EDF ANNOUNCE ELECTRICITY BILL RISE

EDF unveils electricity price rise

Utility firm EDF Energy has announced a 2.6% increase in electricity bills for 1.2 million customers.

EDF Energy has unveiled a 2.6 per cent rise in energy prices

Utility firm EDF Energy has announced a 2.6% increase in electricity bills for 1.2 million customers.

The price rise comes into effect from October 1 and will impact households on standard tariffs in 11 of EDF's 14 regions, as well as those on its "economy 7" tariff in three areas.

EDF said it reviewed regional electricity prices in response to recent increases in the cost of distribution and transmission across the UK.

The group said its price rise would affect 37% of its electricity customer base, working out to an average £10.82 a year extra per household.

Fixed-price customers and those with gas supplied by EDF will not be affected.

EDF claimed the move "better aligned" regional prices and follows a 16% increase in transmission costs since its last price change in March last year.

Customers with standard meters are affected in the following areas: Eastern, East Midlands, West Midlands, North East, North West, North Wales, South Wales, North Scotland, South Scotland, Southern and Yorkshire. Only standard Economy 7 meter customers in London, the South East and the South West are affected by the price change.

But EDF is offering customers a chance to minimise the impact by signing up for the energy discount plan, which will give a 2.5% discount on gas and electricity as long as customers stay on the plan until the end of next September. It is also giving affected low-income households a £12 credit this year.

Martin Lawrence, managing director of energy sourcing and customer supply at EDF, said the group had made "every effort to minimise the size and impact of this price increase".

EDF has 3.42 million electricity customers across the UK.