UK Energy Prices

moonrakerz

Along with many others I have grumbled and groaned about the increases in energy prices. In fact, I have just shifted supplier now the market has settled after the last round of rises.

In today's Sunday Times there is a two page story about the energy market in the UK. A lot of it bears scrutiny; appalling Customer Service; paying more if you are not on-line or living in the 'wrong' pace or staying with the same supplier or wanting to pay your bill with cash. However one bit I thought was extremely misleading - a classic case of "Don't let the facts.........."

"Britain treated as a 'treasure island' "
"Germany's Eon........ raised rates by 15% and 9.7% up to 3 times its increase in Germany"
Other foreign owned suppliers have raised "UK prices by about 15% this year, but only 4 -7% on the continent.

Aren't we being ripped off ! Or are we ?

The facts:
Last week I asked an ex-work colleague who lives in Kiel in Northern Germany what he was paying for his Gas and Electricity. I also sent him the prices of the Eon package I was considering moving to.

His answer:-

Electricity:
€6.50 per month Standing Charge
1 year contract
€48 for 'price guarantee'
€200 deposit (returnable at end of contract)
€0.15 per kWh
OR
€9.92 per month Standing Charge
First 2000kWh €0.2087 per kWh
Rest at €0.173 per kWh

Gas:
€14.78 per month Standing Charge
€0.0589 per kWh

All the prices above include VAT at 19% !

He also sent the table below, I have left his comments visible.






I had another e-mail from him yesterday:-

"Today the top news in our media:
About one fifth of 142 gas providers in Germany will
increase their prices within the next weeks by 14.1%."

Before anyone asks, I don't and never have worked in the energy industry !!

Sorry to put up such a large post, but I thought it might be of interest

Cardew

Great post!

Won't be well accepted on this forum I suspect!

The interesting point is to find out(for those paying less than UK) exactly how much prices are subsidised(directly or indirectly) by their government.

bullshine

In the UK we pay just 5% tax on energy.

This is a great post! Very informative. I think we all just have to accept that the price of energy is expensive.

SwanJon

Was looking for something similar. Found this
www.energy.eu
Still think we (Britain) could do more to control our cost by building more storage facilities, so we could even improve.

Mazio_2

2 things I would still like to know.
1) How much gas is still supplied to the UK from the North Sea .
2) What Profit do they make from each country.

magyar

Good post, Moonrakerz.

There is another point about this 'we're being ripped off by foreign companies', etc - specifically E.ON, RWE (who own npower), Iberdrola (who own Scottish Power) and EDF.

All these companies employ British people and divert these 'huge profits' towards UK investments. Our pension companies also own massive chunks of shares in these businesses too.

robreal

I can't workout how he's calculated UK electricity cost but it looks a bit low, if you gave E.ON version 5 prices remember they are at the pre-increase rates.

moonrakerz

robreal wrote: »

I can't workout how he's calculated UK electricity cost but it looks a bit low, if you gave E.ON version 5 prices remember they are at the pre-increase rates.

Those are the current (sorry !) prices.