What the Energy Independence Bill is, in plain terms
The Energy Independence Bill was introduced to Parliament on Wednesday 4 November 2026. It’s a long piece of law that covers everything from North Sea licences to who polices energy brokers. Most of it you can safely ignore. A handful of measures land directly on your gas and electricity bill, and those are the ones this page sticks to.
One caveat before the numbers. The Energy Independence Bill isn’t law yet. It has to get through Parliament, and the government says much of the detail will follow in later regulations. So read every figure below as what ministers expect, not as money already off your bill.
Key takeaways
- The Energy Independence Bill would keep around £90 a year of renewables costs off the average household bill until March 2029, according to the government.
- Ministers plan to add the end of the daily gas standing charge to the Bill through amendments.
- Landlords who ignore energy efficiency rules could face fines of up to £30,000.
- Comparison services and energy brokers would be regulated by Ofgem.
- None of it applies until the Bill passes, so your next bill won’t change because of it.
How much could the Energy Independence Bill take off your bill?
The clearest number is around £90 a year for an average household, and you’re already getting it. Since the 2025 Autumn Budget, 75% of the domestic cost of an old green subsidy scheme called the Renewables Obligation has been paid from general taxation instead of being added to bills. The government puts that at around £90 a year on average, part of a wider £150 reduction it announced at that Budget.
The catch is that the power behind the current arrangement has to be renewed every six months for as long as it’s in use. The Energy Independence Bill would put the funding on an enduring legal basis for three years, and carry the duty on suppliers to pass the saving on through to March 2029. It covers customers on fixed term contracts that sit outside the price cap, as well as those on default tariffs.
So this part of the Bill doesn’t cut your bill again. It stops a cut you already have from quietly lapsing. Less exciting than a headline, more useful than most of them.
| Measure | What the government says | Status on 11 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Renewables Obligation costs | Around £90 a year kept off the average household bill, with the pass on duty running to March 2029 | In the Bill |
| Gas standing charge | Around 60% of gas account holders expected to save an average of £45 a year | To be added by amendment |
| Rented homes | Fines of up to £30,000 for landlords who miss efficiency standards | In the Bill |
| Charges on exported electricity | Powers to remove certain charges on power sent back to the grid | In the Bill |
Figures are the government’s own estimates, taken from its press release and factsheets published on 4 November 2026.
What happens to the gas standing charge?
The government says it’ll bring forward amendments to the Energy Independence Bill to support its plan to scrap standing charges on household gas bills. That’s the daily fee you pay even on a day when the boiler never fires.
By its own estimate, around 23 million households would get more control over this part of their bill, and around 60% of gas account holders would save an average of £45 a year. Read that sentence twice. If six in ten save, the rest don’t, because the cost has to be collected some other way. We’ve covered who wins and who pays more when the gas standing charge goes in a separate piece.
The Bill also sits alongside the £100 payment for up to 20 million households in England this winter, announced in the Budget a week earlier. That payment is separate from the Bill, and our guide to the household energy payment explains how it reaches you.
What changes for renters, and for homes with batteries?
If you rent, the Energy Independence Bill would give councils stronger powers against landlords who fail to meet energy efficiency standards, including civil penalties of up to £30,000. That sits behind the move to an EPC C standard for rented homes from 1 October 2030, which the government expects to cut average bills in upgraded properties by £210 a year. That’s an average for homes that actually get upgraded, not a payment to every tenant.
Renters often assume they’re stuck with whatever supplier the landlord chose, which is rarely true. Our guide to switching while renting covers what you can change today, without waiting for Parliament.
For homes with a battery or an electric car that can feed power back, the Bill includes powers to remove certain charges on electricity that’s exported to the grid. At the moment those charges can apply even though the power was never used in your home. The same powers cover cheaper electricity at times when wind and solar are producing more than the country needs.
The Bill would also establish the Warm Homes Agency in law, to help families get support with home upgrades, and widen the government’s ability to target help with energy costs at low income and vulnerable households.
Who would police suppliers and comparison sites?
Ofgem, with more teeth. The Energy Independence Bill strengthens the regulator’s duties and enforcement powers so it can act faster against wrongdoing and secure stronger redress when households are let down. The government’s release talks about tougher powers to crack down on rogue energy companies and bosses, including unfair bonuses.
It would also bring energy brokers and price comparison services under Ofgem regulation for the first time. For households, the government’s factsheet says that means access to out of court dispute resolution if a comparison or auto switching service gets it wrong. That includes services like ours, and a clear set of rules for everyone is no bad thing.
What should you do while the Bill goes through Parliament?
Nothing in the Energy Independence Bill changes what you pay this winter, so don’t wait for it. The tariff you’re on today matters far more to your bill than a law that’s still being debated.
Check whether you’re on a fixed deal or your supplier’s default tariff, and when any fix ends. Then compare what’s on offer for your home and usage. Prices and savings depend on where you live and how much energy you use, so treat any figure you see as an estimate until you’ve put your own details in.
Frequently asked questions about the Energy Independence Bill
- Is the Energy Independence Bill law yet?
- No. It was introduced to Parliament on 4 November 2026 and still has to pass. Some measures also need further regulations before they take effect.
- Will the Energy Independence Bill lower my energy bill straight away?
- No. Its main bill measure keeps an existing reduction of around £90 a year in place, according to the government. It doesn’t add a new cut on the day it passes.
- Does the Bill scrap the gas standing charge?
- Not as introduced. The government says it’ll add this through amendments, and expects around 60% of gas account holders to save an average of £45 a year.
- Does the Bill affect people on fixed tariffs?
- Yes. The duty on suppliers to pass on the renewables saving covers fixed term contracts that sit outside the price cap, not just default tariffs.
Sources
- GOV.UK press release, Energy reforms to cut bills and put power back in people’s hands, published 4 November 2026: the introduction date, the gas standing charge amendments and savings estimate, the £100 payment, the £30,000 civil penalty, the £210 a year and EPC C from 1 October 2030 figures, the Warm Homes Agency and Ofgem’s tougher powers.
- GOV.UK, Energy Independence Bill overview, published 4 November 2026: the list of measures, the £90 and £150 figures and the need for secondary legislation.
- GOV.UK factsheet, Moving the Renewables Obligation to the Exchequer, published 4 November 2026: the 75% Exchequer funding, the six monthly renewal of the current powers, the three year enduring basis, the March 2029 pass on duty and its application to fixed term contracts.
- GOV.UK factsheet, Removing charges to unlock energy flexibility, published 4 November 2026: the charges on exported electricity.
- GOV.UK factsheet, Regulation of third-party intermediaries, published 4 November 2026: Ofgem regulation of brokers and comparison services, and dispute resolution for households.
Checked 11 November 2026. Every GOV.UK page above shows “Published 4 November 2026” and no last updated line.
