Households face £42 million energy bill shock as 61 fixed deals end

• 61 fixed deals are set to end this month, adding £42 million to energy bills for nearly 193,000 households

• Customers who roll onto their suppliers’ default tariffs face a bill increase of up to £362 (41%) – an average of over £200 per household

• There are 30 tariffs costing less than £1,000 available today with some nearly £400 cheaper than the level of the price cap

• Uswitch.com urges consumers to find a cheaper fixed deal instead of paying through the nose on their current supplier’s standard tariff

Households face a staggering energy bill increase of up to £362 (41%) as 61 fixed deals across 13 suppliers come to an end this month, according to new data from Uswitch.com, the price comparison and switching service. The expiring deals will add £42 million to the energy bills of approximately 193,000 households.

Customers on these tariffs will automatically be rolled onto their suppliers’ default tariffs. The average hike will be £216 per year, but households facing the biggest increases are those with npower (with two expiring plans increasing by £362 and £343 respectively), Co-operative Energy (£343) and ScottishPower (£326).

Suppliers raised their default tariffs by as much as 17% recently after Ofgem increased the level of the Government’s energy price cap in April. The energy price cap sets an upper limit for default tariffs, which are usually among the most expensive on the market. At £1,254 per year for the average user, plans priced at the cap level cost an astonishing £381 more than the cheapest deal on offer today .

However, there is still plenty of choice and healthy savings to be made, with 30 plans available for under £1,000 and over 150 which cost less than the price cap. And Ofgem rules allow customers to switch suppliers without paying exit fees up to 49 days before their plan’s end date, so households affected can switch and save now without worrying about charges for leaving early.

Sarah Broomfield, energy expert at Uswitch.com, says: “The huge growth in switching means more and more consumers are taking the power into their own hands and saving hundreds of pounds a year on their energy bills. But with standard tariffs having skyrocketed after the price cap was increased by a monstrous 10% in April, households whose fixed deals are ending could see their bills increase by as much as £360 a year if they roll onto their supplier’s standard plan.

“The good news is that many energy plans on the market were not affected by the price cap, and are currently much cheaper. With 30 deals priced below £1000 a year, not to mention plenty of tariffs from challenger brands offering strong customer service, renewable energy, and online account management, now is the time to lock in a cheap fixed deal before wholesale costs start to increase and push prices back up again.”

How to find a cheaper energy deal

• Grab your most recent energy bill or statement and go to a price comparison website such as Uswitch.com – or call our customer team on 0800 6888 557.

• Enter some details about where you live, and your current energy tariff, which will be available on your bill (don’t worry if you can’t find your bill, comparison websites can help you work out roughly how much you use or spend).

• Remember to check any additional options such as whether you want green energy, a fixed or variable price, or if you prefer to receive a paper bill.

• Once you’ve seen which deals are available, select the one that’s right for you – if you switch through Uswitch.com we’ll take care of everything for you, including contacting your old and new suppliers.

• And that’s it! Your new supplier will usually contact you in a few days to confirm your switch and let you know when to provide a meter reading so that your old energy company can send a final bill.

Find more information on how to switch energy suppliers here.