Claim Labour’s energy plans could save households £300 on bills re-emerges

A claim that Labour’s energy plans could save households up to £300 on their bills has re-emerged, after reports that the figure had been dropped by the government.

In an article last week the Times reported: “A government source said Labour stood by a commitment made in its election campaign, although not detailed in its manifesto, that the party’s plans would bring household energy bills down by an average of up to £300 a year, which was based on independent data modelling.”

We fact checked this figure before the election. It’s based on a report by the energy think tank Ember, which estimated that under a scenario in which the UK met its renewable energy commitments, the average household electricity bill would be around £300 lower in 2030 than in 2023.

However, the £300 figure is based on the level of the energy price cap in July-September 2023. The price cap has since decreased (though it will increase in October from its current level).

What’s more, the £300 figure is not actually a direct assessment of the impact of Labour’s plans, but an estimate of the impact of a different, less ambitious scenario than Labour is proposing.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero confirmed to Full Fact that it stands by the figure, and said that while it couldn’t deliver change “overnight”, achieving its energy goals by 2030 would “protect billpayers permanently”.