Charlie Stayt halts BBC Breakfast for 'breaking news' now 'we know details'

BBC Breakfast has been halted with a "breaking news" announcement over the Ofgem energy price cap. BBC presenters Charlie Stayt and Rachel Burden briefly paused their hosting duties to hear the latest update from their colleague Peter Ruddick. Peter revealed that come January, the average annual household bill is set to increase to £1738. He explained: "We knew that bills were going to go up slightly in January", before revealing: "Now we know the exact details.

"Good morning everyone, as I say on Monday we reported the final forecast but now we know for sure so we are talking about an increase to the price cap of £21 a year. So it's going to go up from £1717 to £1738 so an increase as I say of £21. Remember this will apply between January and March. It applies to default or standard variable tariffs if you pay by direct debit.

"Remember, that £1738 figure you can see on the screen there it is not a maximum amount you'll pay, it's a calculation based on an average. Typical usage. You use more, you pay more. Let's put that figure in context, it's still a lot lower than at the height of the energy crisis but it's still higher than before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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"The energy secretary, Ed Miliband, told this programme that this is likely to be a new normal. Government policies will bring bills down eventually." Richard Neudegg, director of regulation at Uswitch.com, commented: “A 1.2% increase in the price cap in January is further adding to households’ winter woes, with bills rising as usage soars in the coldest months.

“This increase comes on top of the 10% hike seen in October, adding insult to injury for the many households already struggling. The good news is that households can beat both the January price hike and October’s previous rise, and save money by switching to a fixed energy tariff. If you are on your supplier’s default tariff today, you can not only avoid this rise, but also start making savings as soon as you switch.

“Right now, the cheapest 12-month fix is meaningfully lower than the January price cap and would save a household with typical usage up to £132 per year against these upcoming rates. Customers should run a comparison to see what savings they can make. There are lots of fixed deals on the market right now, the majority of which beat the current price cap.”