Business
Ofgem price cap – what is happening to my energy bill?
Latest predictions suggest Ofgem will reduce the energy price cap by £117 to £1,641 a year for a typical dual fuel household from April 1 when it makes its announcement on Wednesday.
– What is Ofgem’s price cap?
The energy price cap sets a maximum price that suppliers can charge customers in England, Scotland and Wales for each unit of gas and electricity they use.
It also sets a maximum daily standing charge – the cost of having your home connected to the grid.
The headline price cap figure provided by Ofgem indicates what a household using gas and electricity, and paying by direct debit, can expect to pay if their energy consumption is typical.
It is important to note that it does not limit a home’s total bills because people still pay for the amount of energy they use – so if it is above the average they will pay more, and if it is below they will pay less.
Energy is regulated separately in Northern Ireland.
– What’s changing with my energy bill this time?
The next price cap, which will take effect from April 1, will be the first to reflect Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ promise last November that £150 would be cut from the average household bill.
She is achieving this by shifting 75% of the Renewables Obligation (RO) costs from household energy bills into general taxation, and scrapping the Energy Company Obligation (Eco) scheme introduced by the Tories in government which was funded by bills and designed to tackle fuel poverty by improving housing conditions, but which has been beset with delivery problems.
This will mainly translate through to customer bills by a cut to households’ electricity unit rates, with an expected reduction of around 3.37p per kilowatt hour (kWh) from the previous quarter.
– Why won’t I see a £150 discount on my bill?
The discount will be applied via a lower unit rate rather than a one-off amount.
It should also be stressed that the £150 figure is an average, and amounts will vary based on the size and type of household and how much energy they use.
Also, industry analysts Cornwall Insight have said the changes are likely to reduce the cap by about £145 a year once VAT and other pricing allowances are taken into account.
It added that increases in costs associated with the operation and maintenance of gas and electricity networks, which are paid for from customer bills, have offset part of these savings.
– Do I need to do anything?
Households should look out for information arriving from their suppliers after the price cut is announced, particularly around the rates they pay for each unit of gas and electricity.
This information will be important for those considering switching away from the price cap to a cheaper fixed tariff, and those looking for a new fixed tariff, as comparing unit prices is key to finding a good deal.
– Is now a good time to switch?
It is always worth investigating fixed deals, taking into account any length-of-time obligations that could result in exit fees.
As a rule of thumb, Which? recommends looking for deals cheaper than the price cap (this is where comparing gas and electricity unit rates is important, rather than looking at headline figures), not longer than 12 months and without significant exit fees.
However, the End Fuel Poverty Coalition said it understood that some fixed tariffs will include announced cuts from February 25, and some will not.
It warned that this could make switching and fixing – that is already confusing – “even more difficult to gauge”.
It said households may prefer to wait for the dust to settle on Wednesday’s announcement before signing up to a fixed term deal or changing supplier.
– Are prices going to keep going down, or should we expect increases in the future?
Cornwall Insight currently expects the price cap to remain relatively steady throughout 2026, with a small fall forecast in July.
However, it said these predictions may shift as wholesale markets change and potential policy cost announcements happen.
Last Updated:
Anthropic launched Claude Code Security to scan code for vulnerabilities. Cybersecurity stocks in US dropped over concerns AI could disrupt the industry.
Claude Code Security Impact: IT, Cybersecurity Shares May See Action On Monday
IT and cybersecurity stocks in India may see action on Monday, February 23 when the market opens, as AI firm Anthropic launched Claude Code Security, a new capability built into Claude Code on the web.
The new feature scans codebases for security vulnerabilities and suggests targeted software patches for human review, allowing teams to find and fix security issues that traditional methods often miss.
What’s The Fear?
The new feature has posed a threat to IT and cybersecurity companies, as Claude Code will provide cybersecurity services to teams.
Companies may rely less on legacy scanning tools and cut spending on traditional enterprises.
“This is a pivotal time for cybersecurity. We expect that a significant share of the world’s code will be scanned by AI in the near future, given how effective models have become at finding long-hidden bugs and security issues,” Anthropic said in the blog.
Attackers will use AI to find exploitable weaknesses faster than ever. But defenders who move quickly can find those same weaknesses, patch them, and reduce the risk of an attack.
This has triggered a fear in the US market last week, in which cybersecurity stocks, including CrowdStrike, Palo Alto, Zscaler suffered a heavy sell-off.
CrowdStrike, US cybersecurity technology company, led the heavy beating with shares falling almost 8 per cent to $338.60 per share. Zscaler also dropped sharply by 5.47 per cent to $159.75 per share.
How Claude Code Security works
Rather than scanning for known patterns, Claude Code Security reads and reasons about your code the way a human security researcher would: understanding how components interact, tracing how data moves through your application, and catching complex vulnerabilities that rule-based tools miss.
Every finding goes through a multi-stage verification process before it reaches an analyst. Claude re-examines each result, attempting to prove or disprove its own findings and filter out false positives.
Findings are also assigned severity ratings so teams can focus on the most important fixes first.
Validated findings appear in the Claude Code Security dashboard, where teams can review them, inspect the suggested patches, and approve fixes.
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February 22, 2026, 16:11 IST
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New Delhi: The combined market valuation of six of India’s top-10 most valued companies rose by Rs 63,478.46 crore last week, with Larsen & Toubro and State Bank of India emerging as the biggest gainers. The broader market also ended the week on a positive note, as the 30-share BSE Sensex advanced 187.95 points, or 0.22 per cent.
Among the gainers, Larsen & Toubro saw its market capitalisation jump by Rs 28,523.31 crore to Rs 6,02,552.24 crore. State Bank of India added Rs 16,015.12 crore, taking its total valuation to Rs 11,22,581.56 crore. The market value of HDFC Bank climbed by Rs 9,617.56 crore to Rs 14,03,239.48 crore. Similarly, Life Insurance Corporation of India gained Rs 5,977.12 crore, pushing its valuation to Rs 5,52,203.92 crore.
Bajaj Finance also witnessed an increase in its market capitalisation by Rs 3,142.36 crore to Rs 6,40,387 crore. However, not all companies ended the week on a positive note. The market capitalisation of Bharti Airtel declined sharply by Rs 15,338.66 crore to Rs 11,27,705.37 crore.
ICICI Bank also saw its valuation fall by Rs 14,632.10 crore to Rs 9,97,346.67 crore. The mcap of Infosys dropped by Rs 6,791.58 crore to Rs 5,48,496.14 crore, while Tata Consultancy Services lost Rs 1,989.95 crore, bringing its valuation down to Rs 9,72,053.48 crore.
The most-valued company in the country include HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Tata Consultancy Services, Bajaj Finance, Larsen & Toubro, Life Insurance Corporation of India, and Infosys in the ranking of the top-10 most valued firms.
Meanwhile, commenting on Nifty technical outlook, experts said that from a levels perspective, 25,800 stands as the immediate resistance, followed by 26,000 and 26,200. “On the downside, key supports are located at 25,300 and 25,100. A decisive break below 25,000 could increase downside momentum and accelerate corrective pressure,” an analyst stated.
New Delhi: In his latest Mann Ki Baat address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to stay vigilant against growing digital scams that target unsuspecting users — especially those involving fraudulent claims of digital arrests or legal actions.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of keeping Know Your Customer (KYC) information up to date across financial and digital platforms to avoid becoming a victim of fraud and to ensure seamless access to essential services.
What Are Digital “Arrest” Scams?
Digital arrest scams are a type of online fraud where criminals send messages — typically through SMS, email or messaging apps — claiming that the recipient has been “digitally arrested” or faces some legal trouble. These messages often include:
Fake links
Threatening language
Instructions to click or respond immediately
Once a victim interacts with the link, attackers can steal personal data, banking information, or install malware on the device. PM Modi warned that such scams are increasing in frequency, and citizens should be wary of unexpected messages that create panic or urgency.
Why Keeping KYC Updated Matters
KYC — short for Know Your Customer — is a process used by banks, telecom companies, digital payment apps and financial institutions to verify a person’s identity. Updated KYC records help:
Prevent fraud and identity theft
Enable secure access to banking and financial services
Ensure government welfare and subsidy schemes reach the right beneficiaries
The Prime Minister reminded people that keeping KYC details updated makes it harder for fraudsters to misuse personal information and easier for individuals to access services without interruption.
Tips to Avoid Digital Scams
PM Modi shared practical advice for all citizens to protect themselves online:
Don’t click on suspicious links — especially from unknown senders or unexpected messages.
Verify messages claiming legal issues — contact official authorities instead of reacting to urgent claims.
Use secure apps and websites — check URLs carefully and only use trusted platforms.
Regularly update passwords and security settings — avoid sharing OTPs or passwords with anyone.
The emphasis was on caution and common sense — an informed user is a safer user.
Broader Digital Awareness
Digital scams are not limited to arrest threats. Other common fraud tactics include:
Fake investment or win-money schemes
Fraudulent job offers
Phone call impersonations
Fake customer care messages
By staying alert and informed, citizens can spot red flags and report suspicious activity swiftly.
PM’s Message on Digital Safety
In his address, the Prime Minister emphasized that the digital revolution — from online banking to mobile payments and e-commerce — has brought tremendous convenience, but it also requires responsible use. While technology empowers users, it also opens opportunities for misuse if proper precautions aren’t taken.
Citizens were encouraged to educate family members, especially the elderly or less digitally fluent, about common scam patterns and digital safety measures.
Keep KYC Status Current
Updating your KYC might feel like a small administrative task, but PM Modi highlighted it as a key defense against fraud. Many services — such as bank accounts, mobile connections, insurance policies, mutual funds, and digital wallets — require up-to-date KYC to function smoothly.
Failing to update KYC can lead to:
Account blocks or freezes
Inability to receive government transfers or benefits
Greater risk of identity misuse
Regularly checking KYC status and updating it when required protects both your financial accounts and digital credibility.
The Bottom Line
In his Mann Ki Baat message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a simple but powerful point: stay alert, stay informed, and keep your digital and financial details updated. In an era where scams evolve rapidly, proactive citizens are the first line of defense.
By understanding common threats and following basic security practices — such as avoiding suspicious links and maintaining updated KYC — Indians can enjoy the benefits of digital connectivity without falling victim to fraud.
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