What was claimed
From 10 November people in the UK who use their heating after 9pm will be fined £750 and may have their energy cut off.
Our verdict
False. The government has announced no such policy.
People in the UK will not be fined £750 for using their heating after 9pm
Videos being shared online falsely claim that from 10 November households that turn on their heating past 9pm will be fined £750.
This is the latest example in a series of alarmist videos we’ve seen being shared online that make false and misleading claims about supposed new government policies that impact people’s personal freedoms, and is similar to a claim we saw last month.
A version of the video being shared on Instagram uses a clip of the prime minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking at a podium. A voice resembling Mr Starmer’s then goes on to say: “I can confirm starting November 10th a chilling new rule takes effect. Any household caught using heating past 9pm will face a 750 pounds fine [sic] and if you dare do it again your energy supply could be cut off.”
This is completely false. No such ban was introduced on 10 November, nor is one upcoming. The government has made no such announcement. And searches of Hansard, the record of what is said in Parliament, do not show any evidence of such a policy.
The clip of Mr Starmer that briefly appears at the beginning of this video, showing him standing at a podium that says “Renew Britain” and in front of a red background, appears to have been taken from his speech at the Labour party conference this year.
While the voice used in the video resembles Mr Starmer’s to an extent, we believe it was made with AI—although it’s possible that an impersonator was used instead. One clue it’s AI is the mistaken use of the plural term in “a 750 pounds fine”.
Join 72,953 people who trust us to check the facts
Sign up to get weekly updates on politics, immigration, health and more.
Subscribe to weekly email newsletters from Full Fact for updates on politics, immigration, health and more. Our fact checks are free to read but not to produce, so you will also get occasional emails about fundraising and other ways you can help. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy.
It’s also very unlikely that the PM would criticise his own policy, as the voice in the video appears to do, saying it’s a “war on warmth” and “it isn’t policy it’s punishment”.
We’ve also seen videos on TikTok that make similarly false claims.
Before sharing videos like this that you see on social media, first consider whether they come from a trustworthy and reliable source. Our Full Fact toolkit can help you better navigate bad information being spread online.