Consumers face postcode lottery for energy prices, says report
By myfinances.co.uk staff
Home owners face a postcode lottery when it comes to energy prices, with some charged up to £189 more for their gas and electricity purely because of where they live, a new report has claimed.
Research carried out by uSwitch.com found that ScottishPower customers in Cardiff using the company's Online Reward Energy tariff pay £1,031 a year for dual fuel, whereas someone on the same pricing plan in Nottingham is charged £842.
Overall, the comparison site said, the south Wales energy region is the most expensive in the country, with the average annual bill for gas and electricity coming to £949.
The cheapest energy region was the East Midlands, where the typical cost of household fuel was £855 a year for online customers.
"Regional pricing is a key part of the competitive battlefield - the important thing is for consumers to avoid becoming a casualty," said Ann Robinson, uSwitch.com's director of consumer policy.
"Consumers cannot assume that their local supplier will automatically be cheaper - very often they are not."
Last month, uSwitch.com argued that after two years of healthy profits, the country's big six energy suppliers - E.ON, EDF Energy, ScottishPower, British Gas, Scottish & Southern Energy and npower - were well placed to cut prices.
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