This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19347503#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
SSE to raise gas and electricity prices SSE to raise gas and electricity prices
(40 minutes later)
Energy firm SSE will increase its domestic gas and electricity prices by an average of 9% from 15 October.Energy firm SSE will increase its domestic gas and electricity prices by an average of 9% from 15 October.
The firm said increases in the cost of using the gas and electricity networks and rising costs in energy wholesale markets meant it had to raise prices. It blamed the increases on the extra cost of using the gas and electricity networks and rising costs in energy wholesale markets.
About five million electricity customers and 3.4 million gas customers will be affected, SSE says. SSE, which also trades as Scottish Hydro and Swalec, said five million electricity customers and 3.4 million gas customers would pay more.
SSE added that, following the rise, it was committed to capping energy prices until the second half of 2013. However, there will be no more rises before the second half of 2013.
The forthcoming increases mean that a customer with an average standard dual-fuel bill will pay an extra £102 for the year, or £1,274 in total.
The company's chief executive Ian Marchant, said the forthcoming increases were regrettable but unavoidable.The company's chief executive Ian Marchant, said the forthcoming increases were regrettable but unavoidable.
"We pledged last summer to cap our energy prices for as long as possible and until at least August 2012, and then in January extended this pledge to October 2012," he said."We pledged last summer to cap our energy prices for as long as possible and until at least August 2012, and then in January extended this pledge to October 2012," he said.
"Unfortunately, the increases in costs that we have seen since making this pledge can no longer be absorbed and mean that we are unable to keep prices at their current levels beyond this autumn," he added."Unfortunately, the increases in costs that we have seen since making this pledge can no longer be absorbed and mean that we are unable to keep prices at their current levels beyond this autumn," he added.
In May, the company's annual pre-tax profits rose by 2% to £1.33bn, though profits in its division which supplies electricity and gas to homes and businesses fell 20% to £321.6m.
In 2011, all the big-six energy suppliers raised their prices, in some cases twice.
But earlier this year they all staged a round of small price cuts, affecting either their gas or their electricity customers.
SSE cut its gas prices by 4.5% in March this year.
However, in May, Centrica - which owns British Gas - warned that continued increases in the wholesale price of gas might lead to renewed domestic price rises this autumn.