Latest energy hike provides ‘green light to switch’

With the last of the big energy suppliers announcing an increase in its premiums consumers now have the “green light to switch” providers, one financial expert has claimed.

Money advisers Which? stated that spenders ensure they have the best deal when it comes to their mobile phone tariff and this should be no different for their energy bills.

Scottish and Southern Energy announced last week that its prices for electricity customers will rise by 14.2 per cent on average.

Siobhan Parker of Which? said that this latest price increase is the “green light to switch”.

“Everyone’s feeling the post-budget pinch and making sure you’re getting the best deal for your home energy is a smart and easy way to take some of the pressure off,” she continued.

Which? said that customers should use their buying power to show they mean business, and switch to a cheaper supplier.

Meanwhile, Scottish and Southern Energy increases mean that prices for gas customers will increase by 15.8 per cent.

Home energy bills have now smashed the £1,000 per year mark for many households.

Tags: pinch, Everyone, best deal, Scottish, southern energy

Regional gas pricing warning from Which?

The need for gas customers to look out for and switch to the best deals is becoming ever sharper, with suppliers indicating their willingness to adopt regional pricing policies.

In January, npower began charging different tariffs in different parts of the country, reportedly to reflect the varying costs of transporting gas.

ScottishPower and Scottish and Southern Energy already have similar schemes, and British Gas has refused to rule the idea out.

Siobhan Parker of Switch with Which? warned: “The adoption of regional gas prices by some suppliers further emphasises price variations around the country. npower has announced an average gas increase of 12.8 per cent, but customers living in regions such as London and the East Midlands are being hit with a much bigger price rise of 23.8 per cent.

“People must vote with their feet and seek out the best deal to combat the effects of what is ultimately a postcode lottery.”

This is not to say that some parts of the country are simply more expensive than others – yet.

Figures from Which? show that Yorkshire is the most expensive region, on average, for npower customers, while Wales is the priciest place to live for ScottishPower customers.

Tags: different parts, Siobhan Parker, show, southern energy, customer, place, adoption