npower cuts fuel prices

Npower has joined the energy price war by announcing a 16% cut in gas prices and a 3% drop in electricity prices.

The RWE-owned utility company says the move means it will be “cheaper than British Gas for dual fuel customers across Britain” and “cheaper than anyone else online for dual fuel”.

Npower joins British Gas and Powergen, which also announced price cuts in the past week. BG is reducing online tariffs and Powergen is introducing four new tariffs, including one that is “guaranteed to be cheaper” than British Gas.

Npower’s gas price cuts are for all residential customers and will be introduced at the end of April. The company says that because its prices start from a much lower price base than British Gas, “these reductions make npower cheaper than British Gas for dual fuel – as well as Britain’s cheapest gas supplier”.

Adam Scorer, energywatch director of campaigns, says that a double digit price cut has to be welcomed but he adds: “With npower customers having to wait until May for bills to come down this is little more than a distant promise of cheaper gas. The negligible cut in electricity price smacks of tokenism and may not persuade customers to stay with npower.”

Scorer adds that energy customers “want and expect a full blown price war” but so far have only seen “skirmishes”.