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Scottish Power latest energy provider to hike prices

Announcement comes hours after British Gas said it would raise bills for millions of customers

Caitlin Morrison
Tuesday 19 February 2019 16:27 GMT
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Scottish Power is the latest gas and electricity provider to announce bills will be increasing due to the recently hiked energy price cap.

Customers on the company’s standard variable tariff will see bills rise by 10 per cent from 1 April, equal to a £117 hike.

Meanwhile, prepayment customers will face a 9 per cent - or £106 - increase.

The announcement from Scottish Power comes on the same day that British Gas revealed plans to hike bills for almost four million customers, and follows similar moves by E.On, EDF and Npower last week.

Companies have rushed to hike bills in the wake of Ofgem’s decision to increase its industry-wide price cap.

The cap, which was introduced in January at £1,137, will rise by £117 for customers on default tariffs, including standard variable tariffs on 1 April. The cap for prepayment meter customers will also increase, by £106 to £1,242 per year. The change will affect around 15 million households.

Richard Neudegg, head of regulation at 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 ScottishPower customers have been given a harsh reminder of this today.

“It’s now been confirmed that over £1bn a year will be slapped on energy bills from 1 April.”

Alex Neill, Which? managing director of home services, said: “Energy customers will be feeling the heat as this latest increase means price hike Monday is set to see more than one billion pounds added to household bills across the country.

“If you are one of millions of customers stuck on a company's bad value standard variable or default tariff, our advice is simple, switch.”

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