Another price rise announcement by a utilities company could place Britons under increased financial pressure, it has been suggested.

Earlier this month, ScottishPower stated that gas and electricity costs on its standard tariff are to increase by 15 and 14 per cent. Resulting in bills rising by 89 pounds and 53 pounds respectively, uSwitch reported that the moves will affect just under half (44 per cent) of the 5.2 million customers of the energy firm. Adding an extra 141 pounds on to costs, the price comparison website suggested that the typical dual fuel household energy bill is now set to rise from 959 pounds to 1,100 pounds. The increases came into effect on Saturday (February 2nd).

Following on from such a price increase, homeowners may not just find that they have problems in meeting demands for payment on utility bills but also discover their capacity for repaying other monetary constraints such as loans, credit and store cards, mortgages and transport costs is diminished.

Commenting on the announcement, Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch, claimed that the decision by ScottishPower to increase its costs was not a surprising one following recent hikes by a number of fellow energy companies, such as British Gas and EDF Energy, in recent weeks.

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