Leading suppliers raising energy prices

More bad news for struggling families in the UK, as they have another price hike to contend with when they are deciding whether or not it is cold enough to turn on their central heating this winter. The UK's leading suppliers of gas and electricity, as well as several smaller companies who are following suit, are putting up their prices for the second time this year, which means that homeowners face yet higher energy bills when compared to last year.

The UK's biggest energy providers are receiving a lot of criticism for this move, since the whole sale price of gas and electricity; meaning the amount of money the companies themselves spend on their energy when they buy it on the international market; has gone down between these price changes.

Bosses have defended the move though, saying that the amount of crude oil based product that has been lost as a result of Hurricane Isaac and the high profile refinery fire in Venezuela is likely to cause a significant rise in costs for them too. It is estimated that the two disasters have caused barrels numbering in the tens of millions to be lost, which could not have come at a worse time with winter on the way and more and more families struggling to pay their energy bills as they are.

So what can you do to save on your energy bill? Though many people are knee jerking and switching providers, there is no guarantee that the smaller, cheaper companies will not raise their prices in the near future, or worse, go into liquidation. There is no single big answer to all your gas and electricity bill woes; rather there are a number of small, cheap things you can do to make sure the energy you do pay for is not escaping from your home.

For example, composite doors and window frames are so much more effective at keeping the heat inside your home than their older wooden counterparts that they are able to pay for their own investments within a few years. Many newer build homes are coming fitted with them as standard, which is good news for people who live in council houses, as the windows and doors may be replaced for you by the council. Likewise, your local council has a number of schemes to finance changes to your home, such as cavity wall insulation, which many people can get without any cost to themselves whatsoever.