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British Gas hikes its prices again

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Comments

  • Pincher
    Pincher Posts: 6,552 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Oh well, it's starting already.

    They said you'd get riots in the streets when the oil runs out.

    Storm the Bastille all you want, they only keep about three weeks reserve in the UK, probably too expensive to have cash tied up in inventory. If the MBAs have their way, they probably want to do it "just-in-time", so you only have a couple of day's worth of oil and gas in the whole country.


    Marketing opportunities
    =================

    Re-Market Mad Max DVDs as training videos for the chaos that is to come.

    Car armour accesories Mad Max style. The least you need is re-inforced locking petrol flap.

    Domestic underground tanks for hording oil.
  • I'm currently of Websaver 5, which I've been told is the cheapest (or at least one of the cheapest), but I've only just realised it's due to end in Feb 2011 and I'll be moved to the Standard Rate!!

    Also, my yearly renewal has just happened (not sure if this is the same for all customers or it's staggered across the year) and BG have advised that my gas payments should increase by £14 per month and my electricity by £10pm, so potentially £288 more across the year!?!?

    So.....to my question, should I stick with BG and switch now to Websaver 7 or risk waiting until next Feb and see what's available then?

    Or, should I jump ship and more elsewhere?


    AB.
  • Yellowcard wrote: »
    'Hike prices again'

    AGAIN? It's been 2 years, what are you on about? and 7% is hardly a hike..

    @webbit, complain to every available portlet, why? because your complaint e-mail to British Gas is suddenly going to bring the cost of purchasing energy down?

    @dalek, yup, an extra £1.50 on gas AND electric a week is a sure fire way to freeze this winter, sure, deffinitely, yeah.

    @lube slow to decrease? name me which other supplier lowered their prices 7% this year following the harshest winnter in decades to become the cheapest standard dual fuel supplier? no? ok.

    @Col7777 obviously field sales agent / no member of frontline staff knew of the price increase until this morning, what a ridiculous accustation, also if you decide to cancel your order and move to another supplier the company have agreed to charge you at the sale rates at point of sale for the time you're with them if you choose to move, although if you're set to join on web10 then i'd highly suggest hanging fire as you're on a pretty grat deal and the other suppliers are expected to increase aswell

    British Gas has made all the facts and figures quite clear how much purchasing gas has increased by, its made the facts quite clear about how much transporting gas has increased by. It's been well publicised that british gas is having 20 billion of its profit until 2020 put straight into renewable energy under government regulations which is more than any other supplier for the pure fact theyre the biggest and have to be looked to to lead the way and make the biggest contribution, and also well publicised via ofgem that bills from all providers are going to increase to cover the cost of installing smart meters into every UK home. Also it's probably worth mentioning BG prices are still over £100 cheaper now than they were 12 months ago and have numberous online/fixed price tariffs available, also if you're not paying by direct debit the discounts on that alone will most likely combat the increases announced today

    Spouting the crap that everyone should boycott BG to avoid them putting their prices up is hilariously ridiculous, surely its not escaped your notice theyre not the only provider to put their prices up? And that when they do others usually follow suit? Although in this case BG have put it off enough to be pipped to the post with SSE already upping their gas prices by over 9%. Whichever provider you're with the cost of wholesale gas has increased and in time your unit prices will adjust to reflect this. Also, several million BG customers have had the effect of the increase limited (if atall touched) by a choice in choosing to go online to make substantial savings or fixing your prices. Theres a ton of things customers can do to help out with the gas/electric bills ,apparently a majority just prefer to sit there with the heating on all day every day and complain.

    Sometime this website really should be called iwantsomethingfornothing.com.

    Seriously, some of the posts/opinions, wow.

    That is an absolutely brilliant post and I applaud you - unfortunately the ignorant majority will do nothing but disagree for disagreement sake because they are far too stubborn to even attempt to understand. Someone hears price rise and thats it - everyone goes mental! Time for some people to join the real world tbh.
  • Col7777
    Col7777 Posts: 194 Forumite
    Yes a brilliant post, he pointed me in the right direction, apparently I was very wrong, my apologies.
    The field sales are still calling today though saying they are the cheapest, but I have a good deal any way so I can't complain too much.
  • ollski
    ollski Posts: 943 Forumite
    Could also of course check out the historical prices rises over the last couple of years. In summary since January 2007:

    BG up 21.4%
    EDF up 24.9%
    NPower up 29.8%
    Eon up 26.8%
    Scottish power up 41.4%
    SSE up 32.9%
    Swalec up 32.9%

    I know it isn't scientific but it may help put things in context rather the emotional responses.
  • magyar
    magyar Posts: 18,909 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    ollski wrote: »
    Could also of course check out the historical prices rises over the last couple of years. In summary since January 2007:

    BG up 21.4%
    EDF up 24.9%
    NPower up 29.8%
    Eon up 26.8%
    Scottish power up 41.4%
    SSE up 32.9%
    Swalec up 32.9%

    I know it isn't scientific but it may help put things in context rather the emotional responses.


    ... important as well to note that there was an overall real terms drop in energy prices from 1980 to 2000 of about 20% (source) as a result of the deregulation of the sector.

    People like to pretend they are all hard-done-by and that everyone is out to rip them off, but the UK has the most competitive market in the EU.

    Yes, you need to make sure you switch regularly to get the best deal, but if you don't do that then you deserve all you get!
    Says James, in my opinion, there's nothing in this world
    Beats a '52 Vincent and a red headed girl
  • I've switched regularly, at least once a year for the past few years. Not ONCE when I've switched have I found BG to be the cheapest for me. I use around 10,000 kWh of gas and 3000 kWh of electricity. I've always got the best deal possible. I did read somewhere recently that around 40% of consumers have never switched since privatisation. My view is that it's these people keeping prices down for the rest of us.

    Regarding all the posts above which seem to defend BG and say 'well they all do it'. That's the point.. why have a competitive market when they all do the same, no utility company introduces any innovation into the market and no outility company has the guts to get their overheads down? BG is as BAD as the rest.

    I watched BG's MD in his video telling us all to save more by energy saving means like insulation and more energy efficient boilers. Well I have already done all of that without HIS help ta very much.
  • wow Dave i wish that was all the kWh i used, just got my statement and in 1 year we have used 24,528 gas and 7,185 of electricity. yikes
  • ollski
    ollski Posts: 943 Forumite
    Dave_save wrote: »
    I've switched regularly, at least once a year for the past few years. Not ONCE when I've switched have I found BG to be the cheapest for me. I use around 10,000 kWh of gas and 3000 kWh of electricity. I've always got the best deal possible. I did read somewhere recently that around 40% of consumers have never switched since privatisation. My view is that it's these people keeping prices down for the rest of us.

    Regarding all the posts above which seem to defend BG and say 'well they all do it'. That's the point.. why have a competitive market when they all do the same, no utility company introduces any innovation into the market and no outility company has the guts to get their overheads down? BG is as BAD as the rest.

    I watched BG's MD in his video telling us all to save more by energy saving means like insulation and more energy efficient boilers. Well I have already done all of that without HIS help ta very much.

    Bg last year were the second cheapest for me only beaten by first utility who I went with....doh!....they make a 7% rise pale into insignificance!
    I'd have to disagree with innovation as they are investing massively in offshore, renewables, smart metering with a buypack price of 27p kw I believe at the moment and an exclusive contract set up with baxi to provide the pioneering hydrogen fuel cell boilers with the opportunity to sell your self generated electricity back to the grid at a good profit.
    I just think it would be nice for British people to get behind the only truly British supplier as a much larger market share would result in more fleibility on price.
  • Plushchris
    Plushchris Posts: 3,592 Forumite
    ollski wrote: »
    Bg last year were the second cheapest for me only beaten by first utility who I went with....doh!....they make a 7% rise pale into insignificance!
    I'd have to disagree with innovation as they are investing massively in offshore, renewables, smart metering with a buypack price of 27p kw I believe at the moment and an exclusive contract set up with baxi to provide the pioneering hydrogen fuel cell boilers with the opportunity to sell your self generated electricity back to the grid at a good profit.
    I just think it would be nice for British people to get behind the only truly British supplier as a much larger market share would result in more fleibility on price.

    The only truly British supplier??

    You sound like a salesman to me, there are other British companies you know..
    Missing Tesco R&R since Feb '07 :A & now a "Tesco veteran" apparently! ;)
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