Understand your energy costs if you are not protected by the energy price cap

The energy price cap protects people in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) who are on tariffs where the unit rate can go up or down depending on the energy market. These are called standard variable tariffs. The price cap is fixed every three months and unit rates and standing charges are protected from wholesale gas cost rises until the end of June.

You are not protected by the price cap if you:

• agreed a fixed tariff with your supplier
• have a non-domestic energy contract, for example businesses, charities or alternative home residents
• get your heat from a heat network or use heating oil

To protect households and businesses from market volatility, energy companies buy gas and electricity ahead of when they need it. If you get your heating through a heat network, rising wholesale gas prices may impact your heating bill more directly, but in many cases these impacts will be delayed because energy has been bought in advance by suppliers.

Many non-domestic customers are currently protected by fixed contracts, where energy was bought in advance. Higher wholesale costs may feed through to prices when contracts end or are renegotiated. Some regulated costs, such as network charges, may still change depending on contract terms.

Prices for heating oil and Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) are not covered by the price cap but are set by fuel markets and can change quickly. Costs can vary by location, season and delivery timing.  In Great Britain, heating oil is not currently regulated by Ofgem. The Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) oversees consumer protection and competition law in the heating oil sector.

The government has also announced plans to increase the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grant for households and businesses replacing oil or LPG heating systems.

Find out how the CMA is protecting heating oil customers.

Read bigger grants for households on heating oil and LPG on GOV.UK.