Scottish & Southern Energy Raises Prices

Big Six energy provider Scottish & Southern Energy has become the latest energy supplier to announce a price hike – how much more are we being asked to pay this time?

Since Scottish Power announced its price rises earlier in June, we’ve all been bracing for more of the Big Six energy providers to follow suit – and we haven’t had to wait long.

British Gas announced its price rise earlier this month and now Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE) has announced that from 14 September household electricity bills will rise by 11% on average, while gas will increase by an average of 18%.

Once more, a 30% increase in the wholesale price of energy is being blamed for the rise.

According to price comparison site uSwitch, once the price rise kicks in, the average bill for a dual fuel customer with SSE will rise by 16%, or £171, to reach £1,265.

Ann Robinson of uSwitch commented:“Despite household energy bills having rocketed by almost £500 or 71% in just over 5 years, consumers are still being asked to pay more.”

Rising bills are also driving more Britons into fuel poverty – the state when households spend more than 10% of their total income on energy bills.

Just last week, the watchdog Consumer Focus, estimated that if all of the Big Six energy providers raised their prices, the number of households in fuel poverty would rise to nearly six and a half million.

Moneyhighstreet comments: “This is another blow to consumers already feeling the bite of high inflation, and if all of the Big Six suppliers raise their prices, switching providers won’t give households the kind of savings they need in tough economic times.

“But there is more consumers can do. The Big Six aren’t the only energy providers out there, and it’s worth investigating the smaller suppliers. The Government has also announced plans to help these suppliers and increase competition in the market.

“We can also save on the amount of energy we use. British Gas has launched its Home Energy Plan, which subsidises the installation of insulation, smart meters and other green energy measures to reduce bills, potentially resulting in significant savings.”