MSE News: British Gas customers may escape new energy hikes – but they could still...

Former_MSE_Helen · 8 May 2014 at 3:28PM

British Gas says it doesn't expect to change gas and electricity prices during 2014...

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British Gas customers may escape new energy hikes – but they could still switch and save

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wizk1 · 8 May 2014 at 4:09PM

British Gas still have customers?

shortchanged_2 · 8 May 2014 at 4:18PM

Even if most of the other suppliers raise their prices British Gas will still be way more expensive than anyone else.

Why anyone stays with them is beyond me. Do they provide a superior quality gas and electricity into peoples homes than everyone else?

My guess is that the huge majority of British Gas customers are over 70 years of age.

footyguy · 8 May 2014 at 4:53PM

You gotta laugh, haven't you?

British Gas says it doesn't expect to change gas and electricity prices during 2014

Most suppliers are actually reducing prices

e.g. Ebico said in early January that they would reduce prices from 24 March 2014, and that they would cap prices at that lower price until Spring 2015!

Note Ebico said they have capped the price, not fixed them, so allowing room for possible further reductions.

https://www.ebico.org.uk/news/press-releases

Edit: Actually I see Ebico actually first said this early December 2013 according to the preceeding article in that same link.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays · 8 May 2014 at 6:59PM

footyguy wrote: »

You gotta laugh, haven't you?

British Gas says it doesn't expect to change gas and electricity prices during 2014

Most suppliers are actually reducing prices

e.g. Ebico said in early January that they would reduce prices from 24 March 2014, and that they would cap prices at that lower price until Spring 2015!

Note Ebico said they have capped the price, not fixed them, so allowing room for possible further reductions.

https://www.ebico.org.uk/news/press-releases

Edit: Actually I see Ebico actually first said this early December 2013 according to the preceeding article in that same link.

http://www.britishgas.co.uk/products-and-services/gas-and-electricity/announcement/british-gas-energy-bills-to-be-reduced.html

BG reduced on 1st January. Not too far after your beloved ebico. But don't let facts stand in the way of a good rant.

footyguy · 8 May 2014 at 7:40PM

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

http://www.britishgas.co.uk/products-and-services/gas-and-electricity/announcement/british-gas-energy-bills-to-be-reduced.html

BG reduced on 1st January. Not too far after your beloved ebico. But don't let facts stand in the way of a good rant.

Talk about getting the wrong end of the stick completely.

But don't let the facts stand in the way of a good rant.

minislim · 9 May 2014 at 9:09AM

wizk1 wrote: »

British Gas still have customers?

i was thinking the same thing?

their prices never seem to go down.

they're always the highest in comparison to others

and they had the cheek to "rob" my father of £3500 for a new boiler that at most should have cost £1500 to install.

glad i've helped my dad out and switched him away from such a terrible business.

how can anyone think they get a good deal from them?

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays · 9 May 2014 at 10:02AM

footyguy wrote: »

Talk about getting the wrong end of the stick completely.

But don't let the facts stand in the way of a good rant.

Wrong end of what stick? And what facts have you presented exactly?

You decried BG for not reducing prices, unlike "most suppliers".

Well, they were the first of the big 6 to reduce their prices this year (SSE announced first, but didn't implement until April). They also, unlike others, applied the cut to all tariffs, not just the variable ones.

ebico may well be able to offer lower prices - bully for them. If I started an energy company I too would have a cost advantage until I reached 250,000 customers. The Competition Act clearly need not apply here.

BG have said they won't raise prices in 2014, in the face of falling profits no less, and they take a hammering on here. They may as well not have bothered.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays · 9 May 2014 at 10:08AM

minislim wrote: »

i was thinking the same thing?

their prices never seem to go down.

they're always the highest in comparison to others

and they had the cheek to "rob" my father of £3500 for a new boiler that at most should have cost £1500 to install.

glad i've helped my dad out and switched him away from such a terrible business.

how can anyone think they get a good deal from them?

Apart from when they went down on January 1st (see previous post).

Always the highest?

2nd cheapest in 2013, 4th in 2014:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24670741

If your dad chooses to spend £2k extra on a boiler install, then that's his decision. For most, with age comes wisdom. Many people would choose to get a range of quotes before an undertaking like that.

minislim · 9 May 2014 at 12:02PM

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

Apart from when they went down on January 1st (see previous post).

Always the highest?

2nd cheapest in 2013, 4th in 2014:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24670741

If your dad chooses to spend £2k extra on a boiler install, then that's his decision. For most, with age comes wisdom. Many people would choose to get a range of quotes before an undertaking like that.

yes always the highest.

i have been doing dual fuel comparisons since 2010 on both fixed and variable tarrifs based upon my usage. usually almost monthly infact.

in all that time BG has never been at the top of any of the results and in most cases has actually been right at the bottom.

its alright quoting figures from BG press releases.

but actually doing the comparisons give the real facts.

and as for my fathers situation at the time he was recently bereaved and BG told him they could not continue the maintenance contract on his old boiler. his head was not in the right place and BG took full advantage of his situation.

i complained before the install had taken place but it was impossible to escape. not even under the grounds of his position.

that for me is daylight robbery and is why i companies like that do not deserve to exist.

molerat · 9 May 2014 at 1:05PM

For me they come 10th in the fixed tariffs list ahead of SSE, EOn and NPower but behind SP and EDF for similar length fixes so hardly "the most expensive" in fact third of the big six. Anyone with any sense should realise that these "announcements" are just spin to try and make the unthinking sheeple think they are getting a good deal in exactly the same way as Asda, Tesco and any other large organisation does.