A scam alert has been issued by ministers encouraging people not to fall foul of fraudulent messages asking them to provide bank details as the energy price guarantee comes into force. From 1 October, a limit on the price households pay for a unit of gas and electricity they use will mean a typical energy bill should be £2,500 a year. The first instalment of a £400 discount for households will also appear on bills. However, the government fears scammers could target people by wrongly telling them they need to claim for the support announced in September amid steeply rising energy bills and the cost of living crisis. There is no need to apply for the schemes, with most customers receiving the support automatically through their energy bill, while households in Northern Ireland will get the same help from November, with support for October’s bills backdated. The business secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg, said he wanted to “urge people today to stay alert to scams” because the support would “reach people automatically” and there was no need to apply. He added that the financial help being offered was unprecedented and would protect households and businesses “across the country from what was going to be an 80% increase in energy bills this winter”. Consumers are being urged to report any suspected scams and the government said no household should be asked for bank details at any point.