Bad day for E.On energy consumers

21 August 2008

E.On one of two energy companies to increase energy prices in one day

E.On has today announced that it will be increasing its gas and electricity prices by as much as 26%.

E.On was the first energy company today to announce that it would be increasing its prices for domestic customers by 26% for gas and 16% for electricity, as of 22 August.

Scottish and Southern Energy then followed suit a few hours later.

Both companies blamed the rise – the second in 2008 – on the recent increases in wholesale energy prices.

According to E.On, its dual-fuel customers will see their annual bills increase by an average of £227.

The average annual bill for an E.On customer choosing to pay by monthly direct debit will now go up from £967 to £1,194, taking into account today’s increases. Those paying in other ways will see their average annual bills increase to £1,259 and customers with pre-payment meters will end up paying £1,298 for the year on average.

Graham Bartlett, managing director of E.On’s retail business, said: “I’m very aware of the effect that today’s announcement will have on our customers and I recognise that this is a very tough time for everyone.”

He also said that E.On had tried to protect its customers by keeping the increases as low as it could.

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