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2006 – Why you could end up paying out more by not switching today |
Start Saving Today with Uswitch
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Powergen announced today, 17th August 2006, that it was hitting customers with a second price rise this year, From 21st August, 5.5. million customers (this excludes customers on capped, fixed price and Staywarm plans who are not affected) will be paying 18.4% more for their gas and 9.7% more for their electricity.
With 12 price rises from the big 6 energy suppliers (British Gas, EDF Energy, npower, Powergen, Scottish and Southern Energy and ScottishPower), 2006 has been a miserable year for energy customers in the UK. As well as taking a big hit to their pocket from price rises, customers have also had to deal with six months of cold weather over the winter which kept heating systems running much longer than normal.
If you’re confused about when suppliers increased prices and by how much, here is our guide to price rises from the big 6 suppliers to date, in 2006.
Gas & electricity price rises – August 2006
Supplier |
Date effective |
Gas price increase |
Electricity price increase |
British Gas |
September 2006 |
12.4% |
9.4% |
Powergen |
August 2006 |
18.4% |
9.7% |
EDF Energy |
July 2006 |
19% |
8% |
ScottishPower/ ScottishPower Manweb |
July 2006 |
17% |
10% |
Scottish and Southern Energy (includes Atlantic Electric and Gas, Scottish Hydro Electric, Southern Electric and Swalec) |
May 2006 |
16.5% |
9.4% |
npower |
April 2006 |
15% |
13.4& |
EDF Energy |
March 2006 |
14.7% |
4.7% |
Powergen |
March 2006 |
24.4% |
18.4% |
British Gas |
March 2006 |
22% |
22% |
ScottishPower/ ScottishPower Manweb |
March 2006 |
15% |
8% |
npower |
January 2006 |
15% |
12% |
Scottish and Southern Energy (includes Atlantic Electric and Gas, Scottish Hydro Electric, Southern Electric and Swalec) |
January 2006 |
13.9% |
11.7% |
Start Saving Today with Uswitch
There is a way to pay less
With so many price rises it is easy to sit back and think all suppliers are the same and that you will not get a better deal. However comparing and switching to another supplier is quick and easy, plus if you’ve never switched from your incumbent energy suppliers, (British Gas and your local electricity board), you could be paying up to 25% more than if you switched to a cheaper supplier.
And you shouldn’t put off making the move until later in the year. Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com, commented
“Consumers should now start turning their attention to the coming winter, and how they’re going to afford to heat and light their homes when their bills have risen by a staggering 44% - or 18 times the rate of inflation * – since June last year."
Tips to help you pay less
Here are some more great tips to help you maximise the savings you can make when switching your energy supplier:
-
Pay by Direct Debit instead of paying on receipt of a quarterly bill Suppliers often offer a discount to customers who pay by Direct Debit
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Look at online plans. A number of suppliers offer lower rates for online plans when combined with online billing
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Look at dual fuel plans. Switching to just one supplier for both gas and electricity may well work out cheaper than having two suppliers
Switching your gas and electricity supplier is free, quick and easy. And to make it even easier we’ve partnered with uSwitch.com, the impartial comparison and switching service. Just answer a few simple questions and in moments you can see how much you could save by switching.
Switch your gas and electricity supplier
* Inflation rate, 2.4%, from the Bank of England website – 17th August 2006. |
Useful Information on Utility Bills
Take
advantage of discounts for paying by direct debit or within
a certain time. But just because the moneys leaving
your account automatically, dont stop checking the bills
to ensure they are correct. Shop
around for the best deals. Theres now plenty of competition
to supply your gas and electricity, so contact several suppliers
and use last years bills to work out what you could
save with each company. Keep checking each year - company
pricing policies can change.
Gas
and Electricity Deregulation
During June 1998 the British Government deregulated the Gas
industry, all mains gas customers anywhere in the UK were
able to purchase gas from any number of suppliers. That brought
real choice to consumers in the domestic and small business
markets.
Also in 1998, the Electricity industry was deregulated, giving
us the choice to buy electricity from a variety of sources.
This will eventually drive down prices as companies compete
for customers.
Cheapest Utility Websites
Green
Energy
Green energy can be loosely defined as energy from renewable
or sustainable sources. Examples of green energy include wind
power, solar energy, biomass energy and hydro power. There
are also waste to energy projects which can be
considered renewable because a large proportion of the energy
is derived from biomass (or plant material). There is an argument
that queries the sustainability of using waste as a fuel for
power generation. Similarly whilst small scale hydro power
is generally considered renewable, the environmental impacts
of large scale hydro make it difficult to exploit it sustainably.
Water
New Water Regulations, replacing the 50 year old Water Bylaws,
were implemented in 1999. On this site
we list some of the main points of the new regulations.
Water companies collect and then clean the water which we
then use. Our dirty water is cleaned and then returned to
the environment.
Mobilephones
When considering a mobile network, check to make sure it offers
coverage in all the areas where you are likely to use your
mobile. If you'll be using it mainly in larger urban areas
around the UK, then any of the five networks will be able
to provide you with good coverage. The one exception to this
is Northern Ireland, where One 2 One doesn't provide mobile
service. If you plan to travel frequently to less-populated
rural areas, such as northern Scotland or Wales, you'll want
to check carefully the networks' own coverage maps. These
maps will tell you where you can expect trouble-free calling
and where a network's coverage is thinner.
Ringtones
Customise your phone with ringtones, logos and text alerts.
Search for your favourite tracks or even get the National
Lottery results sent direct to your mobile.
Telephones
Buying a telephone system has never been that easy. Comparing
features, expansion options and costs can result in pages
of comparison charts. Now, you can add some more rows to those
charts as the phone system continues to evolve.
Internet
Services
ISP is an acronym for Internet Service Provider - usually
a commercial Internet or telecoms firm offering access to
the Internet. Access to the ISP is usually via a telephone
link, although some also support ISDN, ADSL or CableModem
links for higher speeds. You should enquire from your chosen
ISP if you require these types of link.
Domain
Names
All computers connected to the Internet, whether permanently
via a leased line or temporarily via a dial-up connection,
have a unique number which identifies them. This unique number
is called an IP (Internet Protocol) address - makes it possible
to ensure that the right information goes to the right computer.
Information may include e-mail messages, web pages, file transfers
and more besides. An IP address looks like this:- 193.35.42.11
- four groups of numbers, each group having a value in the
range 0 to 255.
Web
Hosting
Web hosting, sometimes known as site hosting, is an essential
service that must be sought out by any individual or company
wishing to secure a presence on the Web. Anyone wishing to
make information publicly available over the Internet will
need to have that content located and stored on an Internet-connected,
storage heavy computer. These computers are usually owned
maintained and serviced by a specialist company, known as
a host. They serve up content to a particular location on
the World Wide Web (usually a specified URL), and are referred
to in broad terms as commercial Web servers.
Digital
Television
Digital broadcasting is a new method of transmitting television
signals that gives you access to more programmes, digital
quality picture and sound, and interactive services. The current
analogue signals that you receive through your TV aerial will
begin to be phased out between 2006 and 2010, provided that
95% of British homes have a digital receiver by then. You
can receive these digital transmissions in your home in four
ways:
- through
your TV aerial
- via
a satellite dish
- by
cable
- via
an upgrade to your telephone line
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