loveMONEY comment: lock into a fixed energy deal NOW or be stuck overpaying for the next year

Energy prices keep rising, but those who act right now can shield themselves from the worst of the increases.

Households could save £170 or more by acting now and locking into a fixed energy tariff.

The Energy Price Cap, which dictates the maximum amount suppliers can charge per unit of energy and is amended every three months to reflect wholesale prices, is set to increase by 6.4% from April. 

This will see the energy bills for a household with average usage rising £111 to £1,849 for the next 12 months.  

With the Price Cap expected to fluctuate slightly in the months ahead, typical bills will likely sit somewhere between £1,750 and £1,850 for the remainder of 2025 (see the table below for forecast price ranges).

Given this figure was as low as £1,568 last Summer, it's clear many households will be under far more pressure to pay their energy bills this year. 

And this is already a widespread problem: debt charity Citizens Advice estimates that 6.7 million people are already in debt to their supplier, while one in four overall could be forced to limit their heating as a result of sky-high energy costs – and that's before the latest price hikes kick in. 

*Estimates from Eon, EDF, British Gas & Cornwall Insight
**Estimates from Eon, EDF & British Gas

Visit the loveMONEY energy hub page to see how much you could save by switching and get more tips to help cut your bills

How to shield yourself from the hikes

So what can you do if you're worried about your energy bills?

While the obvious way to cut costs is by reducing the amount of energy used – and you can see our tips for doing so here and here – the reality is most households are already doing everything they can in this regard.

One of the things that could help millions of people offset the pain of the impending hikes is to lock into a fixed energy deal.

As the name suggests, these tariffs promise to charge you a set rate for a fixed period, usually around 12 months. 

Helpfully, the best of these deals are actually cheaper than the current Energy Price Cap, never mind the increased rate kicking in from April. 

That means you'll be far better off locking into one of these deals: uSwitch says a typical home will save up to £170 compared to remaining on the Standard Variable Tariff (SVT), which is dictated by the Price Cap.

But you'll need to act now to take full advantage as the cheapest deals will quickly be pulled and replaced with ones that factor in the impending hikes.

We've teamed up with uSwitch to help you find a cheaper fixed energy deal, but any price comparison site will work for this. 

It’s really straightforward and will ensure your finances are shielded from the pain ahead.

If you aren't already signed up to a comparison site and can't be bothered to set up an account, an even easier option is to simply switch to your current supplier's best fixed deal through its site.

This probably won't save you as much as moving to the outright best deal, but it'll be better than sitting on the SVT.

Shop around for a cheaper energy deal now and save up to £170 (opens in new page)