Gas & Electricity

Britain’s largest energy supplier, British Gas, has finally felt the need to put prices up for online customers – three weeks after hitting the majority of its customers with a 15% price increase.

In response to E.ON’s price rise announced today - 15% for gas and 9.7% for electricity - Mike Stevenson, Switch with Which? , urges people to review their energy payments and not to hesitate to switch to a better tariff if they could get a better deal elsewhere:

Britain’s third largest energy provider, E.ON – formerly known as Powergen - has announced that it is putting up prices from 8th February.

Commenting on the Commons Select Committee’s energy market inquiry, Scott Byrom, utilities manager at price comparison site moneysupermarket.com, said: “Instead of the Commons Select Committee wasting taxpayers’ money on an investigation into the justification for energy bills of over £1,000, the Government should actively promote the massive savings that people can make.

uSwitch.com welcomes news that there is going to be a Select Committee investigation into possible anti-competitive behaviour in the UK’s energy market.

A new report from national charity Citizens Advice reveals that gas, electricity and telecoms companies are still failing on customer service as the charity calls on companies to improve practices.

Michelle Slade analyst at Moneyfacts.co.uk comments: “Once again we are in the situation where double digit price rises are the norm and everyone is wondering where to go for the best deal.

In response to ScottishPower’s price rise announced today, averaging 15% for gas and 14% for electricity, Mike Stevenson, Switch with Which? says that this latest increase is yet more incentive for consumers to vote with their feet and switch to a better deal.

Commenting on price rises from Scottish Power (14 per cent for electricity, 15 per cent on gas, and 14.8 per cent on dual fuel) Scott Byrom, utilities manager at price comparison site moneysupermarket.com, said:

ScottishPower has followed competitors and announced a price rise effective from 2nd February 2008.

2007 saw a lot of discussion on climate change - but what exactly did we achieve? Cool nrg has proved that through ingenuity and sheer determination we can all be a part of delivering change.

Many people in the UK are faced with having to stretch their finances to the limit with the news that NPower, EDF energy and British Gas are hiking fuel prices by around 15 per cent, but for many elderly members of our society, this could prove a hike too far.

Scott Byrom, utilities manager at price comparison site moneysupermarket.com, said: “British Gas has clearly run out of patience with customers that refuse to have an online tariff on monthly direct debit.“Before today, customers were getting a £170 shove, now it is a £300 kick.

British Gas is putting prices up by 15% or £85 for gas and 15% or £54 for electricity.The price hike comes into effect immediately and will hit standard tariffs, potentially affecting over half its 16 million customer accounts and adding an extra £139 on to the average dual fuel customer’s household energy bill.

British Gas has announced an increase to its tariffs for domestic gas and electricity, on the back of rises in wholesale gas and electricity markets, driven up by escalating energy prices in the second half of 2007.