Millions of households are being urged to lock into a fixed energy deal now – with savings of more than £200 on offer ahead of a fresh increase in bills this summer.

Experts say a quiet comeback in cheaper fixed tariffs has opened a window for consumers to beat the next rise in the energy price cap, forecast for July. The current cap, set by Ofgem, stands at £1,641 a year for a typical household on a standard variable tariff. But analysts at Cornwall Insight predict it will climb to £1,801 in July as higher wholesale costs feed through into bills.

That expected increase is what makes today’s fixed deals stand out.

The cheapest tariff currently available – a 15-month fix from Fuse Energy – comes in at around £1,574 a year, according to Uswitch.

That would leave households around £225 better off compared with the projected July cap.

Martin Lewis has recommended that householders urgently switch away from a price cap tariff to a cheaper fixed rate deal.

Writing on X, he said: “GET OFF THE PRICE CAP IF YOU CAN. DON’T IGNORE THIS.

“There’s a window of opportunity to lock in prices below the current Cap to avoid the huge hike coming in July.”

A briefing on the best deals from MoneySavingExpert can be found here.

Fixed deals make a comeback

Fixed tariffs largely disappeared earlier this year when wholesale gas prices surged amid tensions involving Iran.

But they are now returning to the market, with around 29 deals currently available, up from just 15 in early March.

Among the main options: identified by Uswitch.com are:

• A 12-month fix from Outfox Energy at roughly £1,586 a year
• Shorter-term deals from Fuse Energy undercutting the current cap
• A 24-month fix from EDF Energy at about £1,690

While some longer fixes are slightly above today’s cap, they could prove cheaper overall if prices rise as forecast.

The expected increase in the price cap is being driven by elevated wholesale gas prices, with markets reacting to disruption risks linked to the Iran conflict and key global supply routes. Although these wholesale prices have fallen back in recent weeks and increases in the price cap may well be lower than previously predicted.

Ben Gallizzi of Uswitch said: “Fixed energy tariff prices have been through a lot of turbulence in the past few weeks due to the Iran conflict, but the good news is we’re finally seeing deals drop below the price cap again.

“Households should be assessing their options. With predictions for July energy rates suggesting a staggering increase, this fixed deal would save the average household 15.5 % against forecasted prices and would keep them protected through winter.

“The market is still volatile, and there’s no knowing how long these cheaper deals will stick around for, so now is the time to act.”