Hooray! Ofgem declare a 20% cut in gas costs from January!

KimYeovil

Well, not quite. They will be using a revised average annual gas consumption figure of 16,500 kWh* from 17 January. So watch out for misleading (or, rather, even more misleading than usual) twaddle from the snake-oilers then. Electricity remains at 3,300 kWh.

* Down from the current figure of 20,500 kWh.

backfoot

Will it be a refund or offset against future consumption?

DUTR

Yikes, I have gone from below average to above average usage now

MillicentBystander

Just what I've been saying - these 'average consumption' figures that all the energy companies base their 'headlines' on are a total nonsense. They are still a total nonsense now, of course, it's just that the gas figure has decreased.

Swipe

Seems crazy when people are using even more gas due to the recent colder winters.

davidgmmafan

Perhaps people are making an effort to use less gas due to crippling price rises.

2010

The big 6 power companies should be investigated by the Competition Commission but there seems great reluctance to refer them to it.

The government tries to hide behind the massive power prices by whimpering about the winter fuel allowance, which would hardly cover the gas bill alone for one quarter.
They also rake in 5% vat, so reducing prices by making the big 6 compete is not in their interest either.

MillicentBystander

2010 wrote: »

The big 6 power companies should be investigated by the Competition Commission but there seems great reluctance to refer them to it.

The government tries to hide behind the massive power prices by whimpering about the winter fuel allowance, which would hardly cover the gas bill alone for one quarter.
They also rake in 5% vat, so reducing prices by making the big 6 compete is not in their interest either.

Nail on head. Successive Govts. don't give a damn just as long as people don't take to the streets. If they gave a damn, they would have installed a PROPER regulator eons (pun intended) ago.

davidgmmafan

Sure bring in the competition commission, they can look at the current account market whilst they're at it

wakeupalarm

Lower gas consumption will lead to lower profits for the energy companies which will lead to companies increasing their charges which will lead to higher energy bills which will lead to another round of energy conservation which will lead to lower gas consumption which will lead to lower profits for the energy companies which will lead to companies increasing their charges....

Alternatively, everyone uses more gas, which leads to the government increasing bills by introducing green energy incentives, which leads to higher energy bills which leads to reduced consumption which leads to lower profits for the energy companiese which leads to companies increasing their charges....

Lets face it the energy companies line their directors pockets, the government gets its VAT, we as consumers are stuffed whatever we do.

davidgmmafan

Might as well do ourselves in now then?