ENERGY PRICE RISE SHOCKER

EDF bills up for 2nd time this year

ENERGY giant EDF has announced an electricity price hike for the second time this year.

From June 21, customers on standard tariffs will see electricity prices rise by 9% and gas prices will go up by 5.5%.

The supplier previously increased electricity prices by 8.4% on March 1, although it cut gas prices in January. The average dual-fuel customer will pay an extra £78 a year, bringing the annual bill to £1,160, EDF said.

Combining both increases will mean 1.5million EDF customers will pay 18.1% more for their electricity in 2017.

The latest rise was immediately criticised by the energy regulator Ofgem, which said it was hard to justify.

But EDF insisted the decision was “fair”. Chief executive Vincent de Rivaz said: “I know that price rises are never welcome, but the industry is facing significant cost increases.”

An EDF spokesman said the overall price rise was less than those imposed by other major suppliers. Four of the big six energy suppliers have already announced price rises this year.

Npower increased its electricity prices by 15% and gas prices by 4.8% last month, while Scottish Power then raised its costs by 10.8% and 4.7% respectively.

E.On announced that its electricity would go up by 13.8% and gas by 3.8% at the end of this month.

And SSE will raise its electricity prices by 14.9% on April 28.