BBC corrects misreported energy bills saving figure

BBC News has corrected a live blog post that gave an incorrect figure for the amount an average household can expect to save from an upcoming reduction in energy bills, according to the fact-checking organisation Full Fact¹.

The post said the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told a press conference on Monday that "energy bills will be capped to the end of June, saving the average household £170"¹. Full Fact reports that he in fact said: "We have capped energy bills until the end of June, saving the average household £117"¹.

The energy price cap limits the maximum amount that can be charged for each unit of gas and electricity and standing charge for households on a standard variable tariff¹. It is set to fall in April by £117 a year for a typical household with a dual-fuel bill paying by direct debit¹.

Full Fact said it contacted the BBC about the error and that the broadcaster corrected the post¹. The correction was reported on 17 March 2026¹.

Why it matters for households

The difference between the two figures is £53 a year for a household matching the description used, a typical dual-fuel customer paying by direct debit¹. The £117 figure applies to the reduction in the cap due in April, and the cap itself sets the maximum unit rates and standing charges rather than a total bill, so what any individual household pays depends on how much gas and electricity it uses¹.

The cap applies to households on a standard variable tariff, not to those on fixed deals or other arrangements¹. The £117 saving is described as an annual figure for a typical household, not a one-off payment or a guarantee for every home¹.

The misreported £170 figure circulated in a BBC live blog before being corrected, so readers who saw the original post may have taken away a higher expected saving than the one the Prime Minister stated¹.

What happens next

The reduction in the cap is set to take effect in April¹. No further dates for the cap beyond that, or for any subsequent change, are given in the reporting¹.