EDF Energy increases prices for residential customers
EDF Energy is increasing its standard variable prices for gas and electricity residential customers by 10.8% from December 7, 2012. For typical customers the company’s new standard variable prices will however still be lower than those of all the major suppliers which have announced standard price rises this autumn.
More than one million existing fixed deal accounts will be unaffected by price changes this winter and the company has today launched Blue +Fixed Price March 2015 which offers customers the opportunity to protect themselves from future price rises for the next three winters.
EDF Energy has also confirmed support for its most vulnerable elderly customers and plans to ensure they automatically benefit from its cheapest available prices. This could save them around £165 next year as well as offering them a rebate this winter. EDF Energy is the only supplier to make this pledge, which forms part of its Customer Commitments on fair value, better service and simplicity.
The company acknowledged the price rise would be unwelcome but said that the combination of significant extra costs in the use of gas and electricity networks, mandatory energy efficiency and social schemes, plus the rising price of wholesale energy meant it could no longer put off a price change.
A typical standard variable dual fuel energy bill will rise by £2.35 a week. EDF Energy’s last price change was to cut gas prices earlier this year and it has offered typical customers the lowest standard variable dual fuel prices of all major suppliers for 50 of the last 52 weeks.
Martin Lawrence, Managing Director of Energy Sourcing and Customer Supply said: “We know that customers will not welcome this news and do not want to see prices going up. Our new prices will however be cheaper on average than those of all the other major suppliers which have announced standard price rises so far this autumn. We’ve taken extra measures to make sure the most vulnerable benefit from the best deals and we continue to help customers reduce their bills with energy efficiency measures.
“It’s worth pointing out that one in five of our customers are already on competitive fixed priced tariffs and will not be affected by these price changes this winter. And for those worried about any future price rises, EDF Energy has launched Blue +Fixed Price March 2015 which comes with a guarantee that its price will not increase for the next three winters.
“We also want to look after our vulnerable customers, which is why we have become the first and only company to promise that those whom the government identifies as most in need will automatically benefit from a discount equivalent to being on our cheapest tariff. Eligible customers will start to receive the benefit this winter.”
For more information, visit edfenergy.com.