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Energy comes at a very high price - get over it.
Comments
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grizzly1911 wrote: »MIL last year was paying ~£2000 last year (4 bed) my mother ~£600 in a (3 bed). Ours is around £1250 in a well insulated, effecient aplianced house.
Three examples there. Have any of them been increasing by 10% per year for the last 5 years. Doubt it.
The media would have us believe that 2 big increases per year have become the norm.
Quick google. An article from the guardian http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/oct/31/energy-companies-socially-responsible
Says recent rises will take the average dual fuel bill to £1400.
Go back to 2008 (still the guardian) http://www.theguardian.com/money/2008/jun/08/householdbills.utilities
They're getting hysterical that bills by 2009 will be, wait for it, £1410.
Joe Public is being taken for a mug by the media.0 -
Three examples there. Have any of them been increasing by 10% per year for the last 5 years. Doubt it.
The media would have us believe that 2 big increases per year have become the norm.
Quick google. An article from the guardian http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/oct/31/energy-companies-socially-responsible
Says recent rises will take the average dual fuel bill to £1400.
Go back to 2008 (still the guardian) http://www.theguardian.com/money/2008/jun/08/householdbills.utilities
They're getting hysterical that bills by 2009 will be, wait for it, £1410.
Joe Public is being taken for a mug by the media.
Yes in the case of two of them. The other would have done but came off standard rate part way through. Since then it has increased by roughly 10%.
Joe Public is certainly being taken for a mug - the media simply hi light the fact badly.
The fact it is so hard to pin the energy companies down makes meaningful analysis very difficult.
On 5L tonight the SSE rep seemed to find it hard to explain why OFGEMs suggested increases were at variance to their own. Suggesting that OFGEM plucked them out of thin air."If you act like an illiterate man, your learning will never stop... Being uneducated, you have no fear of the future.".....
"big business is parasitic, like a mosquito, whereas I prefer the lighter touch, like that of a butterfly. "A butterfly can suck honey from the flower without damaging it," "Arunachalam Muruganantham0 -
That was the idea of communism - capitalism is supposed to offer choices.
TruckerT
Two sides of the same coin just the winners and losers are stacked in differing orders.
The latter gives the impression of choice and that all things are possible."If you act like an illiterate man, your learning will never stop... Being uneducated, you have no fear of the future.".....
"big business is parasitic, like a mosquito, whereas I prefer the lighter touch, like that of a butterfly. "A butterfly can suck honey from the flower without damaging it," "Arunachalam Muruganantham0 -
grizzly1911 wrote: »Yes in the case of two of them. The other would have done but came off standard rate part way through. Since then it has increased by roughly 10%.
I'm struggling to reconcile that with the media's permanent claim since 2006 or so that the latest set of price rises will lead to the average dual fuel bill being £1500. How are they working this out? I think they're making it up or just letting people like shelter do it for them.
No doubt the pressure is up and there seems little chance this will change but having spent recent years fixing a year at a time I can't see any reason why anyone should have seen a % increase of low single digits since 2008.0 -
I will say on the other side I don't mind all those who never move or check there tariffs, as the companies make more money out of them they can afford to make a little less from us switchers.
Much like those incapable of managing a bank account and taking charges so I get free banking.Have my first business premises (+4th business) 01/11/2017
Quit day job to run 3 businesses 08/02/2017
Started third business 25/06/2016
Son born 13/09/2015
Started a second business 03/08/2013
Officially the owner of my own business since 13/01/20120 -
I will say on the other side I don't mind all those who never move or check there tariffs, as the companies make more money out of them they can afford to make a little less from us switchers.
Much like those incapable of managing a bank account and taking charges so I get free banking.
Too right.
My brother and I help a few offline family members get decent deals on energy/ insurance etc. Our whole family is being part subsidised by those who either can't or won't look for better deals.
They need to understand that in an inflationary economy reducing the rate of increase is still worthwhile.0 -
Too right.
My brother and I help a few offline family members get decent deals on energy/ insurance etc. Our whole family is being part subsidised by those who either can't or won't look for better deals.
They need to understand that in an inflationary economy reducing the rate of increase is still worthwhile.
The big savings are only made the first time you switch and some people can't switch normally those who can least afford the extra.0 -
Perhaps we have been conditioned into thinking we are in a low inflation economy. Headline rates of 2.7% don't sound that bad for anyone who remembers the rates from the 80s and 90s.
I can understand why the government is keen to promote low inflation rate targets, to help suppress wage inflation. Indeed wage inflation has been below the official inflation rate for many.
Things like 10% jumps in energy costs, or 6% in rail costs now seem all that much higher when set in context. With the continued squeeze on incomes it's hard to adapt to step changes like this.
Perhaps it would be better for government to openly admit how energy prices will increase and help people prepare for it more. Right now, they suggest there is a market solution to prices. Mid/long term I really don't think there is, unless they considered radical options like breaks in supply.0 -
The big savings are only made the first time you switch and some people can't switch normally those who can least afford the extra.
In an inflationary economy only King Canute would think it possible to make big savings every time a switch is made. If big savings can't be made then there's nothing wrong with small savings; no small savings then the smallest increase possible is surely desirable.
I've just ended a fix and was going to revert to a standard tariff with one of the big six so looking at min +10%. Started a new fix at +4% - obviously still worth switching despite zero savings.
I reckon you're right about those who are closer to fuel poverty being the least likely to change. We can all do our bit to help the vulnerable but rates of switching are so low it makes me wonder how much people really care anyway.
Switching/ reducing is currently the only game in town. Playing can reduce the rate of increase but choosing not to play will be expensive.0 -
In an inflationary economy only King Canute would think it possible to make big savings every time a switch is made. If big savings can't be made then there's nothing wrong with small savings; no small savings then the smallest increase possible is surely desirable.
I've just ended a fix and was going to revert to a standard tariff with one of the big six so looking at min +10%. Started a new fix at +4% - obviously still worth switching despite zero savings.
I reckon you're right about those who are closer to fuel poverty being the least likely to change. We can all do our bit to help the vulnerable but rates of switching are so low it makes me wonder how much people really care anyway.
Switching/ reducing is currently the only game in town. Playing can reduce the rate of increase but choosing not to play will be expensive.
Yea I've just switched to a fixed probably wouldn't have bothered if no fixed available as the cheaper options hadn't increased price yet almost certainly will.
The problem is a lot of people close to fuel poverty can't get the better deals.0
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