Selce Energy Advice Bulletin for January
Welcome to our monthly update on the latest grants, support and tips to make homes healthier and lower energy bills where possible.
Full details on our free, expert, independent, one-to-one energy advice for residents of South East London can be found here.
This Month’s Guide: How to Deal with Damp, Mould & Condensation
Damp, mould, and condensation can be a problem in any home. This is especially true in the colder months – for the latest in our series of explainer posts, we learn to identify each of these issues, and explain how we can deal with them too - read in full here.
If any of these problems ever arise in your home, our friendly advisors are more than happy to support you in removing them and taking steps to make sure they don’t come back again. Find out more about ways you can get in touch with our energy advice team.
Recent Energy News
Energy price cap rise in January
Typical household costs for energy have risen by 0.2% from January the 1st until March the 31st when the price cap will be reviewed and adjusted again.
This means the average annual bill for dual-fuel direct debit households in Great Britain using a typical amount of energy will be £1,758 over this period.
For prepayment customers, bills during this same period are slightly lower, being £1,711
The energy price cap essentially fixes the maximum amount that households can be charged for each unit of gas and electricity on a variable tariff for a typical dual-fuel household which pays by direct debit.
As always, those customers on direct debit please ensure you continue to submit your meter readings, especially when prices change
Source: Changes to energy price cap between 1 January and 31 March 2026 | Ofgem
Government Plans Aiming to Cut Bills
The government have recently published two documents that set out their plans to reduce fuel poverty in the UK.
Firstly, the Warm Homes Plan, which was set out in earlier this month, details a plan to make green technology and energy upgrades more affordable and cut energy bills for millions of families.
This includes either free energy upgrades or low/no interest free loans to get energy upgrades on homes such as heat pumps and solar panels.
The report can be found here: Warm Homes Plan - GOV.UK
Second, there is the Fuel Poverty Strategy for England, also published this month, which details the government’s plans to tackle fuel poverty by reducing energy costs, the cost of living, and improving energy performance. You can read the report here: The Fuel Poverty Strategy for England, 2026.
ECO4 end date extended
The Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) is designed to support households by funding energy upgrades such as insulation and heating system upgrades
However, ECO4 will be closing, though not as early as first expected - it will now finish on the 31st of December 2026.
Eligibility criteria for ECO4 includes to be a homeowner or private renter, have a low Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating (D, E, F, or G) and either receive certain means-tested benefits or qualify through specific local authority schemes (ECO4 Flex) due to low income (under £31k) or a household member having a health condition making them vulnerable to cold
Selce can support with ECO4, however be aware the waiting time for a call back about it is around a month.
Your energy supplier can also support you through this process, or you can check online through the link above.
