Pensioners to lose £100 on energy bills - 25/03/2011
Older householders may want to switch gas and electricity now because they are set to lose up to £100 in winter fuel payments this year.
In this week's 2011 Budget, chancellor George Osborne announced pensioners aged between 60 and 79 will have their winter fuel payments cut back to £200, while those aged over 80 will receive £300.
These are the previously agreed limits set in 2008, before the additional payments system was brought in to 'top up' vulnerable consumers amid energy price rises.
The move comes after Mark Todd, director of energy comparison site Energy Helpline, warned UK customers that they could face a second round of rising energy prices later this year.
He commented: "Unfortunately, there is no getting away from the fact that the instability in the Middle East and North Africa is not only impacting the cost of petrol but also domestic fuel.
Mr Todd added: "Ultimately, this is going to be passed onto the consumer and, on current trends, we would expect to see more rises for householders at the end of the summer to early autumn."
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