Well, my quarterly gas bill (heating and hot water only) tends to be around £12 - £16

So a 15% rise will hardly break the bank

British Gas also *can* supply electricity

Well it was hardly a suprise.

The day before a British Gas sales person came round and tried to get me to sign onto them because they were cheaper.

Saw it on the news the next morning.

Coincidence

When something like this presents itself, I always catch myself wondering what is necessary inflation and to what point is it "price gouging." 15% increase of any utility seems like a pretty unlikely jump. Some is probably necessary, but when is enough, enough?

Originally posted by watch_the_rocks
Hmm, someone should look into developing a water powered stove.

they already got a few of them. Just so happens that when somebody
invents one, he applies for a patent for it. He gets offers for a buy-out
and either sells it off to a company who stiffles the technology
or either the inventor hangs on to it and winds up dead. If he
winds up dead, nobody can use the technology cuz it breaches
the patent laws.

But it's out there ..... if you want to make one for yourself
as long as you don't try to commercially try to market it

We can even power vehicles on water but the oil companies
keep killing them off before they get going with the idea.

The oil companies have a big stake in the patent office.
When a new technology comes in that promises free energy,
the hit goes out for the head of the inventor.

Kinda makes you NOT want to go into that line of work.