Millions of consumers will begin to suffer from 7 per cent rises in gas prices from today.
British Gas introduces its new pricing today, while other major suppliers, including Scottish & Southern, have instituted rises in recent weeks.
The rises are likely to hit home-based business owners particularly hard. Many of these individuals have relatively high energy usage, but are unable to secure more cost-effective commercial deals.
But consumers are being urged not to take the prices lying down. According to the latest figures, the average household can save more than £400 simply by switching supplier – and the figure for home-based businesses is likely to be even higher.
Despite this, figures from energy watchdog Ofgem suggest that almost 60 per cent of customers have never bothered looking for a new supplier.
Trading conditions are likely to remain tough in 2011, and savings on things like utility bills will therefore be vitally important to many small businesses.
Scott Byron, energy manager at comparison website moneysavingexpert.com, said: “Everyone needs to ensure they are on the best tariff for their region and usage, and shouldn’t be lulled into thinking they will automatically get the cheapest deal if living in a provider’s ‘core’ area.”
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