E.on announces price pledge
E.on has vowed not to raise energy prices this year, despite rising wholesale costs, as part of wider efforts to regain the trust of UK consumers.
E.on’s pledge to its five million customers comes days after British Gas owner Centrica announced further price increases are on the horizon as its costs continue to mount.
Dr. Tony Cocker, chief executive of E.on UK, says: “Earlier this year we cut our prices in a way that helped some 75% of our customers and I hope that the certainty we’ve given today will show our customers again that we are committed to helping them.
“I also hope that it will help to show millions more that if they look to switch they can find in E.on a company that puts its customers first.”
In February, it announced a 6% cut in electricity bills following a 11.4% rise in its electricity bills and an 18.1% hike in gas prices in September. The cuts were part of a raft of tariff reductions from the big six energy suppliers introduced at the start of the year.
The move forms part of the company’s Reset Review which was launched in January to evaluate its tariffs, bills, customer payment methods and sales methods.
E.on is the only “big six” supplier to commit to not raising prices this year. Both Scottish and Southern Energy and EDF Energy, however have reassured homeowners they will not increase their prices before the autumn.
Richard Lloyd, executive director at Which? says: “People tell us that rising energy bills are their biggest financial worry so anything that gives people more certainty can only be a good thing when household budgets are stretched.
The announcement comes just weeks after E.on revealed it generated less than 2% profit supplying electricity and gas to UK homes in 2011.