No Help for those that need it most with Energy Bills

BY THE NUMBERS

£262.00 - Annual Fuel Bills Rises this Summer

£1,200 - The Average A Typical Household Will Pay For Energy This Year

1 in 4 - Households in Debt To Their Energy Supplier

4.5Million - Homes Cannot Afford To Keep Warm

2,500 - Fuel Poverty Related Deaths Each Year

£6Billion - Profits For The Big Six This Year

£1.6Billion - Dividends Paid Out This Year


Home owners are more likely to receive indirect help than cash to help cover the souring costs of energy bills. Gordon Brown is still holding onto the forlorn hope that the big SIX will give discounts to the poorest in society that need the most help.

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ENERGY PRICES RISING THREE TIMES AS FAST AS WAGES

SNP MSP Jamie Hepburn today said the UK Government must act as he warned that more families will be pushed into fuel poverty.

Figures produced by the Scottish Government show annual household expenditure on gas and electricity in Scotland has increased by 24% over the last four years whilst average household income in Scotland has only risen by 9%.

The figures, which do not reflect the recent price hikes over the last 12 months, were released in a parliamentary answer to Jamie Hepburn and show that between 2003-04 and 2006-07

• • Average annual household expenditure on gas increased from £440 to £560 - an increase of 27%.
  • Electricity costs have increased over the same time frame from £530 per annum to £660 - an increase of 22%.
  • For households using both electricity and gas the combined figures show an increase of 24%
  • In contrast average household income increased by only 9% from £16,500 to £18,100.

Commenting on the figures SNP Central Scotland MSP Jamie Hepburn said;

“With the latest price rises due to hit households hard this winter these figures expose the shocking impact fuel costs have already had on household budgets across Scotland.

“Energy costs are increasing by 3 times as much as household income.

“Without real action on energy prices we will see more and more households pushed into fuel poverty as energy costs eat up household budgets.

“With higher heating and energy usage in Scotland we already have three times as many households in fuel poverty. Without real action by the UK Government this will only get worse.

“It is essential that we see steps taken by the UK Government to ensure social tariffs are the lowest tariffs, that pre-payment customers are no longer hit by rip-off charges and that the winter fuel payment is increased.

“The case for the energy companies to make a contribution to meeting the costs of fuel poverty and to supporting pensioners is compelling.

“These figures show that energy costs are unsustainable not just for the elderly or less well off but across the board.

“The SNP Government has taken strong steps to tackle fuel poverty with a record number of central heating installations last year, plans to extend benefits health checks to all those applying to the Warm Deal programme, and the re-establishment of the Fuel Poverty Forum – but the energy market and energy regulation is reserved. The UK Government must act.”

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Will gas prices mean a rate increase?

BRITISH Gas owner Centrica said yesterday it would raise gas prices by a record 35 per cent and electricity prices by 9 per cent as it passes on rising energy costs to householders.

The country’s largest energy supplier, with 16m customers, said the move would take place immediately – after revealing its half-year operating profits from its residential gas business plunged 69 per cent to £166m from a year ago.

Centrica’s price hike comes just a few days after rival EDF Energy put up gas prices by 22 per cent and electricity prices by 17 per cent, with other power firms expected to follow suit.

British Gas managing director Phil Bentley said: “We very much regret that we have had to make this decision at a time when many household budgets are already under pressure.”

Soaring energy prices have cost British Gas an extra £2bn over the last year, leading it to pass on costs to consumers. Analysts said these hikes may further stoke inflation, increasing the pressure on the Bank of England to hike interest rates at a time when it is also trying to head off recessionary pressures.

Capital Economics economist Paul Dales said if other energy suppliers mirror these increases the consumer price index would rise by 0.6 per cent, pushing it from 3.8 per cent to 4.4 per cent in August. Dales said: “The news that British Gas became the second utility supplier to raise its price means that inflation is likely to rise further and faster then we previously expected.”

This could spell further bad news for homeowners and investors looking to renew their mortgages.

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Hikes raise concerns over fuel poverty

Average household British Gas bill will rise by £400 to more than £1,300 a year.

THE latest round of energy price hikes has piled further pressure on household budgets.

The average British Gas bill will rise by £400 to just over £1,300 a year after it increased gas and electricity prices by an average of 35 and 9 per cent respectively, following a similar move last week by EDF.

ScottishPower, Eon, Npower and Scottish & Southern Energy – set to follow suit in the next few days, households across the UK face steep fuel price increases.

For every 10 per cent increase, it's estimated that 400,000 more households fall into fuel poverty (defined as when more than 10 per cent of household income is spent on fuel bills).

Energywatch Scotland estimates that even before the latest rises, about 650,000 Scots households were below the fuel poverty line. But while alleviating the strain entirely is unrealistic, it's still possible for most households to ease the burden.

Regardless of price rises, customers can save money by switching to the best deal on the market. The average customer who has not previously switched supplier can save around £250 a year, claims Confused.com.

Switching is a simple and quick process. On most switching sites, you need to enter your postcode and various details of your present current gas and electricity bills to get a list of the tariffs available in your area.

The list will typically include price, savings, power ratings and the type of package (such as dual fuel or capped) and you can then apply online for the best deal.

With prices on a long-term upward trend, capped or fixed-rate deals offer protection from future increases. Nearly three million British Gas customers are unaffected by the latest rises, either because they are locked into fixed-rate deals or they are among the 340,000 customers considered vulnerable and, therefore, shielded from price hikes until 2009.

"While online tariffs still offer the market-leading deals, these products are variable and are at risk to further price hikes," said Scott Byrom, utilities manager at comparison website money supermarket.com. "For those less willing to gamble, a fixed tariff is by far the best option."

However, Byrom added that with prices rising and providers, including ScottishPower, taking attractive fixed-deals off the market, those on offer now may not be available for long.

Fixed-rate tariffs can be up to 15 per cent more expensive than variable tariffs, but with other suppliers likely to follow British Gas with hikes of up to 35 per cent, they represent a good deal.

Providers yet to announce price rises that still have fixed or capped rates on offer include Eon and ScottishPower, although these might disappear quickly, warned Andrew Hagger, communications manager at Moneynet.co.uk. "You will find that most energy suppliers will offer their lowest variable prices if you opt for a combination of online billing and dual fuel," Hagger added.

The latest increases from British Gas, described by energy helpline.com as the "biggest energy price rise in history", mean it has the most expensive standard tariff on the market, at £1,300 a year or £110 a month. But it still has the most competitive deal across the whole market, with the Click Energy 5 tariff. At £845 a year this saves households £40 a month compared with the standard rate.

But such savings are increasingly insufficient and the latest round of increases sparked calls for more help for vulnerable households. "It looks as if it's set to be a long, hard winter, and there is always the concern that the elderly will be scared to put their heating on, which could have serious consequences," said Hagger.

"The government needs to do something to reassure pensioners and review the level of winter-fuel payments in light of these astronomical price hikes."

VULNERABLE ARE UNABLE TO ACCESS THE BEST DEALS

One of the chief weapons against energy price hikes is switching to a better deal.

But this isn't always an option for households below the fuel poverty line – of which there are at least 650,000 in Scotland, according to Energywatch – as those with energy debts cannot switch.

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