EDF blames Beast from the East for second price rise

THE “Beast from the East” has been blamed as EDF Energy announced a second major price rise in four months.

The French company, one of the “Big Six” suppliers, announced yesterday that its standard variable tariff (SVT) would increase by 6 per cent in August.

The increase will affect 40 per cent of EDF’S customers, around 1.3million people, and comes just weeks after a 1.4 per cent rise came into force.

EDF, which has around 3.3 million customers in Britain, said a number of factors had increased costs, including the Beast from the East, the storm that hit the UK in February, and the changing nature of global oil markets.

The average customer on the SVT will now pay £1,228 a year. Yesterday, critics described the price rises as a “slap in the face” for families.

Energyhelpline, the switching service, said the two rises would mean a £70 increase for EDF customers.

Beatrice Bigois, EDF’S managing director of customers, said: “Energy costs have continued to rise significantly and, despite our best efforts to absorb some of these by reducing the costs within our control, sadly we can no longer sustain this.”

The Government has vowed to crack down on rip-off tariffs by introducing a cap that could save customers an estimated £100 a year. The cap could be in place by the end of the year.

Lily Green, a campaigner for autoswitching service Look After My Bills, said the “double whammy” of increases was a “disgrace”. She added: “Sadly, we expect other Big Six energy companies to follow and raise prices yet again. They are prioritising profits before the price cap sets in and slapping millions of families in the face with price rises.”

According to Uswitch, there have been 21 price increases in 2018, costing the average consumer £52 a year.