British Gas announces 9.2% rise in energy prices effective from 28 November.
Britons will have to be enduring yet another financial hardship following a ˜9.2 percent spike™ in energy prices announced by British Gas, the second of the UK™s six energy firms.
The announcement, which follows last week™s price rise by SSE, another energy company in the UK, fuels political disputes over soaring gas and electricity prices at a time when more people are forced to choose between heating or eating this winter.
Centrica, British Gas parent company, said the above-inflation hike is triggered by high costs for wholesale energy and for delivering gas and electricity to homes, as well as government’s “social and environmental programmes” which are paid for through customers’ bills, British media reported.
According to Centrica the hike will add £107 to the average annual dual-fuel bill to £1,297 with electricity bill rising by 10.4 percent and gas bills by 8.4 percent from 23 November.
British Gas has blamed rising costs for its decision alleging that œthey are not all directly under our control”. It has also acknowledged that energy bills are a “real worry for hard-pressed households”.
“I know these are difficult times for many customers and totally understand the frustration that so many household costs keep on rising when incomes aren’t keeping pace. We haven’t taken this decision lightly”, said Ian Peters, managing director of British Gas residential energy.
However, Tom Lyon, an energy expert at uSwitch.com, said customers will feel œbetrayed” by the rise in energy prices.
“Today’s price hike will be seen by many as a broken promise after the supplier suggested in May that it would use the extra profits it made last winter to hold off from any price hikes.
“British Gas customers have had the rug pulled from under their feet and I suspect that many will be feeling let down and betrayed”, he said.
Clare Francis, editor-in-chief of Moneysupermarket.com, said other energy providers were likely to follow the move.
“It won’t stop there. We can expect the other four major providers – EDF, E.ON, npower ,and Scottish Power – to also announce price hikes over the coming weeks.”
MOL/AB/HE
Copyright: Press TV