Graph of rising prices with pound coin

Energy price rises

  • How can consumers protect themselves against rising energy prices?
  • What should the government and energy companies be doing?
  • Find out how Which? is campaigning for fairer energy pricing. 

Which? research shows that energy prices are the number one financial concern for UK consumers, which makes price rises even more worrying. Wholesale prices are up, and energy companies shrug their shoulders, increase our bills, and tell us there's nothing they can do about it.

The problem is that the energy market is so complicated that often we can't really tell – have wholesale prices risen by that much? And how can we tell what's fair when our bills are so complicated?

What can we do?

What can government/Ofgem do?

  • Tell us how our money is being spent. The government puts environmental and social responsibilities on energy companies, which are paid for through customers' fuel bills. We'd like companies to be more open about where our money goes.
  • Encourage competition. Doing away with red tape for smaller energy companies is great, but they also need to make it easier for smaller companies, and possible new entrants, to buy energy from the Big Six. This could increase competition and hopefully drive improvements in services and bring down prices.
  • Do away with two-tiered tariffs. These tariffs charge customers more for their first units of energy. The recent price rises have been heavily loaded onto the first tier of tariffs, which penalises low users, who are often the more vulnerable customers.

What can companies do?

Pile of coins

Energy companies need to start being more transparent about where our money goes. 

Which? research showed that less than 25% of people trusted their energy company, meaning energy companies are even less trusted than the banks. What can they do to restore that trust?

  • Give us transparent bills. Our research shows that customers are confused by the information they receive in energy bills. By showing customers exactly what they are paying for, companies would make it easier for people to find a good deal and save money.
  • Be open about the real cost of energy. At the moment the Big Six in the UK - British Gas, EDF, Eon, Npower, Scottish and Southern Energy and Scottish Power - play a key role in setting the wholesale price of energy, as they make it and also sell it on to other markets. Therefore, when they raise prices because of wholesale cost increases, it's no wonder their customers are suspicious.

What Which? is doing

At Which? we don't think the energy market is working for consumers. We'd like to see a more competitive market where energy companies are open with their customers about where their money goes. At the moment we're campaigning on

  • Prices: we think that the energy companies, Ofgem and the government should work with us to make sure that consumers have all the information they need to cut their energy bills this winter.
  • Energy tariffs: we want tariffs to be easily comparable, so that consumers can find the best energy deal for them. This means introducing a , with a unit price covering the actual energy used.
  • The Green Deal: the government is currently legislating for the Green Deal – a new way of paying for energy efficiency measures in your home. We are pressing the government to make sure that consumers can trust the Green Deal; will be protected from mis-selling; will have access to redress and genuine independent advice; and that the financial model works.
  • Smart meters: with starting to be installed in some homes, we want energy companies to focus on safe and hassle free installation rather than trying to sell.

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