EDF Energy To Increase Its Energy Prices
Published: 4 February 2011 By MoneyHighStreet Staff 1 Comment
EDF Energy is set to increase its energy prices from 2 March, following the other major energy suppliers who have already pushed their rises.
EDF Energy froze its prices through the winter but has now announced an increase of 6.5% for gas and 7.5% for exlectricity. Both rises come into effect from 2 March 2011.
A positive is that customers will have been through the worst of the winter months so this increase will not hit their winter energy bills.
The average typical household energy bill will now rise from £1,070 to £1,133.
Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com commented “This is the last in a line of energy price hikes to hit British households and the impact should not be underestimated.
Over three quarters of people (76%) have cut down or rationed their energy usage this winter because of cost – a 7% increase on last year. And, even more worryingly, an estimated 14 million households have gone without heating at some point this winter to keep their energy costs down – this is unacceptable.
Now this round of price increases has been completed consumers should be able to enjoy a period of stability. This means that it is an excellent time to shop around for a better deal, potentially saving up to £458, which would wipe the effect of price increases out and put money in the pocket ready for next winter.”
Despite rising energy prices many families still waste energy, with the children and Mum getting blamed for wasting the most.
Average bill sizes according to uSwitch.com, based on a medium user consuming 3,300kWh electricity and 16,500kWh gas a year on a standard plan paying on receipt of bill with bill sizes averaged across all regions, are:
| Supplier | Bill size before price rises | Bill size after price rises |
| British Gas | £1,030 | £1,100 |
| EDF Energy | £1,046 | £1,118 |
| E.ON | £1,061 | £1,123 |
| npower | £1,095 | £1,149 |
| SSE | £1,038 | £1,094 |
| ScottishPower | £1,152 | £1,211 |
| Average | £1,070 | £1,133 |
It’s a shame that EDF announced this but it’s great that customers on their standard tariffs had the low rates through the winter months. The table shows that almost all the energy companies have the same standard tariffs but people can almost certainly get a better deal by switching to some of the discounted rates that are on offer. I guess the overall forecast is for energy prices to increase over the longer term though…