Npower raises gas price by 17% and electricity by 13%

One of Britain's biggest power suppliers is raising the price of gas by 17.2 per cent and electricity by 12.7 per cent, in a move which will affect more than four million households. Npower said its customers would see annual bills rise on average by 95 for gas and 64 for electricity under the price changes, due to come into effect today. The increases will push Npower's average dual gas and electricity bills to more than 1,000 a year. Other energy suppliers are expected to announce prices rises of their own. Npower Britain's fourth-biggest energy supplier blamed the increases on steep rises in wholesale energy costs. It added that its gas distribution costs had also contributed to price pressures.

Npower said its gas prices would vary regionally for the first time.