EDF’s Martin Lawrence: “We recognise it is difficult news at this time and we regret these price rises”
EDF Energy customers will see a 10.8% rise in gas and electricity prices from 7 December, the company has announced.
EDF, which has three million domestic customers, is the fifth major energy firm to announce price rises and it is the biggest average increase so far.
The company blamed the cost of wholesale energy and government charges including mandatory energy efficiency and social schemes.
Downing Street called the rise “very disappointing”.
“People will not understand why EDF are hiking up their bills by so much when they made nearly £1.6 billion in profits last year,”
said Labour’s shadow energy secretary Caroline Flint
EDF director Martin Lawrence said the company recognised that people do not want to see prices going up.
“It is worth pointing out that one in five of our customers are already on competitive fixed priced tariffs and will not be affected by these price changes this winter,” he said.
Latest round of price rises
- SSE: 15 October, electricity up 9%
- British Gas: 16 November, electricity up 6%
- Npower: 26 November, electricity up 9.1%
- Scottish Power: 3 December, electricity up 7%
- EDF: 7 December, electricity up 10.8%
- E.On: No price rise before the end of 2012
EDF, which claimed that its prices would still be lower than the other major suppliers who have already announced price rises, said that the average dual fuel bill would go up by £2.35 a week, the equivalent of more than £122 a year to bring the total bill to £1,251 a year.
Source : BBC News
