Essentials Tarrif - Essentially a rip off!

Joyful

It's really very easy. I just tried it. go to https://www.britishgas.co.uk. Click on view our prices. Enter type of meter, tariff ,payment option and postcode. If you enter standard credit with Direct debit option it gives you the price. If you are on a click tariff do the same- then compare. The essential tariff is the same as the standard option but with direct debit. Also remember that Click is an online Tariff therefore to compare rates check them out online.

1carminestocky

BG hit a new low? People who have been moved from Click 5 onto the Essentials Tarrif should write to the regulator. This really is scandalous. I'm sure the regulator will be only too happy to get involved, especially considering this tariff appears to be aimed at people who haven't got a bank account and therefore can't take advantage of the seemingly much cheaper Click 5. If you are already on Click 5 it's clear that you meet the criteria for that tariff but useless BG are STILL transferring people FROM Click 5 to Essentials. They really are a shambles. Any of BGs staff who post on here care to comment?

http://www.britishgas.co.uk/about-british-gas/what's-important-to-us/customer-commitment/essential.html

Our aim is to offer our lowest standard gas and electricity prices, which have been otherwise inaccessible to people who don’t have a bank account. British Gas customers who registered for the British Gas Winter Rebate scheme will automatically be moved onto the Essentials tariff.

jasmine

Joyful wrote: »

It's really very easy. I just tried it. go to www.britishgas.co.uk. Click on view our prices. Enter type of meter, tariff ,payment option and postcode. If you enter standard credit with Direct debit option it gives you the price. If you are on a click tariff do the same- then compare. The essential tariff is the same as the standard option but with direct debit. Also remember that Click is an online Tariff therefore to compare rates check them out online.

Thanks; standard dual fuel british gas Click energy 4 wef 30/7/08

GAS tier 1 7.563 tier 1 7.471
tier 2 3.814 tier 2 3.739
inc VAT inc VAT

ELECTRICITY tier 1 26.909 tier 1 21.885
tier 2 11.804 tier 2 9.600
inc VAT inc VAT


So the essentials tariff is the cheapest tariff british gas do !!!! don't think so. I'll be cancelling the switch tomorrow and checking out my options.

SwanJon

Essentials is not the cheapest tariff British Gas offer, and if you look at any of the literature (online or otherwise) it only compares it to the Standard tariff. It has been set to charge the same as Direct Debit. I have always said that if you can get it you are better off with an online tariff.
If you feel that you have been misinformed (and it looks like people have), write and let them know - these agents need to be corrected before they tell hundeds of other customers.
I think the reason the prices aren't published online is that not everyone can have this tariff, but as above, used the monthly DD as a guide.

iangaylard

Further yo your comment on British Gas.
I enquired on the weekend about Staywarm with Eon. I am on DLA and also have my 85 year old partially sighted mother in law living in the house. My current monthly Direct Debit is £125. I am well and truly in fuel poverty. I asked to go onto Staywarm tariff only to be told that I couldn't qualify as I was not a low usage user. I was asked why I used so much energy - when I expalined that to cope with an elderly ladies ' hygene needs' and warmth required the use of energy they stated that until the consumption came down I couldn't qualify. I explained that I did not believe that I was using a great deal of power for a 3 bed detached house with 4 adults. I asked if they could pick and choose who they wanted on their Staywarm tariff but obviously got nowhere. The so called social tariffs are indeed a joke and it is bandied around by the Government and Energy companies alike to appease their conscience and nothing else. The trouble is that most people are taken in by their banter that they now have been brainwashed into believing that help is available. WRONG

1carminestocky

I blame the Govt, personally. We just have to accept that when the momentous (and IMO wholly wrong) decision was taken to de-nationalise the utilities it was always going to lead to the punters suffering. If this Govt had any kind of backbone it would get hold of the energy companies and give them a good old shake out - at the very least FORCE them to pay more than pathetic lip service to social tariffs.

Cardew

1carminestocky wrote: »

I blame the Govt, personally. We just have to accept that when the momentous (and IMO wholly wrong) decision was taken to de-nationalise the utilities it was always going to lead to the punters suffering. If this Govt had any kind of backbone it would get hold of the energy companies and give them a good old shake out - at the very least FORCE them to pay more than pathetic lip service to social tariffs.

My goodness we are totally in agreement about one thing, selling off the Utilities(the family silver as SuperMac called them) was a big mistake. Compounded by allowing foreign companies to buy these companies. The USA simply wouldn't allow it.

To bring things back to normality;) I can't agree that it is the task of Utility Companies, or indeed any commercial organisation, to administer social tariffs.

It wouldn't concern the Utility companies if they all had to supply a large percentage of the population with free gas/electricity. All they would do is make that lost revenue up by charging the rest of the population extra. The bottom line is they will still make £xxxmillion profit.

The Government should determine who needs subsidised energy, and how that subsidy should be paid, and not abdicate responsibility. The £250 for every household with someone over 60 is the correct principle, although it is hardly well targeted as many of the over 60s are well off.

Gavioli_UK

Cardew wrote: »

The Government should determine who needs subsidised energy, and how that subsidy should be paid, and not abdicate responsibility. The £250 for every household with someone over 60 is the correct principle, although it is hardly well targeted as many over of the over 60s are well off.

Cardew - I hope you don't mind me tagging this to the above point in your last post which I agree with.

What I don't hear argued is that essential tarrifs would not be needed if pensions and benefits to those who genuinely cannot earn were at a level to maintain an adequate standard of living.

Essential tarrifs are a "stcking plaster" approach to the whole question of poverty to hide the real reason for fuel poverty.

On BBC4 "You and Yours" today there was an indication that there will soon be a levy on non essential tarrifs to pay for essential tarrifs. Another stealth tax.

As with so many means tested benefits there is also the point that those who went without and saved for a pension now pay full price, when those who did not contribute to a pension (and could have - I accept thst some did not have the opportunity) get subsidised energy.

Cardew

Gavioli_UK wrote: »

Cardew - I hope you don't mind me tagging this to the above point in your last post which I agree with.

What I don't hear argued is that essential tarrifs would not be needed if pensions and benefits to those who genuinely cannot earn were at a level to maintain an adequate standard of living.

Essential tarrifs are a "stcking plaster" approach to the whole question of poverty to hide the real reason for fuel poverty.

On BBC4 "You and Yours" today there was an indication that there will soon be a levy on non essential tarrifs to pay for essential tarrifs. Another stealth tax.

As with so many means tested benefits there is also the point that those who went without and saved for a pension now pay full price, when those who did not contribute to a pension (and could have - I accept thst some did not have the opportunity) get subsidised energy.

The danger in this type of discussion is that the impression is given that the huge profits of the Utility companies are the primary cause of high fuel bills; and that is simply not the case.

For instance Centrica/BG made a profit last year of £30 per UK customer and that includes profit made outside of UK; similar figures for other Utility companies.

So even if Centrica/BG and the 'big 6' were forced to operate as a non-profit organisation it wouldn't make a huge dent in our average £1000+ energy bills.
The admirable non-profit making Ebico is no cheaper than the Big 6 although it's tariff structure is advantageous for pre-pay customers - who tend to be poorer.

To a certain extent there is already cross-subsidising of tariffs with all companies. All of the Big 6 argued that their additional costs for operating pre-pay meters justified higher charges, but pressure is exerted on them to reduce those tariffs because, as said above, pre-pay customers are generally the less well off.

How to target benefits is a highly emotive subject, as your last paragraph indicates. I do find it slightly ironic that some of the posts on MSE pleading the most extreme poverty are on the 'essential' internet - late at night, so presumably not at work; However we won't go there!!!

Dreamnine

I'm in favour of having them all re-nationalised into 1 or 2 companies- but this will never happen.