GoCompare.com Comments On SSE's Price Freeze

SSE, the energy supplier whose brands include Swalec, Southern Electric, Scottish Hydro and Atlantic, has announced that it will freeze current domestic gas and electricity prices until 2016. Jeremy Cryer, Gocompare.com's energy spokesperson, said of the announcement:

"The fact that the country's second biggest energy supplier has committed to a prize freeze is to be welcomed, as millions of people will at least be able to avoid paying more for their gas and electricity for the next two years. However, it's important to remember that SSE was the first big six supplier to increase its prices in October last year, hiking costs by 8.2%, or the equivalent of 4.5% now that the government's levy cuts have been implemented. As such, many of SSE's customers will already be paying more than they had been previously.

"It's also important that existing or would-be SSE customers aren't seduced by these price freeze announcements - if costs are held when they're already expensive, it just means they will remain expensive. There are lots of long term fixed tariffs available at the moment which would allow people to fix their gas and electricity costs well into 2016, 2017 and even 2018, so the main thing is to shop around for the best tariff for you and switch if necessary.

"Once one energy supplier announces a price hike, the others follow with grim inevitability, so we hope they will follow SSE's lead again, but this time for the benefit of the millions of households for whom energy costs are becoming an increasing concern."

- Ends -

For further information please contact:

Anders Nilsson / Kath Chadwick / Martyn John
Gocompare.com
T: 01633 654 054 / 01633 655 209 / 01633 654 725

MAW Communications
T: 01603 505 845

Notes to Editors:

Gocompare.com launched in November 2006. It was founded by Hayley Parsons, who has worked her entire career in the insurance broking and aggregator markets. It was the first comparison site to focus on displaying product features rather than just listing prices, and it was this philosophy that led to Gocompare.com becoming the only price comparison site to be invited to join the British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA).

Today, Gocompare.com has become one of the most successful comparison sites in the UK, with the equivalent of a quote being carried out every second during 2012. It provides one of the most comprehensive online car insurance comparison services in the UK as well as comparing home insurance, pet insurance, breakdown cover, and bike and van insurance.

With Gocompare.com, customers can also compare a wide variety of other products and services, including credit cards, travel insurance and business products, plus gas and electricity and other household services.

Gocompare.com is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).