Energy firm Npower has become the third major supplier to announce price rises, with a dual-fuel bill to go up 10.4%.

The price rise will take effect on 1 December, and is the highest increase announced by any supplier so far.

The latest price rise comes on the day the government has given the go-ahead for the UK's first new nuclear station in a generation.

There are fears from one consumer group that energy bills could go up, as the owners of the nuclear plant are being guaranteed a price for electricity.

"Rising energy bills are one of the top concerns for cash-strapped consumers, so everyone will want to be assured that the price the government has agreed for new nuclear power is fair," said Richard Lloyd, executive director at Which?.

We’re investigating wood burner for heating the main room of the house. We’ll know exactly how much we’re spending on fuel for that as we’d be paying for wood in advance, and we’ll be able to see how much we’re getting through.

Actually unless you have access to free wood - heating the house via a wood burner that take logs (opposed to wood pellet burners) can be quite expensive

Ethical energy provider Co-operative Energy has today announced it is to increase its gas and electricity prices by an average of four-and-a-half per cent. The new price will not apply to existing customers until January 2014 but will apply to all new customers on sign up from 21st October.

The price increase represents half the actual cost increase facing Co-operative Energy as a business and in a move designed to protect both new and existing customers it has resisted passing on a full price rise, opting instead to both absorb half of the costs and hold current prices for customers for as long as possible.


Wholly owned by its customers with no shareholders demanding a slice of profits, Co-operative Energy believes the move to share the burden of spiralling energy industry costs will lessen the impact on customers. It is now calling for other suppliers to follow its lead and put customers before profits.

The price increase, which will take effect from 8th January 2014 for existing customers on Co-operative Energy’s Pioneer tariff, will equate to an extra £4.78 per month for an average dual fuel customer.

An average Co-operative Energy duel fuel customer will pay £1,315 per year.This is £73 per year less than a British Gas duel fuel customer, who is now looking at an average annual bill of £1,388.

Actually unless you have access to free wood - heating the house via a wood burner that take logs (opposed to wood pellet burners) can be quite expensive

This is why I like using fixed price deals.

i am with SE (scottish energy) and have a pay all monthly account
i give them the readings 1st of the month and pay the whole amount on the 3rd of the month

I am with them. I have a direct debit but now rarely get more than a £10 credit outstanding. My monthly payments are low, certainly by most peoples standards.

Oh, they won't like you doing that. They like to maintain a healthy debit balance on customers' accounts, so they won't switch to another provider for fear of having to clear the debt first.