British Gas website blunder reveals electricity price rise

BRITISH Gas is expected to announce a hike in electricity prices today in a snub to Government pleas over rising bills.

Before the election, Theresa May announced plans for a cap that could save millions of families around £100 a year.

However, the move by British Gas suggests customers will see an increase in bills, rather than a fall.

Expectations of a price rise were fuelled by a British Gas website blunder yesterday. A statement appeared on its website titled: ‘Why we’ve had to raise electricity prices – our first increase since November 2013.’

However, the text read only ‘blah blah’, suggesting it was put online in error.

It was quickly removed and British Gas refused to comment. A change to prices is expected to be made public as British Gas’s parent firm Centrica announces its trading data and profits today.

British Gas brought in a price freeze in December last year, but that is due to run out this month. Energy firms have blamed price rises on increases in green taxes.

Ed Molyneux, of consumer group The Big Deal, said: ‘A British Gas price rise is completely unjustifiable. They should be cutting prices not raising them.’

Government plans for a price cap seem to have been watered down, with regulator Ofgem instead asked to find ways to cut bills for ‘vulnerable’ households.