Energy company Npower has followed British Gas and SSE in announcing steep gas and electricity price hikes for the year ahead.

Npower will increase the price of gas by an average of 8.8% and electricity by 9.1% from November 26.

Last week British Gas said that it would charge for both types of fuel by an average of 6%, while SSE announced an average 9% hike.

Npower said government policies and wholesale prices were to blame for the rises.

“There is never a good time to increase energy bills, particularly when so many people are working hard to make ends meet,” Npower’s chief commercial officer Paul Massara said.

“But the costs of new statutory schemes, increases in distribution charges and the price of gas for the coming winter are all being driven up by external factors, for example government policy.”

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