The end of cheap energy tarriffs.

penrhyn

British Gas have announced a simplification in their energy tariffs, down to two, fixed and variable.
They are going to end their so called loss leaders.
If the other suppliers follow suit this will mean a a slight fall in prices for those too idle or thick to sort out a cheap deal whilst avid moneysavers lose out.
A knock on effect will mean that it will be easy to see who it cheaper so the switching sites will no longer be viable and go out of business.

BTW The message from Chris (It wasn't me driving guv) Huhne is to pay more for green energy, if you can't afford it turn your lights out.

macman

I suspect that BG are relying on the fact that they still have more customers than anyone else, and a greater proportion of those customers are likely never to switch, either through ignorance, apathy, or a bizarre belief that BG is somehow better because it's got 'British' in the name.
I'd also hazard a guess that they have a higher proportion of customers already on Standard tariff than anyone else, and so will lose out less by dropping the less profitable discounted tariffs.
I'm all in favour of tariff simplification and reducing the sheer no. of tariffs. but this seems to go too far beyond that.

Pincher

I predict a future trend in home appliance: the generator mutli-gym.

It contains a battery and an inverter, and you plug it into the ring main, simple! It can be as compact as a wall mounted pulley, to be used like a rowing machine.

Two birds with one stone:

1. National obesity problem
2. Energy poverty.

Instead of a Prepayment meter, you disconnect the mains.
If they are on benefits, they can qualify for a free generator gym.
With mass adoption, the price of inverters should come down due to mass production.

MillicentBystander

penrhyn wrote: »

British Gas have announced a simplification in their energy tariffs, down to two, fixed and variable.
They are going to end their so called loss leaders.
If the other suppliers follow suit this will mean a a slight fall in prices for those too idle or thick to sort out a cheap deal whilst avid moneysavers lose out.
A knock on effect will mean that it will be easy to see who it cheaper so the switching sites will no longer be viable and go out of business.

BTW The message from Chris (It wasn't me driving guv) Huhne is to pay more for green energy, if you can't afford it turn your lights out.

Bit harsh on the 23%** of households without t'internet, Penrhyn. To be fair, if this industry had still been in public ownership we wouldn't have had a large tranche of loyal (yes, some are also apathetic) customers who were effectively funding the acquisition of rate tarts/fly by nights (I include myself here, btw). It wouldn't have been allowed let alone needed.


PS More good news - the end of the switching sites? Whilst i feel for the staff who are employed by them, surely there's no more vivid illustration of how out of hand this industry has got than the birth of the commission-driven switching site?

** edited. Thanks to macman for the correct info

penrhyn

Good point re folks without T'internet.
Must admit to being a tad agent provocateur with this thread.

macman

Rather higher than 70% according to this:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access---households-and-individuals/2011/stb-internet-access-2011.html
Approx 4 out of 5 households.

MillicentBystander

macman wrote: »

Rather higher than 70% according to this:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access---households-and-individuals/2011/stb-internet-access-2011.html
Approx 4 out of 5 households.

Thanks for that. I've edited my post and credited you So still almost a quarter of households are free !!!!!!-less. Shocking.

chris1973

BTW The message from Chris (It wasn't me driving guv) Huhne is to pay more for green energy, if you can't afford it turn your lights out.

Pretty rich considering our council have taken to lighting up statues in the park with 70w and 150w lights, and the town hall lights are always blazing night and day with massive chandeliers of sparkling candle bulbs I may add - not an energy saving lamp in sight!. Follow their example I always say....

grizzly1911

penrhyn wrote: »

BTW The message from Chris (It wasn't me driving guv) Huhne is to pay more for green energy, if you can't afford it turn your lights out.

Yeah I saw his poor performance on Newsnight and his lack of conviction in what he was saying too.

What sticks in my crawl is that we have done all we can with to minimise our usage, that are economicaly sensible. We already switch the lights out and power things down. The only way now is to stop using all those goodies that we have been "encouraged" to consume to keep VAT flowing into the empty coffers.

Perhaps if they dumped some of their reckless green policies. binned smart meters and looked seriously at nuclear power I wouldn't feel so miffed.