600 since the last widely released figures...

  • Home supply and services

    Cornwall Insight comments on the announcement of the October price cap

    If you are a consumer seeking support with their energy bills, please read our blog here: https://www.cornwall-insight.com/support-for-consumers-concerned-about-rising-energy-bills/ The rise in the Default Tariff Cap (price cap) was unfortunately inevitable, as UK bills continue to be the victim of an unstable and unpredictable global market. While there is still some time until...

  • Home supply and services

    What is the price cap?

    We release our price cap forecasts in the hope that we can encourage policy change.  We have created this infographic to help people understand the price cap and how we make our predictions. We would also like to clarify that we cannot influence Ofgem to change the amount of the price cap.  You...

  • Home supply and services

    Cornwall Insight release final predictions for October’s Price Cap

    If you are a consumer seeking support with their energy bills, please read our blog here: https://www.cornwall-insight.com/support-for-consumers-concerned-about-rising-energy-bills/ Cornwall Insight are releasing our final predictions for October’s Default Tariff Cap (Price Cap) prior to Ofgem’s announcement on Friday 26th August. Predictions show a typical household1 will be paying £3,554 equivalent per year...

  • Home supply and services

    Price cap forecasts for January rise to over £4,200 as wholesale prices surge again and Ofgem revises cap methodology

    If you are a consumer seeking support with their energy bills, please read our blog here: https://www.cornwall-insight.com/support-for-consumers-concerned-about-rising-energy-bills/ Our new forecasts for the January Default Tariff Cap have risen by over £650(1), meaning a typical household is now predicted to pay the equivalent of £4,266 a year for the three months to...

  • Home supply and services

    Price cap to remain significantly above £3,000 a year until at least 2024

    Our latest forecasts for the Default Tariff Cap have shown a typical household’s energy bill will be well over £3,000 a year for the next 15 months, with the average bill over Summer 2023 (Apr-Sep) sitting at £3,649 – just over £300 per month. We have also updated the predictions...

  • Home supply and services

    Default Tariff Cap forecast climbs further as Ofgem announcement looms

    Due to market volatility, world events and Ofgem's new methodology, our price cap prediction has changed. Please see the latest predictions via our blogs page here Updated price cap figures here As the energy market continues to grapple with global political and economic uncertainty, the corresponding high wholesale prices, and...

  • Home supply and services

    A Q&A with our price cap specialist, Principal Consultant Dr Craig Lowrey

    We recently held an interview with our price cap specialist, Principal Consultant Dr Craig Lowrey. This discussed recent concerns over the price cap, what makes these predictions useful for domestic and non-domestic consumers and more. Dr Craig Lowrey has over 25 years’ experience in the energy sector, building upon academic...

  • Home supply and services

    New forecasts for the January Default Tariff Cap rise to over £3,000 for a typical user

    Due to market volatility, world events and Ofgem's new methodology, our price cap prediction has changed. Please see the latest predictions via our blogs page here Updated price cap figures here This week Cornwall Insight released its updated forecasts for the Default Tariff Cap. Q1 2023 which runs from January...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Oil prices are dropping, so why are bills still high?

    https://youtu.be/kEvKyeFGZb4 Video transcript Oil prices dropping… why are my bills still high? Last week, in particular, gas and power prices were very low. Gas for one day was 35p/th similar to what we were used to The drop is because Britain is now a major transit point for gas to...

  • Home supply and services

    What is the Market Stabilisation Charge?

    The Market Stabilisation Charge (MSC) requires all domestic suppliers acquiring a customer to make a payment to the supplier that is losing the customer. The charge applies to all switches, so suppliers are not obliged to inform competitors which tariff the consumer switched to or from. It is comprised of...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Cornwall Insight responds to the announcement of an Energy Bill in the Queen’s Speech

    The Queen’s Speech this week included a much-anticipated announcement that an Energy Bill will be introduced at some point over the next parliamentary session. The Bill is a logical conclusion of policy development in the period since the net zero commitment was made in the summer of 2019. It accommodates...

  • Business supply and services

    Wake-up call: Cost pressure in the GB energy market

    This Energy Perspective was published in Issue 791 of Energy Spectrum on 10 January 2022.  The current crises afflicting the energy supply sector, driven by rising energy input costs, are of economy-wide concern. The price of energy has always been an issue of significance for national economic competitiveness, inflation, monetary...

  • Home supply and services

    The risks of short-term interventions distorting long-term incentives in the energy market

    Christmas 2021 was not a time of cheer for the energy industry and its customers. There is acute stress on energy suppliers and consumers from current bills - let alone where they may move to in the coming year. And it seems the political and regulatory debate has moved on...

  • Business supply and services

    With great power comes great responsibility – what can be done for customers and suppliers in these challenging times?

    Given that the situation in the wholesale markets shows no signs of abating, both the government and Ofgem have a shared responsibility for helping to steward the energy sector through a period of profound challenges for suppliers as well as for their customers. Furthermore, the risk of structural damage to...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    2021’s most exciting ‘Charts of the week’

    Some of our team have looked back throughout 2021 and picked their most exciting 'Chart of the week'. Read about their choices and click through to read the full 'Chart of the week'. To do so, you need a free Cornwall Insight account which is easy to create here. Green...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Price cap set for 46% rise for Summer 2022, Winter 2022-23 cap may exceed £2,000

    Due to market volatility, world events and Ofgem's new methodology, our price cap prediction has changed. Please see the latest predictions via our blogs page here Updated price cap figures here Following further highs in wholesale prices and the costs associated with the raft of supplier failures seen in the...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Cliff-hanger: supplier new entry in volatile markets

    The extraordinary developments that have occurred in the energy sector in recent months have led to a tumultuous time for all participants. We have taken a look back through our archives to where we highlighted our concerns a number of years ago that this outcome was, unfortunately, a real possibility. This...

  • Home supply and services

    Shaken, not stirred: The fate of the supply market

    This Energy market perspective was taken from our Energy Spectrum publication on 4 October 2021. To find out more about a free trial to Energy Spectrum, find out more here or contact Robert on r.buckley@cornwall-insight.com. As we enter the winter 2021-22 trading season, the energy supply market remains in intense...

  • Home supply and services

    The competition is on in the domestic energy market

    It is difficult to deny that the Big Six have faced significant competitive pressure in the domestic market over the course of the year. Despite the 11 domestic market exits recorded since January 2019, new entry, new propositions and revitalised sales channels have resulted in some of the highest switching...

  • Regulation and policy

    JR goes in BG’s favour – should you be dancing?

    On Wednesday, Ofgem’s default tariff cap hit the headlines as the Office of National Statistics announced that the lowering of the cap had contributed to UK inflation reaching a three-year low. However, it was a decision issued later in the day that will have greater significance to the industry. The...

  • Home supply and services

    Editor’s Pick | All Hallow’s Eve in the retail market

    This article was originally published in Energy Spectrum Issue 689 on 4 November 2019. Whether by accident or design last week’s last payment date for the 2018-19 Renewables Obligation (RO) followed nine days after Ofgem issued its proposals and impact assessment for ongoing monitoring of energy retailers. Halloween was always going to...

  • Home supply and services

    Rise and fall – regulated price changes afoot

    Despite a high number of suppliers per capita, the largest supplier in the Northern Irish electricity market retains a high market share and a price control. In this week's blog, discuss the recently announced price rise for Power NI, and compare this to the reductions announced in the price cap...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    The default price cap decreases by £75 but predicted to rise in April 2020

    Due to market volatility, world events and Ofgem's new methodology, our price cap prediction has changed. Please see the latest predictions via our blogs page here Updated price cap figures here Ofgem has announced today that the default tariff price cap will fall by £75 from £1,254 to £1,179 per...