There is good news for householders as energy regulator Ofgem is set to reduce the price cap.

This means gas and electricity bills will fall to their lowest level in two years, next month.

The price cap, which changes every three months, dictates how much a typical household pays.

Come the beginning of April, it is set to be lowered from £1,928 to £1,635 a year.

Further projections show that bills could fall further in 2024 but there is an element of uncertainty to figures. Any fall is very welcome, as many people are still struggling to afford their energy bills.

Several energy providers offer grants that could help you out financially. In most cases, you need to demonstrate you are suffering fuel poverty or are in debt, but you can find out more on each company's website.

Here are some of the main energy companies and the hardship grants they offer to households:

British Gas

British Gas offers up to £2,000 in hardship grants via its Individuals and Families Fund. To qualify you must have energy debt of up to £2,000 and be on a pre-payment meter. 

You can't have had a British Gas grant in the past 12 months and you need to have received help from a money advice service. This is currently the only scheme that is open to energy customers from all suppliers, rather than just those who are with British Gas. 

Note: The Individual and Families Fund will be closing to credit account holders at 4pm on Friday, March 8, but will remain open to pre-payment meter customers. You can find out more here.

EDF Energy

EDF Energy's customer support fund has no set limit and depends on your circumstances. You need to be experiencing hardship or struggling to manage energy debt, and you need to have taken independent advice from someone like Citizens Advice, StepChange Debt Charity or National DebtLine. 

You can find out more here.

E.on Next

The E.on Next energy fund is open to both E.on Next customers and those of Sainsbury's Energy. If you are experiencing energy debt and can prove you can make regular payments, and can provide details of DWP letters or proof of income, you may qualify. 

There is no set limit and you can find out more here.

Octopus Energy

This firm's Octo Assist Fund has no specific eligibility and no set limit. Its £30m fund allocates grants based on those who are most in need and takes into account your specific circumstances. You can find out more here.

It is also open to customers of Affect Energy, Co-operative Energy, Ebico Living, London Power and M&S Energy.

OVO Energy

OVO's Customer Support Package is worth nearly £40m and has no specific criteria. People are instead asked to apply if they think they will struggle to pay their bills and are an OVO or Boost customer. 

You may need to provide details of your disposable income and up-to-date meter readings. You can find out more here or call OVO on 0330 303 5063.

Shell Energy

Shell's HelpFund has no specific limit or criteria but if you are struggling to pay your bills or are behind, you can get in touch with them to see if you qualify for support. To do this click here or call 0330 094 5800.

Utility

Utilita has a Helping Hand Fund which can offer support if you have an old non-smart legacy meter, have an existing energy debt, not had a grant from the fund in the last three years. It is open to those living in England, Scotland or Wales. 

There is no set limit but you can apply or find out more here.

Utility Warehouse

Utility Warehouse's hardship fund varies in how much it offers you, depending on the funds available and your situation. However, it is generally open to people in fuel poverty or who are about to go into energy debt or run out of prepay credit. 

You can find out more here.