Energy price cap in Great Britain to rise by 13% from July

The energy price cap for Great Britain will rise by 13% from July, pushing the average annual gas and electricity bill to £1,862 for the third quarter of the year [1]. The increase is driven by soaring global market prices linked to the war in Iran [1]. Under the new cap set by regulator Ofgem, electricity charges will rise from 24.67p to 26.11p per kilowatt hour, while gas charges will increase from 5.74p to 7.33p per kWh [1]. The conflict has caused the biggest energy supply shock on record by choking exports from the Gulf, more than doubling European gas prices from pre-crisis levels [1]. This policy mechanism is a key tool for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and Ofgem in managing residential energy prices [3]. The UK's energy system, where wind now generates 30% of yearly electrical energy and fossil gas just over 25% [2], remains exposed to international volatility. The government has an ambitious goal for greenhouse gas emissions from electricity to be net zero by 2035 [2], a policy focus that has included managing prices and decarbonisation since the full liberalisation of gas and electricity markets in the late 1990s [3]. However, energy self-sufficiency is a conceded challenge as historic security from North Sea oil declines [3]. The price shock extends to motorists, with petrol averaging 159.43p a litre and diesel at 184.96p a litre [1]. The summer rise compounds a record £4.5bn in unpaid household energy bills, a debt partly socialised through a £52 annual charge within the cap [1]. With demand projected to increase due to the electrification of heat and transport [2], managing affordability while pursuing net-zero targets remains a central tension in UK energy policy [3].