EDF is latest Energy Company to hike Prices
EDF Energy has become the latest in a long line of providers to hike their energy prices, after moves by British Gas, SSE, Scottish Power and npower to do the same in the past month.
There seems to be little doubt that energy companies have used one another as an excuse to up prices, and have found safety in numbers, leaving consumers with nowhere to turn.
EDF say that there are around 1 million customers currently on fixed-rate contracts who will be unaffected by the changes, and have moved to offer those who are affected the chance to fix their energy prices for the next three years; protecting them from future rises on a scheme called Blue +Fixed Price March 2015.
However this is likely to do little for consumer optimism and EDF themselves admit it is a move that is likely to displease their customers. Martin Lawrence of EDF said: “We know that customers will not welcome this news and will not want to see prices going up”
This is a view shared by, Ann Robinson, of uSwitch.com, who said: “This is the final hammer blow for energy bills this side of Christmas. Consumers now face a winter of rotating their energy usage – many will be forced to turn their heating down or off for fear of impact of these hikes”
The rise in price is expected to be 10.8pc, which is higher than that of both British Gas and npower, although EDF do maintain that their prices will still be more competitive than their rivals, commenting: “Our new prices will be cheaper on average than all other major suppliers which have announced standard price rises so far this autumn”.
EON remains the only outstanding of the ‘big six’ energy suppliers not to have raised prices in 2012.
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