You couldn’t make it up.

First Utility, the largest independent energy supplier in the United Kingdom, and an organisation that openly campaigns against the big six ‘rip offs’ has today announced a price increase on their own tariffs – by up to £310. The big joke here is that just a few days ago First Utility launched a campaign saying that the bigger firms overcharge customers by £3.4bn every year.

Pot calling the kettle black, right?

Those who will be affected the most by this are “iSave May 2015” customers, who are at the mercy of First Utility’s policy to transfer them from fixed to standard energy tariffs. This, it is predicted, will cost customers an extra £121 annually according to price comparison websites. The huge £310 price increase will affect those in Manchester, Blackpool and Wigan and much of the north of England, or “Norweb” as it’s delightfully called by First Utility. If you are on the “iSave May 2015 tariff”, the message from First Utility is to take out another fixed tariff as soon as possible:

“We actively communicate to [customers] once a month to alert them to other tariffs available which may be better for them. Because we can’t – and shouldn’t – force people to take a contract, there is a need for a default tariff of some kind.

The good news for all those customers in Norweb is that if they renew and take another one-year fixed tariff then they will save £114 a year.” – First Utility spokesperson.

You will have to call First Utility yourself to do this, of course – although First Utility may contact some customers, such as the vulnerable, to minimise complaints. If you are on the “iSave Fixed 2016” tariff, remember that next year these changes will affect you – we highly recommend shopping around during your contract with First Utility to ensure that you continuously get a fair deal too.

Call First Utility on 0843 770 5059 to find out more about 2015/16 price increases.