British Gas "fixed" tariff price rise 11%

Kevin_Draper

I moved home in Dec 18, British Gas was the current supplier. They offered a fixed tariff called Temp Dec 2019. It was higher than I would like, but no exit fee, and boiler insurance - useful as it was an old boiler I planned to replace it asap. Got new boiler and switched to Tonik through MSE end April. I then got my final bill from British Gas - gas tariff from 1st April up from 3.46 per unit to 3.85 per unit. That's an 11% rise on a "fixed tariff". Fortunately I've only had to pay this for a month, but it put a new meaning to the word "fixed".

[Deleted User]

As ever please check the emails that British Gas sent when you signed up to the tariff. And ensure that it was indeed a fixed term & price contract and the end date.

If it was fixed and didn't end on the 1st April then start an official complaint in writing only (BG will have web form to use or you can try the MSE approved Resolver site https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/site/resolver).

Your complaint is based upon the OFGEM Gas Supply Standard Licence Conditions - 22C.9

Prohibition on increasing the Charges for the Supply of Gas and other adverse unilateral variations
22C.9 Without prejudice to paragraph 22C.5 or paragraph 22C.7, in relation to any Fixed Term Supply Contract, the licensee must not:
(a) increase the Charges for the Supply of Gas(including, but not limited to, by makingany reduction in the amount of a Discount that is directly applied to a Unit Rate or Standing Charge); or
(b) unilaterally vary any other terms and conditions in any way which is to the disadvantage of a Domestic Customer.

https://epr.ofgem.gov.uk//Content/Documents/Electricity%20Supply%20Standard%20Licence%20Conditions%20Consolidated%20-%20Current%20Version.pdf

mac.d

Pretty sure this increase be related to the price cap which went up by around 10% in April.

JJ_Egan

The word Temp is rather odd and suggests not a long term fixed tariff .

Hasbeen

JJ_Egan wrote: »

The word Temp is rather odd and suggests not a long term fixed tariff .

Correct. It had a maximum fixed price they could go to. That's why it was called temporary.

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/aem6/content/dam/britishgas/documents/tariffs/terms/TemporaryDec2019.pdf

Biscuit_Tin

There has been no overall price increase.

You have benefitted from a reduced rate from that originally agreed when you joined the tariff. This discount applied since Jan 2019, and was due to the Ofgem price cap introduced. It returned to the original agreed rates effective Apr 2019 due to the rising of the Ofgem price cap

Explained in this MSE news article last month
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2019/03/british-gas-default-tariff/

Temporary tariffs between September and December 2018 – your bill will return to the price you were paying prior to 1 January 2019 and will remain at this level until your fix is up.

Kevin_Draper

Thanks for the replies. It is (was) a Fixed tariff but the small print says **The price is fixed until your tariff ends unless the government or regulator does something that changes it.
I think I have a case for complaint as when I called BG to arrange supply, the agent told me specifically that it was a fixed tariff - he didn't mention the possibility of change. However I only paid the higher rate for a month, and given I'm now an ex-customer I can't face jumping through hoops to recover a few quid.

Hasbeen

Kevin_Draper wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. It is (was) a Fixed tariff but the small print says **The price is fixed until your tariff ends unless the government or regulator does something that changes it.
I think I have a case for complaint as when I called BG to arrange supply, the agent told me specifically that it was a fixed tariff - he didn't mention the possibility of change. However I only paid the higher rate for a month, and given I'm now an ex-customer I can't face jumping through hoops to recover a few quid.

You need to read Biscuit Tins post again.

The agent was correct, it was a fixed tariff, you got it at a reduced rate initially then it went to the agreed fixed rate.