The most vulnerable bill payers in the country could benefit from more targeted help in an energy crisis under new data-sharing powers in the Energy Independence Bill, laid before Parliament on 4 November. The powers would let officials identify households in need and enable a more targeted payment for those struggling to heat their homes, as reported by The Observer.

Current data-sharing rules can make it harder to identify and support bill payers who face energy problems but fall outside the legal definition of fuel poverty. The Bill would widen those rules so future support can better reach people facing high bills, greater energy needs or hard-to-heat homes, while maintaining existing privacy safeguards.

Adam Bell, an energy expert at consultancy PF Global, said the Government already holds income data through the benefits and pension system, energy demand data through smart meters and health data through the NHS. He said properly targeting support requires bringing all of that data together, adding: "By the time of the next crisis we'll be able to do something cheaper and better targeted than giving £100 to everyone below a certain council tax band."

The measures come as the price cap on energy bills is expected to rise by as much as 30% in January. E.ON predicts an increase of £492, taking bills for an average household to more than £2,200 a year, the biggest rise since January 2023. In the Budget, Chancellor John Healey promised a £100 payment to up to 20 million households in England in council tax bands A to D, a £2.6 billion measure he said would "take the pressure off in the coldest months". The Bill is not yet law and must pass both Houses of Parliament before it takes effect.