Money Box

How new rules might affect your energy bills


Listen Later

This week, the energy regulator Ofgem, announced that the price cap, which most of us now pay for our electricity and gas, would be set every three months, not six as it does now. It says updating it more frequently should help avoid the kind of price shocks people are seeing now - with some saying their bill is doubling. It will also help the suppliers because if prices rise sharply they will not have to sell electricity and gas at below market rates for so long.

Ofgem is also introducing a new charge on firms that offer customers cheaper deals. In future if someone switches to a cheaper supplier that supplier will have to pay a fee to their old supplier of part of the difference between the old and new rate. Critics say this Market Stabilisation Charge will make it uneconomic to offer cheaper deals. We'll discuss that with Neil Kenward the Director for Strategy at Ofgem.

As inflation hits a 40 year high with prices rising 9% a year, our reporter Dan Whitworth visits Money Matters an advice centre Glasgow, which says it's facing unprecedented demand for help.

And, in April, the Institute for Fiscal Studies warned that for some people the interest rate on their student loans could hit 12% later this year, because it is linked to inflation. It warned that might put some school-leavers off university. Or that high-earning graduates might be tempted to raid their savings to pay off their remaining debt. We'll hear from one graduate considering borrowing to pay off his student loan, and speak to Nick Hillman, the Director of The Higher Education Policy Institute, about the pitfalls of doing that.

Presenter: Paul Lewis

Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researcher: Amber Mehmood
Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 21st May, 2022)

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Money BoxBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.1
  • 4.1
  • 4.1
  • 4.1
  • 4.1

4.1

21 ratings


More shows like Money Box

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,389 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,839 Listeners

Wake Up to Money by BBC Radio 5 Live

Wake Up to Money

59 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,886 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,791 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,052 Listeners

The Bottom Line by BBC Radio 4

The Bottom Line

32 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

898 Listeners

 by Financial Times

57 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,921 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,078 Listeners

The Martin Lewis Podcast by BBC Radio 5 Live

The Martin Lewis Podcast

48 Listeners

The Meaningful Money Personal Finance Podcast by Pete Matthew

The Meaningful Money Personal Finance Podcast

81 Listeners

The Money To The Masses Podcast by Damien Fahy

The Money To The Masses Podcast

11 Listeners

This is Money Podcast by This is Money

This is Money Podcast

42 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

821 Listeners

Cash Chats UK Money & Personal Finance podcast by Andy Webb

Cash Chats UK Money & Personal Finance podcast

6 Listeners

AJ Bell Money & Markets by AJ Bell

AJ Bell Money & Markets

14 Listeners

Which? by Which?

Which?

13 Listeners

On The Money by interactive investor

On The Money

5 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

736 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

2,962 Listeners

Switch Your Money On by Hargreaves Lansdown

Switch Your Money On

4 Listeners

Many Happy Returns by PensionCraft

Many Happy Returns

37 Listeners

Making Money by Damien Jordan & Timeyin Akerele from Most

Making Money

11 Listeners