THE COST of energy is set to rise, pushing up household fuel bills across Scotland. SSE, one of the big six energy suppliers, is to increase electricity prices for its 2.8 million customers by 14.9 per cent on April 28.

While the cost of gas will remain unchanged, a typical dual-fuel customer can expect their annual energy bill to rise by 6.9 per cent or £73 as a result of the price hike.

SSE is the fifth of the big six to announce increases. E.ON is also putting up the cost of electricity at the end of April, by an average of 13.8 per cent. Gas prices will jump by an average of 3.8 per cent. EDF Energy, Npower and Scottish Power also put up prices in March. British Gas bucked the trend, freezing its standard gas and electricity costs until August.

Some of the smaller suppliers have also raised the cost of energy. Co-operative Energy, for example, increased its standard variable tariff by five per cent from April 1, the company’s second price rise in six months.

Stephen Murray, energy expert at MoneySuperMarket, the comparison website, said that while the majority of the UK’s bill-payers are on standard variable tariffs “there are savings to be made by shopping around and switching to a cheaper deal”.

Households on a standard variable tariff with one of the big six energy suppliers could save about 25 per cent by switching, taking the cost of energy back to the equivalent of 2008 prices, according to Which?, the consumer organisation.

The average annual cost of a standard tariff with one of the big six is £1,131, but the cheapest dual fuel deals come in at around £840, giving an annual saving of just under £300.

Which? managing director of home products and services Alex Neill said: “Far too many people are still stuck on some of the most expensive deals. With five of the big six increasing their prices, consumers could save £300 a year by switching to a cheaper deal now.”

Customers previously on cheap tariffs should also think about switching. A range of fixed dual-fuel energy tariffs, including deals from energy giants Npower and EDF Energy, expired on March 31.

If they do nothing, customers are automatically rolled onto a standard variable tariff and can expect energy bills to jump by an average of £222 a year – the equivalent of more than a quarter.

For example, customers on Npower’s Fixed Energy Online March 2017 deal could see bills rise by £295.35, or 38 per cent.

Households who had signed up to First:Utility’s Fixed March 2017 v4 deal, meanwhile, can expect a price hike of 43 per cent, or almost £350, according to research by price comparison site Gocompare.

Ben Wilson, energy spokesperson at Gocompare.com, said: “With spring just around the corner, this is the time of year when many people begin turning off their heating and start paying less attention to their energy bills.

“However, taking your eye off the ball could be a costly mistake as 30 fixed-rate tariffs ended on March 31 resulting in an average price rise of £269.

“Comparing and switching tariffs is quick and easy. You could even save as much as £305 a year by doing so - money that could be better spent on getting out and about with the family over the spring bank holiday weekends.”

Many people choose to fix their rate, which means they pay a fixed price for each unit of energy until the fixed term ends. Fixing allows you to budget with greater certainty and protects you from any price hikes.

However, you will not feel the benefit if energy prices fall. You should also be prepared to switch your tariff when the fixed term ends, otherwise you will automatically be rolled onto the standard variable rate.

You can compare the cost of energy tariffs with a comparison site such as Gocompare, MoneySuperMarket or Which? It helps if you have some details to hand, such as your current tariff and your energy usage, both of which can be found on your latest bill.

When you have chosen a suitable tariff, the new supplier will contact your existing supplier and arrange the switch. The whole process should take no more than three weeks and there should be no disruption to your energy supply.

While dual fuel deals are convenient, Mr Wilson at Gocompare said consumers should be aware that they are not always the cheapest option.

“The rise of suppliers who specialise in just gas or just electricity means that dual fuel tariffs are not always the cheapest,” he said. “But, while you could find savings by sourcing your utilities separately, it’s worth bearing in mind that you’ll also have to keep track of two accounts with different suppliers.”

You can often earn a discount if you pay by direct debit, but suppliers generally use an estimated reading to predict your direct debit amount. In other words, you could unknowingly be overpaying or even underpaying your energy bills.

Research by Gocompare found that households that overpay their bills are owed an average of £86.60 by their energy supplier.

Wilson said: “To avoid any nasty surprises, check your gas and electricity meters regularly, give those readings to your supplier and log in to your account to check them against your e-bill.”