What will happen to energy prices in 2024 and what it means for your bills

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Energy bills are set to rise by £94 a year for millions of households in the new year.

The energy regulator Ofgem has confirmed the new price cap, which comes into effect on January 1.

Energy prices have remained far higher in 2023 than in previous years

It means the average household will see their annual bill increase to £1,928, but the exact amount you pay depends on your usage.

The price cap changes every three months affecting households on default or variable tariffs.

Around 29million customers will see their bills change from the start of they year, and then again in April, July and October 2024.

The energy price cap works by setting a limit on the maximum amount suppliers can charge for each unit of gas and electricity.

That means despite the energy price cap averaging £1,834 right now, you might pay more or less than this amount, depending on how much you use.

We've spoken to energy experts Emily Seymour at Which? and Natalie Mathie at Uswitch to understand what could happen to prices next year.

Here's everything you need to know – and what it means for your bills.

What will happen to energy bills in the new year?

The price cap will rise from £1,834, the lowest figure since March 2022, to £1,928 a year from January 1.

This equates to a rise of roughly 5% rise, or an extra £7.83 a month, for a typical home.

The price of electricity will rise from 27.35p per kWh to 28.62p per kWh.

The unit rates for gas will rise from 6.89p per kWh to 7.42p per kWh.

In preparation for this change, Emily said that certain households should get an up-to-date meter reading in with their supplier.

"We'd recommend that people without a smart meter take a meter reading on or close to December 31 to make sure they pay the correct rates for units used before and after the price increase.

"If you don't have a smart or prepayment meter you should be submitting frequent meter readings anyway, as this ensures you are only ever paying for what you've used and your energy company isn't using estimated figures," said Emily.

The next price cap will come into force on April 1 and will be revealed by Ofgem beforehand in February.

Will energy prices fall again from April?

Energy prices are predicted to come down a little in April, but overall bills aren't predicted to drop significantly any time soon, according to Emily and Natalie.

Analysts at Cornwall Insight predict that prices will hover at around £1,800 for the typical household in 2024.

The latest forecast suggests that bills will fall to £1,816 a year for a typical household in April.

In July they are predicted to fall slightly further to £1,793 a year.

But typical bills could then rise back up to £1,833 a year from October 2024.

But these are just forecasts based on what experts think might happen.

There's no guarantee on what might happen, as wholesale energy prices are affected by many things, and could still go up or down depending on world events.

Natalie said: "The energy market remains volatile, so it can be hard to predict whether opting for a fixed deal or sticking with a standard variable tariff will be cheaper in the long run."

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