Richard Neudegg, director of regulation at Uswitch.com, comments: “Millions of homes will now have their heating on to cope with this week’s cold snap, so the stubbornly high energy price cap is a stark reminder of the need for households to take matters into their own hands.
“Industry forecasts had been predicting a small fall in the cap, so this increase will be a tedious disappointment for the millions of standard tariff customers who are already paying over the odds for their energy.
“Customers on a price-capped tariff can switch to a fixed deal now and start seeing average savings of £185 a year. In doing so, they’ll also protect themselves from the predicted increase we might see in April.
“Consumers should run a comparison for their usage levels and region. For households able to switch, fixing now at a cheaper rate is the best defence against high winter bills.
“Two million households are planning to go without central heating this winter, which is a damning indictment of the state of energy affordability. All eyes are now on next week’s Budget and whether the Chancellor can deliver any more meaningful support on energy bills.
“Importantly, a mooted removal of VAT on energy bills would apply to all customers - so those choosing a fixed deal to beat the price cap would save twice.”
ENDS
For more information
Rianna York | Energy PR Manager
rianna.york@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
