Householders were hit again today as energy firms Scottish & Southern Energy and E.ON both announced steep price hikes.

Perth-based SSE revealed prices for gas customers are to go up by 29.2% while electricity charges are to rise by an average 19.2%.

E.ON, which has 5.5 million UK customers, blamed soaring wholesale gas costs for its decision to raise gas bills by 26% and electricity prices by 16%.

The price hikes follow similar moves from Scottish Gas and EDF last month. This leaves just npower and Scottish Power as the remaining major energy firms who have yet to raise prices.

SSE, the UK's second largest supplier, said the average dual fuel customer would see annual bills rise by £253 a year to £1259. It is the second hike its customers have faced since April.

The world is experiencing an energy shock of a kind not seen since the early 1970s, but which is likely to have more profound and lasting consequences Alistair Phillips-Davies

E.ON's hikes will see customers who take both gas and electricity pay £1226 - an extra £227 - although this is an average of those paying by monthly direct debit and those who pay bills quarterly and includes prompt payment discounts.

SSE's energy supply director Alistair Phillips-Davies said: "The world is experiencing an energy shock of a kind not seen since the early 1970s, but which is likely to have more profound and lasting consequences."

The increases would have been even higher but for the fact wholesale prices had fallen slightly in recent weeks, the firm added - although more vulnerable customers would not face higher bills until at least the end of the winter period.

SSE, which owns Southern Electric, Swalec and Scottish Hydro Electric, said its forward wholesale prices had jumped by 50% for electricity and 60% for gas between February and July.

E.ON has 5.5 million UK customers. Graham Bartlett, the managing director of its retail business, said: "This was not an easy decision to make and we've tried to keep these increases as low as possible while protecting as many of our customers as we can."