Gas prices in the UK higher than in Europe.

Cardew

reactor wrote: »

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h2q3FR40NNoIDkv97J2QE3rIUShA

"The latest figures from regulator Ofgem indicate that gas bills in the country are the cheapest in Europe, and electricity bills are at similar levels to the rest of the continent.
But the statistics fails to note the price rises which have taken place so far this year."

Absolutely correct!

Of course it suits your argument to imply that statement indicates that it is only UK prices that have risen.

Doesn't actually say that does it??;)

reactor_3

Cardew wrote: »

Absolutely correct!

Of course it suits your argument to imply that statement indicates that it is only UK prices that have risen.

Doesn't actually say that does it??;)

We have both higher prics than in Europe and our prices have incresed much faster, why are you trying to deny this?

Do you work for OFGEM or one of the gas companies or something? You certaintly seem to be someone who enjoys high energy costs in the UK and that's weird.

Cardew

Jennifer_Jane wrote: »

I have heard the appropriate energy official speaking on this subject on the News (can't be bothered to look this up and post links, but I can confirm that this is genuine. The UK does not have sufficient storage, so sells gas to Europe in summer when it's cheaper. It's stored in Europe (France, I think), and sold back to us at a higher price in winter when we need it.

And no-one is creating a fuss about why are we not building the required storage.

Jen

That is true - we do have much less storage than France and Germany - it is in the Telegraph link above.

For years we had the best storage facilities available - under the North Sea. We plundered our stocks of gas like it would last forever and now it is running out.

Also true that we sold gas cheaply to Europe in the summer because we could not use it or store it(and you can't turn off the tap). Whilst the buy back in winter is also true, it was a tiny percentage of the gas we use and only at 'spot' prices.

As for not making a fuss about storage - well the Parliamentary Committee on Energy talked of little else.

The problem is these storage facilities cost £billions, and someone will have to pay for them - guess who??

The Government permission to build has been delayed and delayed because of planning objections.(NIMBY) Few want a facility that will be huge, employ relatively few people - be a ready made target for terrorists etc.

However this isn't the point of this thread, there is masses wrong with the energy supply system in this country and I don't think anyone(certainly not I)
is denying that fact.

I am just taking issue with the quite typical uninformed rant in this forum that states we pay more for gas than Europe.

Perhaps the OP would like to state how much he feels our energy prices would reduce if the Utility companies made zero profit, instead of "ripping us off"

Cardew

reactor wrote: »

Do you work for OFGEM or one of the gas companies or something? You certaintly seem to be someone who enjoys high energy costs in the UK and that's weird.

What a silly silly statement - do you feel it is original?

You say that we pay more for gas than Europe.

However the 'proof' you posted of today's date states just the opposite.

The further 'proof' also doesn't say anything about prices in this country rising and Europe not rising.

So come on - let us have some proof that you are correct.

No bluster - just proof!

Methinks you are out of your depth!

moonrakerz

Cardew wrote: »

What a silly silly statement - do you feel it is original?

You say that we pay more for gas than Europe.

However the 'proof' you posted of today's date states just the opposite.

The further 'proof' also doesn't say anything about prices in this country rising and Europe not rising.

So come on - let us have some proof that you are correct.

No bluster - just proof!

Methinks you are out of your depth!

Come on Cardew - don't let the facts get in the way of a good ill-informed rant !

PS: Have you noticed that a well known ranter has disappeared from the site - then all of a sudden a new one has appeared ? Joined yesterday, 11 posts already ! What a coincidence !

Geoffo_M

The piece on the radio news today said that energy prices in the last year in Britain have risen 30%, wherease increases in Germany & France have only risen 14%. It also observed that most of our energy providers are not owned by British companies, the rather obvious conclusion being that British consumers were subsidising European.

1carminestocky

I wonder if Thatcher actually realised that once you sell off the family silver, especially the bit which deals with essential services, it will eventually end up in predominantly foreign hands? No use asking her now, I suppose, she doesn't even know Dennis died ,so we will just have to speculate. Question: If that awful woman hadn't privatised the energy industry...would we have had less or more storage capability now? Answers on a postcard, please.

Cardew

Geoffo_M wrote: »

The piece on the radio news today said that energy prices in the last year in Britain have risen 30%, wherease increases in Germany & France have only risen 14%. It also observed that most of our energy providers are not owned by British companies, the rather obvious conclusion being that British consumers were subsidising European.

How did they reach that conclusion when we pay less for gas than most of Europe?

Two of the Big 6 are UK owned, so presumably are not subsidising Europe. So why aren't their tariffs much cheaper than the foreign owned companies?

Obviously with any foreign owned company, be it banks, cars, utility companies etc, any profit they make is for foreign shareholders.

I don't think anyone(regulator, government etc) disputes that gas was cheaper in UK than all of western Europe(some small east European countries were cheaper) and that the differentials have closed.

reactor_3

Cardew wrote: »

Perhaps the OP would like to state how much he feels our energy prices would reduce if the Utility companies made zero profit, instead of "ripping us off"

The figure I have seen from an industry expert is £400 per customer but that is out of
date.

Given that there has been little increase in the cost of extraction and they are charging
many time what they charged a few years ago, the money they are making must be truely collossal.

So I would say they could make 10% profit and still reduce their bills by half easilly.

Quite stagering to think we have no storage facilities under those conditions, but then agian thats a great excuse for them to overcharge us.

reactor_3

Cardew wrote: »

The problem is these storage facilities cost £billions, and someone will have to pay for them - guess who??

Same people who paid for them in the rest of Europe I would imagine, maybe that's
why they enjoy lower prices in Europe whilst we are paying through the nose for our
gas and electricty.

Rip-off Britain that's what it is, you know it I know it, everybody knows it.