E.ON has announced it hopes to reduce prices for its customers as soon as it is able next year, as long as wholesale electricity and gas prices continue to fall.

The announcement came as the company announced further measures to help its most vulnerable customers.

Earlier this year, E.ON became one of the first suppliers to ensure that it had removed the surcharge for both electricity and gas prepayment meter customers. It will now also launch a new social product called 'E.ON WarmAssist' on Monday 1 December.

Dr Paul Golby, Chief Executive of E.ON UK, said: "If we continue to see falling wholesale electricity and gas prices, we'd hope to reduce customers' prices as soon as we are able next year.


"We're obviously very aware of the difficulties our customers are experiencing, especially considering the current economic problems, and we're monitoring wholesale prices closely in the hope of making this move."

Graham Bartlett, Managing Director of E.ON's Retail business, said: "We take our commitment to helping our most vulnerable customers very seriously which is why we're launching WarmAssist to sit alongside our extensive social programme to which we've committed at least £56m over the next three years.

"We believe the best way to tackle fuel poverty is by adoption of a three-pronged approach. Firstly, we can help people reduce waste by offering free personalised energy efficiency advice and measures. Secondly, we can help maximise household income by checking customers are claiming all of the benefits that they should be. And, finally, we can provide discounted prices through WarmAssist."

(CD/KMcA)