Energy bills could rise by almost £150 as 11 fixed dual fuel tariffs expire in November

Customers who fail to shop around could find themselves £149.48 out of pocket when 11 fixed dual-fuel deals expire at the end of the month. Gocompare.com Energy has found that households on the affected tariffs could face an average rise of 15.58% on their annual energy bill if they let themselves get automatically rolled onto their supplier’s standard tariff.

Energy suppliers British Gas, Npower, Scottish Power, First Utility, Extra Energy and Sainsbury’s Energy all have dual-fuel tariffs that are set to end on Monday 30 November. When these tariffs expire, customers will automatically be transferred to the suppliers’ standard variable tariffs, which are on average £149.58 (15.58%) more expensive than the fixed deals customers are currently on.

Extra Energy customers on the Fresh Fixed Price November 2015 v3 tariffwill see the biggest average increase at the end of the month. Customers on the tariff could see an annual rise of up to £198.49 (21.32%) if they let themselves get rolled onto Extra Energy’s Variable Price v1 standardtariff.

Tom Lewis, energy spokesperson at Gocompare.com, said: “With so many competitive fixed tariffs available at the moment, if you’ve been with your existing energy supplier for a year or more, then it’s highly unlikely you’re getting the best possible deal.

“As colder weather starts to creep in, energy usage typically goes up around this time of year, making it particularly important to consider the cost of your energy. While we might think of putting on an extra jumper, one of the best ways to help cut your energy bills is to regularly shop around and compare providers.

”Comparing energy tariffs only takes a few minutes to do, and with potential savings of up £291 to be had, it could be time well spent this November.”