Utility companies - price rises

Originally Posted by Taf

The elderly get Cold Weather Payments, as do some infirm or families with small children.

But that's like HMG giving out extra Benefits because wages are too low, instead of obliging employers to pay decent wages.

edit I was incorrect the elderly get £25 for each particular cold spell these are unless changed a period of days where the weather is under a certain temp zero degrees for a period of 7 days running

The infirm get £130 but have to jump through hoops

I do not think with the increase of cost of living the £25 is good enough or the threshold in place

I foresee the need for a new fuel benefit for the poor as it stands now anyone paying more then 10% of there income on fuel is energy poor

[richard s]

What would be wonderful is for a vast majority of customers to switch to just two of the suppliers... Need someone to start a campaign me thinks... I wonder what panick that would set off in those companies whose customers were moving from them. Would this bring their prices down or would the greedy swines go bust!?!?

[Arthurgray50@blu]

These cold weather payments are still not enough. Some elderly people feel too proud of taking this money and quite often put this in a tin to save.

I will never forget in my of looking after the vulnerable job is going into an OAP's house last winter. The lady who lived there was 89 years old, the house was freezing and she was sitting there with overcoats one to keep warm. And food that was that little it was bad.

She had an empty fire place but could not afford to get coal or anything to warm the place. I felt ashamed that this is allowed in this country for this person to be in that position.

This is why l have said that we should bring the coal industry back in this country, some people cannot afford ch.

Sadly the lady passed away earlier this year, but it gets my goat that something cannot be done by government to insure the elderly are looked after.

[denphone]

Sir John Major calls for windfall tax on energy profits.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24621391

Former prime minister Sir John Major has called for an emergency tax on the profits of the UK's top energy firms.

The ex-Conservative leader said recent price rises of more than 10% were "unacceptable" and action was needed.


Speaking at a lunch for political journalists, Sir John - prime minister between 1990 and 1997 - said price rises of this kind were not justified and it would be "entirely reasonable" for the government to impose a one-off levy to recover the cost of cold weather payments this winter.

Fuel poverty campaigners have said the price rises will leave some people with the choice of having to "heat or eat" this winter but energy firms say they are needed to cover the cost of rising wholesale prices and environmental obligations.

Asked about Labour's plan for price freeze if it is elected in 2015, Sir John said "Ed Miliband's heart was in the right place but his head has gone walkabout", adding that the plan was unworkable.

"But he did touch on an issue that's very important. The private sector is something the Conservative party support but when the private sector goes wrong or behaves badly I think it is entirely right to make changes and put it right.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by denphone

Sir John Major calls for windfall tax on energy profits.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24621391

That's exactly the sort of thing Dave will be forced into doing if they carry on.

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

That's exactly the sort of thing Dave will be forced into doing if they carry on.

It won't give us cheaper bills though so not much cop to joe public

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by martyh

It won't give us cheaper bills though so not much cop to joe public

It'll reign in their profiteering

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

It'll reign in their profiteering

bit late for that

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by martyh

bit late for that

Darn right, prices have risen a third in three years and profits were up 25% iirc for at least one those companies in the cartel.

[thenry]

Energy giant ScottishPower has raised its prices by 8.5% for gas and 9% for electricity from December 6.

It is expected that the rises will add another £113 to the typical annual dual fuel bill.

http://news.sky.com/story/1159200/sc...p-to-9-percent

[Gary L]

I had an email from British Gas about the price rises.

However, the good news is we'll be capping your variable prices at your new rates from 23rd November 2013 until the end of your contract. This means that if our prices go up, yours won't, but if our Standard prices go down yours will fall too.

What's the catch?
so if they put the prices up again next year (which they will) they won't put them up as long as you're a customer of theirs?
everyone that's with them at the time will be a customer that is there till they end their contract.

the prices will only affect new customers?
will never go up for 50 - 60 years?
baloney!

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Gary L

I had an email from British Gas about the price rises.



What's the catch?
so if they put the prices up again next year (which they will) they won't put them up as long as you're a customer of theirs?
everyone that's with them at the time will be a customer that is there till they end their contract.

the prices will only affect new customers?
will never go up for 50 - 60 years?
baloney!

Maybe you will get a new contract when they install your smart meter ?

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Sirius

Maybe you will get a new contract when they install your smart meter ?

I've switched to Npower since the other day.

tried uSwitch earlier, and it congratulated me for being on the cheapest deal there is.

[progers]

I just changed my plan yesterday with SP to a fixed rate ending March 2015 - Just in Time!

Fixed rate plans are the answer i think we were on one before these price rises were announced and we got a letter today from british gas telling us the announced rises won't be affecting us. They may cost a little more when you first have them but they end up saving you a load over the timeframe they apply. All this switching is all well and good but all of them will put their prices up eventually so your back to square one you get maybe a few weeks cheaper. As far as energy is concerned were paying now for politicians of all colours having done nothing about the energy question for decades and in the case of the this lot and the last lot shutting down power generating capacity to meet some stupid EU target that we cheat on anyway.