More bad news for households, as Eon announce price rise

Lisa Greenfield, energy analyst at Confused.com comments: "A few short weeks ago Eon issued reassurance to customers that they would not raise prices before January.

But no time was wasted when just 11 days in to the New Year the last of the ‘Big 6' followed their competitors with a price hike of 9% for electricity and 3% for gas, affecting more than 1 million customers.

"The move will see their current best tariff, Save Online 4, increasing £56 for the (new1) average user from £850 to £906 (7%).

"2011 is increasingly looking to be a difficult year for struggling households, especially considering the VAT increase that has just been introduced. With energy prices on a rollercoaster, it's difficult to predict what the next move will be. For those looking for price security, there are some good fixed deals still available. Shopping around remains the best weapon in the fight against escalating costs, with those opting for online tariffs still getting better deals than those sticking with standard tariffs"