British Gas profits. a record £720m.

[chris9991]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

If BG was still state owned you'd be paying twice as much, it would make collossal losses and constantly be on strike. Just like all the old state owned utilities and industries in the seventies.

I wonder how it compares with utilities in the rest of Europe. Are they state owned and inefficient?

I guess they have better gas storage

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Anyway think yourselves lucky: My mother lives in an area with no mains gas, she's just had a delivery of 1000L of oil (kerosine) that powers her Rayburn/Aga cost over £500 and will only last 3-4 months! And she still has to pay for lecky as well.

Is it true that an Aga has to always be on?

Originally Posted by chris9991

I wonder how it compares with utilities in the rest of Europe. Are they state owned and inefficient?

I guess they have better gas storage




Is it true that an Aga has to always be on?

Germany is deregulated, don't know about the rest..

[chris9991]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Germany is deregulated, don't know about the rest..

Here is a hisotry of the German market

http://www.verivox.net/German_Market_History.pdf

I think it is a few years old but I quite like the chart on page 4 which compares the whole of Europe in 2007. Would be great to see the situation today, which I think could be got from www.energy.eu but I'm not paying their prices to find out

[STONEISLAND]

Why put down a successful British Company? Better British Gas made the profit then a German or French supplier.
In difficult economic times, Britain needs successful companies like British Gas. They are using profits tokeep the nation’s lights on in the future with clean power stations and wind farms. Continue providing secure jobs, British Gas has over 30,000 UK employees and growing. They help reduce the national deficit with the £400 million (how many nurses’ doctors and schools etc) they will contribute in tax in Britain this year alone.

Give back to there customers with free insulation, energy efficiency advice and for there essentials customers they have frozen prices over winter and given £50 cashback and now they do Nectar.

It’s important for us all to understand that only a third of there earnings come from energy sales to households – around £4 per household per month. There profits are much lower than in businesses such as BT, Vodafone or the water companies and for the second half of 2010 were the lowest they have been for a number of years.
You tell me what company makes that much per customer per month?

Originally Posted by STONEISLAND

Why put down a successful British Company? Better British Gas made the profit then a German or French supplier.
In difficult economic times, Britain needs successful companies like British Gas. They are using profits tokeep the nation’s lights on in the future with clean power stations and wind farms. Continue providing secure jobs, British Gas has over 30,000 UK employees and growing. They help reduce the national deficit with the £400 million (how many nurses’ doctors and schools etc) they will contribute in tax in Britain this year alone.

Give back to there customers with free insulation, energy efficiency advice and for there essentials customers they have frozen prices over winter and given £50 cashback and now they do Nectar.

It’s important for us all to understand that only a third of there earnings come from energy sales to households – around £4 per household per month. There profits are much lower than in businesses such as BT, Vodafone or the water companies and for the second half of 2010 were the lowest they have been for a number of years.
You tell me what company makes that much per customer per month?

Actually I'm ticked off with all fuel providers because they always put their prices up when oil or gas are at a higher rate at source but when prices reduce at source, somehow that NEVER gets passed back down the pipeline to customers.

I'm not interested in nectar points,energy efficiency advice and free insulation is probably offered to OAPs..What I want is FAIR treatment.

Do you work for BG by any chance?

[STONEISLAND]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Actually I'm ticked off with all fuel providers because they always put their prices up when oil or gas are at a higher rate at source but when prices reduce at source, somehow that NEVER gets passed back down the pipeline to customers.

I'm not interested in nectar points,energy efficiency advice and free insulation is probably offered to OAPs..What I want is FAIR treatment.

Do you work for BG by any chance?

No just like a good British success story.

Do you like good service? British Gas has the highest satisfied customers of all the big 4 this does come at a cost.

Originally Posted by STONEISLAND

No just like a good British success story.

Do you like good service? British Gas has the highest satisfied customers of all the big 4 this does come at a cost.

Just moved from them because of their high prices..

[Chrysalis]

Bear in mind this is selling an essential to people, you would have to be very poor at your job to not be able to make a profit selling gas/electric.

I hold more respect to companies who make money selling luxury items.

[STONEISLAND]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

Bear in mind this is selling an essential to people, you would have to be very poor at your job to not be able to make a profit selling gas/electric.

I hold more respect to companies who make money selling luxury items.

What like Barclays bank? BP?

---------- Post added at 10:59 ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 ----------

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Just moved from them because of their high prices..

Great move it to EDF the French so if they get the market share the profits will go to France.

[Chrysalis]

What luxury items do barclays sell?

[STONEISLAND]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

What luxury items do barclays sell?

Loans

Ok so luxury items hmmmmm so your much happier at the profits Austin Martian makes?

Originally Posted by STONEISLAND

What like Barclays bank? BP?

---------- Post added at 10:59 ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 ----------



Great move it to EDF the French so if they get the market share the profits will go to France.

Don't worry we went 'British'.

And you never answered my question.Do you work for British Gas?

[Chrysalis]

Loans are an opinion, I dont think its responsible to get a loan to fund luxury purchases, if I want something I havent got cash for then I save up and go without until then.

Loans for business's, to fund essentials like a new boiler is non luxury uses.

I will expand a bit more.

I have more respect for a business when the following dont apply.

1 - can make money without a monopoly
2 - can make money without direct or indirect state aid.
3 - can make money on non essential goods/services.
4 - doesnt make excessive profits and offshore its workforce.

[STONEISLAND]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Don't worry we went 'British'.

And you never answered my question.Do you work for British Gas?

As I said above no just like a British success story

---------- Post added at 12:46 ---------- Previous post was at 11:36 ----------

Couple of great comments from BBC site

Personally I think that resuts like this from a company that reinvests a huge amount of profits in renewable and sustainable energy is perfectly acceptable. The profit made from an average household is miniscule and over inflated by the media as news. We do not seem to be anywhere near as dramatic and passionate about mark-up and profiteering with our supermarkets etc. Put things onto perspective.

This is a private company not a charity. Get over it. Food is even more vital than fuel, yet the big supermarkets don't make headline news for posting a profit. Some people just love to complain- if you can't afford your bills, the solution is up to you. Find a better deal if you can, use less, or change to an alternative fuel (however, most other fuels will cost you even more to heat your home).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12563988

Not just me!

You think I really care? I'm not a shareholder.Their profits do me no good and at the end of the day BG is owned by an American company.Why should I trumpet their profits around.

BG customers still have to pay more and more for their energy irrespective of how much profit the company makes.Possibly the only benefit is for BG workers and possibly there will be MORE jobs available for some of those losing their jobs at present..Maybe some of the 18-25 year old group might get a chance of a job at last.