SCOTTISH Power has become the fifth energy supplier in a matter of days to announce prices hikes of £117 a year, which will affect 900,000 customers.
From April 1, the supplier will up prices by 10 per cent taking the average annual gas and electricity bill from £1,137 to £1,254.
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Prepayment meter customers will also see prices rise by £106 (9 per cent) taking average dual fuel bills from £1,136 a year to £1,242.
It follows in the footsteps of Eon, EDF and Npower, which all revealed hikes last week, and British Gas which only confirmed increases today.
So far, all of the providers have upped prices to the same levels as energy regulator Ofgem’s new standard variable and prepayment meter price caps, which take force from April 1.
Scottish Power had no comment to add when The Sun contacted it.
I saved £372 with Switchcraft
TEACHER Peter Fox, 36, saved £372 when he switched through Switchcraft.
Peter, who lives in Stockton-on-Tees, said: “There’s no need to do anything really, I found Switchcraft dead easy, really straight forward, and it was an extremely quick way to switch supplier.
“For very little effort I’ve saved £372 and I’ve been moved onto the renewable energy provider, Pure Planet, which is an extra bonus”.
He now plans to use the money he saved towards a holiday to Las Vegas with his wife Catherine, 34.
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A fiver will be paid into your bank account within four months of completing the switch. prepayment meter customer customers will receive a £5 Amazon voucher. Open to those 18 and over. UK residents only. Click here for full T&Cs.
But households may be able to save hundreds by switching.
Richard Neudegg, head of regulation at price comparison website uSwitch.com, said: “Five of the big six energy companies have now confirmed their price rises less than two weeks after Ofgem announced it is raising the level of the cap.
“Standard tariffs are not value for money, with or without a cap, and Scottish Power customers have been given a harsh reminder of this today.
“But there are nearly 200 energy tariffs which are currently cheaper than the new price cap will cost. Consumers can grab savings of over £300 by switching now.”
How to find a cheaper energy deal
FIRSTLY, you’ll need to have a recent bill to hand. This will have all the details you need, including the name of your tariff and your recent spending on gas
- Use a comparison website: Customers can use websites such as uSwitch.com or Energyhelpline.com to compare tariffs and find a cheaper deal. You could save up to £400 a year if you’ve never switched before.
- There are other service you can turn to: MoneySavingExpert’s Cheap Energy Club will let you set up an email reminder that alerts you when cheaper deals become available.
- Things to do before you switch: Compare prices and before you switch check to see if you can get cachback from a website like Quidco or TopCashback
These are the cheapest tariffs you can switch to ahead of Ofgem’s price cap.
Plus, here’s how to get help paying your energy bills this winter – and save over £1,000.
And, here’s how to get free insulation worth £1,000’s.
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