BILL HIKE EDF Energy to hike gas and electricity bills by 7.2% from June – adding £78 a year

EDF ENERGY is pushing up prices by an average of 7.2 per cent from June – the SECOND price rise to hit millions of customers in less than six months.

Gas prices will increase by an average of 5.5 per cent and electricity prices will go up by 9 per cent, the firm said.

It means EDF’s 1.5 million dual fuel customers will pay an average of £78 a year more after the rise.

Customers on fixed deals or prepayment meters are unaffected by the increase.

In December, the firm announced that electricity prices would rise by 8.4 per cent from March 2017.

At the same time it announced a 5.2 per cent cut in gas prices in January.

The combined effect of the previously announced changes and today’s rise means a dual fuel direct debit customer will see their bills go up by an average of 8.5 per cent – adding £91 a year to bills.

The firm blamed the rising cost of wholesale energy as well as other long-term industry obligations, including the cost of rolling out smart meters.

EDF Energy CEO Vincent de Rivaz said: “I know that price rises are never welcome, but the industry is facing significant cost increases. To be a sustainable and responsible business, we aim to make a fair margin in supplying customers.

“This fair margin allows us to invest for the long term, in particular in good service, innovation and smart metering.”

Hannah Maundrell, editor in chief of money.co.uk said: “This is an insult for many already struggling families and a reminder that we all need to be tightening our purse strings to cope with rising prices.

“Everyone should shop around for gas and electricity at least once a year – there’s no point sticking with the same company when you could pay hundreds less for exactly the same service elsewhere.”

The latest hike comes after all of the ‘big six’ energy firms announced a slew of price changes earlier this year.

last month, E.ON announced it was pushing up prices by almost 14 per cent – adding £97 a year to bills from April 26.

Npower added £109 a year to bills – a rise of 9.8 per cent – from March 16.

Scottish Power pushed up bills by an average of 7.8 per cent – adding £86 a year to bills – from March 31.

Meanwhile British Gas announced a price freeze for its standard variable tariff customers until August.