MSE News: Consumer groups urge action on energy prices at summit

Former_MSE_Helen

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Stories:

"Ahead of crunch talks on energy prices, consumer groups have called for decisive action to curb soaring costs ..."

Read the full story:

Consumer groups urge action on energy prices at summit

Also see:

Energy firms respond to crunch summit with price pledges

And:

Energy summit: Government will write to public to promote switching

harz99

Helen; do we really need two threads on the same subject?

May I suggest you merge this with the DC's plans one?

Butterfly_Brain

I can't see that anything will be achieved. We have utilities that are owned by major foreign cartels that are only in it to make a fast buck at the UK consumers expense, a Watchdog that is impotent and a Government that is full of hot air.

alexlyne

ha ha ha :rotfl:

it's insulting, it really is... no more price hikes this winter... of course not because they've just done it!

It's like the railway companies putting their prices up in January and then promising 'we won't put them up for 12 months'.

Consumerist

There's probably not too much we can do to protect ourselves from volatile wholesale energy prices but a major help to consumers would be for Ofgem to prohibit fixed-term contracts on variable tariffs and also to prohibit termination charges disguised as "discounts" paid only at the end of a contract.

The energy companies are as dishonest as our banks but the Energy Ombudsman doesn't have the extensive powers of the Financial Ombudsman. That needs to change.

dunloadin

Consumerist wrote: »

The energy companies are as dishonest as our banks but the Energy Ombudsman doesn't have the extensive powers of the Financial Ombudsman. That needs to change.

I wouldn't say they were THAT dishonest.....doorknockers excepted.

sydney9676

There appears to be one topic missed by our glorious politicians and prime minister, storage. In the UK we don't store that much gas so when it's cold people and businesses turn on / up the heating, which exhausts any supplies and we all pay top dollar as it's cold to the suppliers, the energy companies pass this extra charge on (plus some margins for profit) to us.

We should be forcing the energy companies to build storage capacity to buy gas when the price is low (lower) which should help with bill stability. Just don't get me started on devaluation through printing money.

Consumerist

dunloadin wrote: »

I wouldn't say they were THAT dishonest.....doorknockers excepted.

Volker Beckers, Npower chief executive, says: "I know people want certainty on energy prices, so we will freeze the prices for all of our customers on standard residential tariffs for the coming winter.

So what constitutes a "standard residential" tariff. Are these the most expensive of all tariffs offered by Npower? Does this mean that all other tariffs will be subject to increases as usual?

This sort of empty "pledge" illustrates what I mean about dishonesty.

dunloadin

Consumerist wrote: »

So what constitutes a "standard residential" tariff. Are these the most expensive of all tariffs offered by Npower? Does this mean that all other tariffs will be subject to increases as usual?

This sort of empty "pledge" illustrates what I mean about dishonesty.

Its all a load of marketing BS, standard tariffs are more expensive as they are the 'base' tariff, the cynic in me says they are there for the apathetic and the 'been with the company for years' brigade. All other tariffs (internet in particular) tend to have the promise they will be a certain percentage below the standard rate, but can still rise if the standard rate does. Fixed tariffs tend to be the standard rate + a closing fee if they're short term, slightly more if long term; green tariffs tend to cost more than the standard rates (lots more in some cases), for tree huggers only.

Dual fuel deals are probably best avoided.....I find what you gain with one you lose with the other, and more can be saved than the discount advantage offered.

Volker Beckers, Npower chief executive, says: "I know people want certainty on energy prices, so we will freeze the prices for all of our customers on standard residential tariffs for the coming winter.

Three cheers for Volker eh!! I have just had a letter from Hydro saying the same thing.....more marketing BS, thanks for letting us know that the prices will be going up in the spring, probably.

Time to have a change now everyone has upped, so off to the comparison sites I go.

Paulgonnabedebtfree

I would like to have seen some kind of long term commitment to restrict the increase in charges for the first units used per timeframe (quarter/annual??). Scottish Power hiked their early gas units by 56% a while back. It hits all consumers but it takes the pi55 out of those who are genuinely trying to cut back their usage. They did this while bleating about the "average" rise being 19%. As a relatively low gas user, my gas went up considerably more. I am considering switching off the gas at the meter and only using electric. I could do it but obviously my electric would go up. I could save money but it would mean losing the use of my clothes drying cupboard - not a good idea in a flat.

Butterfly_Brain

Just heard on the news.
The Government are powerless when dealing with greedy businesses and bankers
Ca-moron = EPIC FAIL!
No Surprise there then :mad::mad::mad::mad: