Iran Conflict: Impact on GB Energy Prices

Falling demand, shifting volumes and a market that is not following the expected path.

Since the energy crisis, there has been an increased focus on how much British businesses are paying for their energy, especially their electricity. Although wholesale markets have eased from their peaks in 2022-23, delivered prices have remained stubbornly high. There is growing recognition, especially amongst trade groups and the business media, that the cause of this is structural, with non-commodity costs - the costs which sit on top of wholesale energy prices - becoming more prominent in bills amidst policy and system changes.

As 2025 draws to a close, it’s hard to ignore just how much the energy landscape has shifted, but the real question is: what comes next?

The Government’s Autumn Budget introduces major changes for households, businesses and the wider energy sector. Here’s an overview of the announcements.

Rising energy costs and policy charges are driving businesses to explore on-site solar and battery storage. Discover 10 compelling reasons why behind-the-meter generation can cut costs, boost resilience and advance sustainability.

In conversation with Suket Singhal (Group CEO, Secure Meters). We asked Suket about the role of smart meter data in overcoming key barriers and enabling Clean Power 2030.

Robert Buckley, Head of Strategic Accounts at Cornwall Insight, is joined by Suket Singhal, CEO of Secure Meters Limited to discuss the future of smart metering data and energy solutions

Cornwall Insight are launching a new multi-client study, focused entirely on helping large businesses and industrial consumers understand what changes to energy policy really mean for them - and we’re inviting participants now.

Robert Buckley (Head of Strategic Accounts), Tom Andrews (Senior Consultant) and James Hall (COO at Evolve Energy) discuss the innovation in Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (CPPAs) in a rapidly evolving energy market

The energy crisis contributed to the exits of 26 domestic suppliers, significantly impacting the landscape of the domestic market that we see today.

Smart meters are a useful tool for supporting energy flexibility and helping consumers to monitor their usage. However, their implementation has been fraught with challenges over the last 15 years, and these appear set to continue as we move towards a complete rollout.

Cornwall Insight experts Anna Moss and Robert Buckley meet with Uswitch CEO Angus McCarey to discuss the future of energy supply markets and the evolving role of consumers in the net zero transition

At the start of May, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published an impact assessment of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. But will the Bill deliver on its promises? And what could it mean for businesses and households? We take a closer look at the detail.

Our experts Tom Edwards and Dr. Craig Lowrey are joined by Peter Smith from National Energy Action to discuss the complexities of standing charges in energy bills

Analysis from our new Business Energy Cost Forecast, discussing the key drivers and trends for business energy bills alongside the actions that organisations can take to help manage these costs

In our latest blog, Prinicpal Consultant Dr Craig Lowrey examines what we can expect from an energy perspective in the 2024 budget.

In our latest blog, Lead Regulatory Analyst Giles McNaught examines the potential impact of the Minimum Capital Requirement on the domestic supply market and the delicate balancing act the government and regulators must maintain to ensure healthy competition.

In this podcast, our experts discuss the drivers and trends behind these long-term costs as well as the impacts on corporate decarbonisation efforts.

This paper examines the impact of reallocating policy costs from domestic energy bills.

There has been much speculation in the energy industry over what reforms to household energy bills could potentially be introduced. With so many areas under review, we’ve put together an overview of some of the options available.

In this piece, we will assess the schemes’ effectiveness by looking at subsequent market trends, contextualising the cost relative to government spend, and considering what happens next.  

Two years on from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, our experts discuss how the invasion has shaped the UK energy sector and the ongoing impacts.

This blog explores, how since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK’s and EU’s natural gas imports have transitioned away from Russian pipeline supplies and towards liquified natural gas (LNG); the short and long-term impacts on UK energy bills; and what issues lie ahead in the LNG transition.

Recent events, from the worker strikes at the Chevron-owned Wheatstone LNG facility in Australia to the Israel-Hamas conflict, have highlighted the potential for disruption to energy exports. The Wheatstone and nearby Gorgon facilities account for \~5% of global LNG supplies

As we look ahead to a second winter with heavily reduced levels of Russian pipeline gas being supplied to Europe, one of the key variables in the stability and security of European gas supplies and prices will be the supply of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG).

Over the last five financial years, South Australia has seen a significant increase in price volatility, with substantial portions of time both negative and above $250/MWh, leading to increasing opportunities for storage systems to provide arbitrage services.

The research underpinning this report aims to understand the financial and environmental benefits of household flexibility for consumers and the national energy system. We have analysed the difference between a scenario where households participate in flexibility, and one where they don’t.

Over the last week, a number of anticipated publications were issued by Ofgem that hold the potential to make a significant change to the requirements on both domestic and non-domestic suppliers. The findings of Ofgem’s non-domestic market review were revealed, alongside a policy consultation on the options available

With the Default Tariff Cap falling by 17% compared to the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) at the start of the month, there has been a great deal of attention around the possible return of fixed tariffs for domestic consumers. Several fixed tariffs were indeed launched in recent weeks, representing a first return to competition in \[…\]

Substantial reductions in Russian gas supply to Europe and increased global competition for LNG cargoes have resulted in substantially elevated gas prices for the UK this winter (2022-23) compared to the historical norm.

The Market Stabilisation Charge (MSC) requires all domestic suppliers acquiring a customer to make a payment to the supplier that is losing the customer. The charge applies to all switches, so suppliers are not obliged to inform competitors which tariff the consumer switched to or from. It is comprised of two sub-charges; one for gas \[…\]