Responding to SSE’s 9% energy price rise which comes into effect in October, Andrew Faulk, energy expert at Consumer Focus Scotland, said:
‘This price rise will be a hard blow for consumers in Scotland in the current difficult economic climate. People will be worried about a run of price rises, but we see little evidence in the trends in wholesale prices or in the performance of companies, that would justify all suppliers following suit.
‘It is vital that the regulator continues to scrutinise the market to make sure consumers are paying a fair price and profits are at acceptable levels. There is also still a need for much greater transparency across the wider supply chain. Without that the considerable consumer distrust over pricing will continue. This must ring bells with energy policy makers so that affordability remains a critical goal in the development of secure and sustainable energy market.
‘We would urge anyone worried about their energy costs to shop around to try to find a better deal and ensure they are on the cheapest payment method. There are also free and discounted insulation and heating measures available from suppliers and under the Warm Front scheme which we would encourage people to take advantage of to cut their bills.’
ENDS
Notes to editors:
How the price change will affect average bills:
Please see our wholesale vs retail pricing charts for more information on price movements. The wholesale numbers in our charts are obtained by averaging out the prices paid on the market for a mixture of medium and long-term contracts. They aim to broadly replicate how suppliers might be purchasing but are most useful as an indication showing rises and falls in the wholesale price which is more in line with what suppliers pay than the spot day price.
Karen Jordan
Communications Manager
Karen.jordan@consumerfocus.org.uk
0141 227 1843/07920 870 042