More price rise pain for one million customers as npower hikes bills

• npower is raising gas and electricity prices for one million customers from 17th June

• Bills will increase by £64 from £1,166 to £1,230 – the equivalent of £64 million nationwide

• npower blames rising wholesale and policy costs for the increase

• Households urged to show energy companies they won’t be taken for granted and save up to £491 by switching supplier****.

npower is the fourth of the ‘big six’ energy companies to increase the price of its’ Standard Variable Tariff. From 17th June, one million customers will pay an average of £64 more per year for their  dual fuel bills.

Commenting on the news, Claire Osborne, Uswitch.com energy expert, says: “npower has reclaimed its top spot as the most expensive big six standard tariff.

“The average £64 rise is the equivalent of almost three weeks spending on energy. npower customers who don’t want to suffer the same fate as households on British Gas, EDF, and Scottish Power standard tariffs have a simple choice to make: stay on a rip-off tariff and watch their bank balance shrink even further, or compare, switch and save up to £491. With the recent wholesale cost increases, now is the time to switch and lock in a fixed deal to protect yourself against future price rises.

“Energy suppliers haven’t been afraid to increase prices in spite of the threat of an energy price cap – perhaps because they’re confident that customers will mistakenly think a cap protects them, so they won’t switch once it’s in place.”