EDF Energy has announced its electricity prices for UK customers will increase by an average of 2.7%, just two days after Centrica’s PLC (LON:CNA) British Gas raised energy bills by £60 a year for more than 4mln customers.
In a statement on its website, the French energy company said its standard variable dual fuel direct debit tariff will rise by 1.4%, or £16 a year to £1,158 in total from June 7. The firm said the increase reflected ‘pressures with energy, policy and costs of installing smart meters’.
READ: Centrica's British Gas to increase energy bills by £60 a year for more than 4mln customers
The company said there will be no change to gas prices for direct debit customers.
The firm will also increase charges for customers choosing to pay by cash or cheque by £6 per year "to be closer to the real cost of serving these customers".
EDF Energy said 59% of its customers who are already on a fixed tariff, have a direct debit gas only account, or are on the safeguard tariff or prepayment meter will be unaffected by this change.
Beatrice Bigois, EDF Energy’s managing director of customers, said: “We know that price rises are not welcome and we have worked to offset rising energy and policy charges by cutting our own costs.”
She added: “We will be writing to affected customers this month to encourage them to choose a fixed price tariff or to pay by direct debit to save on their bills.”