Confused.com: Scottish Power PriceSure fixed energy plan

Gareth Kloet, head of energy at Confused.com, comments on Scottish Power's announcement that it is cutting the cost of gas on its PriceSure fixed energy plans: "Scottish Power's price reduction could signal post-Christmas across-the-board reductions by energy companies. Yet, if this is the case, the 10% cut which Scottish Power has announced for its PriceSure tariff is not in the best interest of many consumers. If energy prices rise, this deal will dominate the best capped deals in every area for the average user. However, if prices fall, consumers could lose out. It is certainly worth reading the small-print before opting for rates which are initially perceived to be unrivalled.

"Once again, these changes illustrate the importance of shopping around for the tariff which is the most appropriate to customers' individual circumstances, most notably the regions they live in and their average energy consumption levels. Although Scottish Power's announcement represents a small incremental change, as opposed to wide-ranging root and branch reform, it is hoped that this will be the start of more providers dropping their rates. As a result, it could be prudent for customers to switch regularly in order to maintain a competitive tariff.

"There is a perception that switching energy providers or tariffs is difficult and time consuming, but as long as customers know either how much they currently pay or how much energy they consume - both of which will be on their bills - they could make considerable savings on their energy costs, in just a few clicks."