Cap those energy tariffs -- fast

LONDON (Reuters) - Still reeling from the gas price rises? Snap out of it and fight back fast or you could lose hundreds of pounds, say industry watchers.

"Get on a capped tariff -- today," Mark Todd of price comparison service energyhelpline.com told Reuters.

British Gas, owned by Centrica, has hiked gas prices for 16 million people by a huge 35 percent. French-owned EDF Energy has already increased its prices, while German utility E.ON, ScottishPower, Scottish & Southern Energy and npower, owned by Germany's RWE, are expected to follow suit.

Among capped tariffs still available is one from E.ON, says Todd.

"For a typical home, pre-price rise you'd be looking at annual bill of 1,100 pounds," he added. "If you don't cap, your bill could be as much as 1,300 pounds and from January it might be as much as 1,600 pounds.

"These prices rises are here to stay for a little while as the fundamentals aren't going to change -- this isn't a blip.

"The key is not to delay," he stressed.

"It takes six weeks to arrange a fixed tariff, but if you make an online application, which doesn't take long, you're locked into the deal."

Energyhelpline.com also recommended consumers pay their utility bill on the Internet.