Scottish Power finally brings down prices

One of the 'Big Six' UK energy providers has finally cut its gas and electricity prices, but has disappointed customer and campaigners by being the last to do so after dragging its feet for months following a cut in wholesale prices of energy. Scottish Power has come under fire from energy watchdogs along with another major energy supplier, EDF Energy, because of the delays in reducing energy prices for consumers. Other energy companies cut their prices in around March and April of this year.

The announcement from Scottish Power came just one day after an announcement regarding price cuts from the other company that had been accused of delaying price cuts, EDF Energy. However, although Scottish Power has now announced its price cuts it is not all good news. A number of consumers will barely notice a different to their bills, and even those who do will not benefit from any price changes yet, as the cuts don't come into force until mid-June.

Scottish Power stated that as of mid-June its electricity prices will be falling by 5.5 percent, and its gas prices will drop by 16.5%. However, those that pay by cash or cheque on a quarterly basis will not see any reduction in their electricity prices and will only receive a 5% drop in the cost of gas – around half of the customers with Scottish Power use cash or cheque to make payment upon receipt of their bill. Energy campaigners claim that although the price cuts from Scottish Power may look impressive most customers will not see any significant reduction.

One official from SimplySwitch stated: 'There are many confusing messages out there, with each supplier making their own claims about why their deal is the best. This latest announcement from Scottish Power is a prime example of this – the headline price reductions might look tempting, but these will vary by region.'