MSE News: Consumer groups urge action on energy prices at summit

I can't see that anything will be achieved. We have utilities that are owned by major foreign cartels that are only in it to make a fast buck at the UK consumers expense, a Watchdog that is impotent and a Government that is full of hot air.

There's probably not too much we can do to protect ourselves from volatile wholesale energy prices but a major help to consumers would be for Ofgem to prohibit fixed-term contracts on variable tariffs and also to prohibit termination charges disguised as "discounts" paid only at the end of a contract.

The energy companies are as dishonest as our banks but the Energy Ombudsman doesn't have the extensive powers of the Financial Ombudsman. That needs to change.

There appears to be one topic missed by our glorious politicians and prime minister, storage. In the UK we don't store that much gas so when it's cold people and businesses turn on / up the heating, which exhausts any supplies and we all pay top dollar as it's cold to the suppliers, the energy companies pass this extra charge on (plus some margins for profit) to us.

We should be forcing the energy companies to build storage capacity to buy gas when the price is low (lower) which should help with bill stability. Just don't get me started on devaluation through printing money.

Consumerist wrote: »

So what constitutes a "standard residential" tariff. Are these the most expensive of all tariffs offered by Npower? Does this mean that all other tariffs will be subject to increases as usual?

This sort of empty "pledge" illustrates what I mean about dishonesty.

Its all a load of marketing BS, standard tariffs are more expensive as they are the 'base' tariff, the cynic in me says they are there for the apathetic and the 'been with the company for years' brigade. All other tariffs (internet in particular) tend to have the promise they will be a certain percentage below the standard rate, but can still rise if the standard rate does. Fixed tariffs tend to be the standard rate + a closing fee if they're short term, slightly more if long term; green tariffs tend to cost more than the standard rates (lots more in some cases), for tree huggers only.

Dual fuel deals are probably best avoided.....I find what you gain with one you lose with the other, and more can be saved than the discount advantage offered.

Volker Beckers, Npower chief executive, says: "I know people want certainty on energy prices, so we will freeze the prices for all of our customers on standard residential tariffs for the coming winter.

Three cheers for Volker eh!! I have just had a letter from Hydro saying the same thing.....more marketing BS, thanks for letting us know that the prices will be going up in the spring, probably.

Time to have a change now everyone has upped, so off to the comparison sites I go.

Just heard on the news.
The Government are powerless when dealing with greedy businesses and bankers
Ca-moron = EPIC FAIL!
No Surprise there then :mad::mad::mad::mad: