Dizzy Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 I was going to continue where we last left off but when I searched the forum there were quite a few old and fairly recent topics all covering energy company price hikes and rip-offs etc. Some very good points raised on all of them so couldn't chose one so have started afresh......... More price hikes are on the way starting with Scottish Power on 1 August. Their gas tariffs are set to rise by an average of 19% and elec by10% on the same date. Others are set to follow. Seems the Ofgen report made no difference to the robbing barstools then http://latestnews.virginmedia.com/news/uk/2011/06/07/scottish_power_gas_bills_up_19 By the way if British Gas are reading.... if your 0800 call centre rings my mobile one more time (4 times today, last one half a hour ago, 3 yesterday and even sunday) and hangs up I will shove your bills up your foreign persons left nostril and my payment up their rear end and you can retireve them at your leisure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Great those automated call lines. I get a few,mostly from the we can get you money from PPI mis-selling, I think they call me because they think I am of Indian extraction as they pronounce my name as Hindi and not hinde (pronounced as in Golden hind). It is very difficult to convince them that I do not neeed their services. the only time I ever took out PPI I had to claim on it and it paid off the loan that I had taken out so no problems there. Gas and electric suppliers are much the same whomever they are. "We have to put the price up as we are paying more for it at source" it is never "we are getting it a lot cheaper than a month ago so we will put the price down right away" though is it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Any one who wants to see if we can save you money just drop me a PM or email to garys@warrington-worldwide.co.uk for a free no obligation utility audit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Any one who wants to see if we can save you money just drop me a PM or email to garys@warrington-worldwide.co.uk for a free no obligation utility audit. On the ball, Gary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted June 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Deja Vu I have just completed an elec audit actually (not Garys I hasten to add) and our electric prices could be cut quite significantly if my son didn't leave his 32" tv on all night, if I wasn't on my pc all the time and if we didn't wash our clothes until they were really grubby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Look at it this way diz. You now have an excuse to go out and buy loads o clothes, the excuse being that it will save money as you will only need to do the washing once a month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Is this one of the benefits of foreign owned companies? Why are they allowed to get away with a 19% increase in gas and 10% increase in electric? In fact, why has the cost of gas gone up anyway? People need to switch to one supplier pronto, (NOT Scottish power) and force the others to start a price war. Or the ombudsman needs to start doing his job like yesterday BEFORE the others join in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted June 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 WHY are they allowed indeed Peter. I suppose they have the upper hand really as people can't live without electric/gas (well actually I could live without gas) and once one ups their prices the rest follow like gratefull little sheep (grateful as they are not the ones who are seen to have initiated the rise but they reap the rewards). The idea of everyone switching to the same supplier is a good one but only short term as that supplier could also increase (unless you are on a fixed rate contract term ) But who do you chose as at the moment it is unclear who may go up of if indeed any will shock us and go down (I live in hope ) There seems to be a difference between residential and business costs though as for 5 years running our business tarriff has actually reduced at the end of the fixed term contract. Ok it occasionally needed a phone call but always came out reduced. Why does this never happen with residential tariffs ???? Maybe WE are subsidising businesses All I know at the moment is British Gas are STILL currently cheaper than Scottish Power anyway even without their reported price increase. And I also know that tele sales and price comparison sites tell fibs and unless you read the smaller print and calculate the costs yourself you can actually finish up paying more in the long run... aint that right Victor and how's yer spreadsheet of formulas doing since last time we all had a big discussion about elec/gas prices and increases. As a final comment ... If I was a supplier (one of the big 6 as they are often called) I'd sit back and let the other 5 announce their price increases one by one as they will all do now over the next 6 months and then I would keep mine the same or better still reduced mine slightly.... so everyone will change to 'me'. Kerching ?????????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 While everybody is blaming those greedy power companies the government is quietly smiling the elephant in the room has been ignored: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/renewable_ener/renew_obs/renew_obs.aspx The Renewable Energy Obligation forces all the energy suppliers to pay the enormous subsidies on so called renewable enrgy (wind and solar mainly). The energy companies, of course, immediately put the cost of this straight on to our bills. So if you want to complain then complain to your MP about the way the government is directly forcing up fuel prices, using the energy companies as tax collectors and a convenient smokescreen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Asp, that is going to upset the Jones woman, as it is part of her lot's history and she could have been skriking about the current lot in power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted June 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Well I can't say I understand it fully Asp but I certainly understand what you have said and the implications. Maybe the energy companies should clearly state that they are putting their prices up BECAUSE of the government so at least the record is put straight and the blame can be apportioned to the right quarters. Energy suppliers are still ripping us all off though with the costs and massive profits they make though but I guess they are in it to make money just like any other business... and the more they make the more the government gets in returns from too them eh. Difference with other forms of businesses however is that we can chose to buy or not to buy from them and to source our own 'products' from wherever we like Can you buy gas and elec on ebay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 If asperity's theory is right it still would not justify the size of the price hike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted June 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 It doesn't sound like a theory though LT... maybe the word 'conspiracy' is better fitting ie the Government and Energy Suppliers working together in some way The government put their charges up so get more money from the energy bods... to cover the charges the energy bods put their prices up and get more money from us... the government then gets even more from the energy bods in vat payments etc etc as we have paid more.... so all in all the all the government and energy suppliers are quids in and we are all shafted (a term Peter used earlier so I presume it is an acceptable term). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 The last thing the government want at the moment is inflation, because if it carries on going up, people will start pushing for wage rises. I don't think the energy companies will be getting an xmass card off the government this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 If asperity's theory is right it still would not justify the size of the price hike Did you actually look at the link I put up LtKije? It was the Deprtment of Energy and (don't all laugh at once) Climate Change. What I said is not a theory,it is actual fact and in black and white in the governments own words. Look at the link and read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyG Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 Correct Asp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 I have read it, it does not justify the price hike that we have just had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 I haven't had a price hike (yet). Change your supplier quick LtKije Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 I have read it, it does not justify the price hike that we have just had. Why are you making excuses for the government LtKije. Are you some sort of third columnist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 Going to do it tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 very wise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 10, 2011 Report Share Posted June 10, 2011 And talking of price hikes, this from 1976: http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1976/mar/22/gas-and-electricity-prices So nationalised or privatised?? Hmmmm decisions decisions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted June 10, 2011 Report Share Posted June 10, 2011 frm the same link I am grateful to my hon. Friend for reminding the House that the Labour Government inherited a formidable problem, which was entirely the result of the then Conservative Government, no doubt with an election in mind. So Tory or Labour?? Hmmmm decisions decisions Nothing changes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 The idea of "privatising" the energy market was to increase competition and thus reduce prices; added to which they introduced a regulator, which todate has proved totally ineffective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 I agree Obs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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