A._Badger wrote: »

Interesting comment, Dawni. I'm burning coal and also using oil-fired central heating. Mostly, I use use coal in the evening and let the CH tick over for the rest of the day, keeping the chill off.

Just today, I realised how quickly I'm getting through coal and began to wonder if, since the latest rises, it might to be better to make more use of oil - especially since oil has come down in price.

I've said here before that I'm quite convinced the price rise for coal was entirely opportunistic - the handful of large companies that control UK coal supplies saw an opportunity to raise the price, to match oil and gas price rises, and did so. Like you, I wonder if it will come down again, but I'm not holding my breath.

Is there an independent body who can investigate the fairness of coal prices?

I just found this news article, but the annoying thing is they blame oil prices, and oil is at its lowest price ever now

Eva Eisenschimmel, chief operating officer of EDF Energy customers branch, said: "Record world oil prices have continued to drive up wholesale gas prices. Alongside unprecedented rises in wholesale coal and electricity costs, this has impacted hugely on the cost of supplying energy to our customers."
The company said wholesale energy prices had increased by 70% for coal, 63% for gas and 47% for electricity since it last increased its prices in January.

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=235684&in_page_id=34&in_a_source=

Just had 3 bags of premium trebles and a bag of supertherm delivered and it came to £33.75, so based on that lasting us 6 weeks with the free wood we have and the 4 wheelie bins full of ancit (again was free) we will be burning approx 90p of coal a day, if that! bargain.

spinningsheep wrote: »

Just had 3 bags of premium trebles and a bag of supertherm delivered and it came to £33.75, so based on that lasting us 6 weeks with the free wood we have and the 4 wheelie bins full of ancit (again was free) we will be burning approx 90p of coal a day, if that! bargain.

I love freebies:D I've heard rumours that people are digging on the slag heaps of the old mines in Tamworth trying to find free coal.

SEE wrote: »

Is there an independent body who can investigate the fairness of coal prices?

Hi, I don't think there is. I've just emailed this to the Office of Fair Trading. Don't know if they'll do anything....hard to prove collusion...


[EMAIL="enquiries@oft.gov.uk"]enquiries@oft.gsi.gov.uk[/EMAIL]
Could you tell me if anyone is investigating the appalling rise in the price of coal to householders in the UK.
It's increased from around £100 a tonne in 2006 to £300 a tonne today (depending on what type you order).
There aren't that many coal producers and they all seem to be putting up prices.
A number of coal producers have published their annual reports - which show the AVERAGE price for a tonne of coal is just £38.
http://www.energybuild.co.uk/downloads/EnergyBuild_AR2008.pdf
http://www.ath.co.uk/html/investor_information/latest_results.html
That figure includes coal supplied to power stations - and obviously they will pay less.
But why should domestic users be paying almost 10 times as much for their coal, and why isn't there a regulatory body overseeing the price of domestic coal.
I've already spoken to Ofgem and they only cover gas and electricity.
Could you also tell me if the OfT is going to refer the coal producers to the Monopolies Commission for price fixing.