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Credit for gas customers
04/11/2009
Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil has welcomed an announcement today by Scottish and Southern Energy to issue credits worth £3.5 million to its 295,000 customers who use gas pre-payment meters.
The company has said that the credits are equivalent to suspending the average extra charge its pre-payment tariff contains, compared with SSE's standard credit gas tariff(1), from November 1, 2009 until March 31, 2010. Customers will receive a letter with details of how a £12 credit will be applied to their gas meter; letters will be posted before Christmas.
Mr Neil said:
"This decision by Scottish and Southern Energy will clearly benefit hard-pressed households this winter.
"It is important to remember that these households are currently coping with the extra cost of a pre-payment meter, as well as rising fuel costs.
"We want to see this extra charge removed completely so that no family is disadvantaged in this way, but today's announcement is a very welcome step forward and I'd encourage all energy suppliers to do the same.
"We also want families across Scotland to know that help is also available right now through the Scottish Government's Energy Assistance Package.
"Backed by £60 million, this is helping households who are feeling the pinch, to reduce their fuel bills and become more energy efficient through free energy saving advice and, where appropriate, home insulation measures and new heating systems."