Daily Express, on Climate, 28 October 2026

7.3out of 10Serious

in 3 Budget changes

Tap a highlight to see why it matters.2 findings

UK households handed £258 energy bill support in 3 Budget changes Chancellor John Healey has announced new measures to help with soaring energy bills. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By Claire Schofield 14:17, Wed, Oct 28, 2026 Updated: 14:18, Wed, Oct 28, 2026 New measures will provide extra energy bill support to households (Image: Getty) UK households are being handed in three changes announced in Wednesday’s Budget.

Chancellor John Healey has unveiled a series of new measures which aim to ease high costs and give households “breathing space” on their energy bills. Millions of homes across the country have seen energy bills rise from October as a 4% hike to Ofgem’s energy price cap took effect and forecasters are warning costs could soar even higher by January, rising by more than £300. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT The rising costs have been driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East which has sent wholesale prices soaring, but the plans announced today aim to provide households some relief.

To address rising energy bills, Mr Healey is introducing a new £100 winter energy bills payment for households in certain tax bands, standing charges on gas bills will be scrapped for around 23 million homes, and an extension of the previously announced VAT cut on electricity bills until July 2027. Get personal finance news, money saving tips and advice plus selcted offers and competitions I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family .

Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . Together, the three measures could hand households . Here’s how they will work and who will qualify.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Winter payment - £100 Around 20 million households in council tax bands A to D will get £100 from the government this winter to help with energy bills. The payment will be issued directly into bank accounts, with the support costing £2.6 billion. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Mr Healey said money would be given to devolved administrations and called on them to “do the same and give people of all nations in the UK breathing space on their energy bills this winter”.

Speaking during his Budget speech, the Chancellor said: “Let me say this to families at home. I know that with the conflict in the Middle East, rising energy bills are a real worry. I know that people look to Government at times like this, not to solve all their problems, but to give them a bit of breathing space. “So today I’m taking one further step. This winter, for 20 million households in council tax bands A to D, I am announcing a £100 energy payment for households, paid directly into people’s bank accounts to deal with rising energy bills.

That’s a £2.6 billion scheme to take the pressure off in the coldest months and see people through to the spring.” John Healey hands households £100 energy bill support payments New Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates confirmed from April Gas standing charges - £108 Standing charges from household gas bills will be removed for around 23 million homes, saving the typical home £108 per year on average. A standing charge is a fixed daily fee added on top of a household gas bill, regardless of how much gas has been used.

A household could use no gas at all but still must pay the standing charge. Chancellor John Healey said he will ask Ofgem to deliver the removal of these charges in 2027, or as soon as possible after. VAT cut - £50 A previously announced VAT cut on household electricity bills will be extended to July, taking £50 off the annual price cap. Mr Healey told the Commons: “In the first week of this new Government, we took VAT off electricity for 29 million households, today I’m extending that VAT cut through the winter and spring to July, taking £50 off the annual price cap.

“For business, our new British industrial competitiveness scheme will take 25% off electricity bills for 10,000 firms at the heart of British industry. It will go live in April, and I confirm that we will make backdated payments for energy costs this year too.” Energy bills Budget 2026 Ofgem John Healey Money saving Gas Electricity Middle East Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments

Read the original article on express.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
What we found (2)

The Express headline tells readers that households are handed £258, when the body says only "up to" £258 and limits the £100 payment to homes in council tax bands A to D. The article also adds up the three measures as support "this winter", although its own text says the £108 standing charge saving is a yearly figure that Ofgem will deliver in 2027 or later.

  1. Headline goes beyond the article

    Serious

    “UK households handed £258 energy bill support”

    Why this matters
    The headline says UK households are "handed £258" with no "up to" and no limit on who qualifies.
    The impression it gives
    A reader believes every household is getting £258 of support.
    The context
    The body says the measures "could hand households up to £258". The £100 payment goes only to around 20 million households in council tax bands A to D. The standing charge saving covers around 23 million homes and is an average figure. Many households will get far less than £258.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“could hand households up to £258 worth of energy bill support”
    • Elsewhere in the article“Around 20 million households in council tax bands A to D will get £100”
    • Elsewhere in the article“saving the typical home £108 per year on average”

    Show it in the article

  2. Uses figures that mislead

    Serious

    “up to £258 worth of energy bill support this winter”

    Why this matters
    The words "this winter" put the £108 standing charge saving into the same winter total as the £100 payment.
    The impression it gives
    A reader believes the full £258 will reach households over the coming winter.
    The context
    The article itself says the Chancellor will ask Ofgem to remove standing charges "in 2027, or as soon as possible after", and the £108 is a saving "per year". That part of the total may not arrive this winter at all, and it is a yearly figure, not a winter one.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“deliver the removal of these charges in 2027, or as soon as possible after”
    • Elsewhere in the article“saving the typical home £108 per year on average”

    Show it in the article

    “up to £258 worth of energy bill support this winter”

    Why this matters
    The opening line repeats the winter total right at the top, before the reader learns any timing details.
    The impression it gives
    A reader who stops early comes away thinking £258 of help is due within the next few months.
    The context
    The £50 VAT figure is described as coming off the "annual price cap", and the standing charge removal has no firm date beyond 2027 or later. The only measure the article ties firmly to this winter is the £100 payment.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“taking £50 off the annual price cap”
    • Elsewhere in the article“deliver the removal of these charges in 2027”

    Show it in the article

    Written straight

    A £100 payment will reach households in bands A to D this winter. The removal of gas standing charges, worth about £108 a year, is due in 2027 or later, and the VAT cut extension is worth up to £50 a year.

Spot something we missed? Report this article

More from Daily Express

  1. 28 OctJohn Healey hands households £100 energy bill support payments3.0
  2. 28 OctMan, 20, killed in fatal crash as Storm Boelo battered Britain pictured for first time0.0
  3. 28 OctUK households face £465 energy bills increase in January but Budget set to help3.0
  4. 28 OctA new £47bn power station will make energy bills more expensive - 'terrible deal!'6.0
  5. 28 OctUK drivers warned of 'dangerous' conditions on Thursday - 'avoid travel if possible'3.0

Everything we scored from Daily Express