Wednesday 30 January 2013

Protection from price hikes ends for npower customers

Energy customers on npower’s fixed tariff could see their bills rise by £160 this weekend when their protection from price hikes comes to an end.

Since the supplier’s ‘Go Fix 8’ plan launched in September 2011, consumers made savings of £261 compared to those on the average ‘Big Six’ standard tariffs. The fixed plan meant their household energy prices were frozen for up to 16 months, protecting them from the full round of price hikes, which has taken the average household energy bill from £1,250 to £1,352 a year.

Customers on the ‘Go Fix 8’ tariff have been locked in at £1,087 a year, paying £265 a year less than other npower consumers. Price comparison site uSwitch.com is urging customers to shop around for the best deal before the plan is rolled on which could bump their bills to £1,247 a year.

Matthew Whitaker, energy expert at uSwitch.com said: “Come Sunday, npower Go Fix 8 customers will discover that all good things really do come to an end when their protection from price hikes draws to a close. Since its launch, customers on this fixed price plan have witnessed price rises come and go without seeing any increases on their own plan. However, if they don’t take action now these increases could catch up with them, with £160 potentially added to their bills.”