E.ON to raise residential bills in February
January 30, 2011 at 2:08 pm
E.ON customers have so far managed to avoid the energy bill rises that have hit other energy customers over recent months. But that’s all about to change as E.ON has just confirmed that it will be increasing both electricity and gas bills on February 4.
The planned rises will see electricity bills go up by 9%, and gas by 3%.
The rises will affect 4 million customers, as E.ON becomes the fifth of the big energy suppliers to raise its prices over the winter months.
Like the other energy companies, E.ON is blaming increasing industry costs on the need to raise its bills, most significantly the rise in wholesale prices which have gone up by a massive 35% in the last year.
The rises mean that dual-fuel customers will have to pay £58.40 a year extra on average, according to E.ON. That works out as an extra 16p a day. However, E.ON confirmed that its most vulnerable customers, including those on the Go Green, StayWarm and WarmAssist tariffs won’t be affected. Neither will Age UK customers see any rises until April.
E.ON is keen to highlight that this is the first rise it has implemented since August 2008 when it increased prices by 42% (£384). Since then, it has cut the bills by £110, or 8%. However, USwitch.com has suggested that this latest rise will mean that customers are still paying 37% more than they were in early 2008.
Graham Bartlett, who is the managing director of the Energy Solutions business at E.ON, highlighted the fact that the company did not increase bills during November and December like other companies. He also confirmed that they have “no option but to make this change.”
