British Gas Companies Hiking Up their costs.... AGAIN.

reply to post by MysterX






I don't feel tied to the whims of the market place ... My mother who died 5 years
ago lived in the same street as myself got a lot more for her house than she paid
for it.

If I rented privately I would be at the mercy of a landlord who may want to rent to
a relative, or someone else at the end of a lease, [moving home is apparently second
only to death or divorce in stress levels ]

If I sold my home and rented I would get a very meagre interest rate on any money?
And being my own home I don't have to worry about the 'new extra room' tax.

Even in a depressed market I would get a lot more for my house than I paid for it
and after all these years of enjoying living here too ....

VoidHawk
But you have CHOICE!!!

Does anyone remember them saying that?
"It will give the consumer choice, and that will drive down the cost"





There is no choice when dealing with a cartel!?

Not to mention does anyone understand their very many tariffs??

And why so many? after all kilowatt is a kilowatt, a therm is a therm just as an
inch is an inch, and a pound is a pound or should I say a kilo is a kilo.

LOL ... I'm old enough to remember when there were only two tariffs *domestic*
and *commercial* ...... Those were the days ........

eletheia

LOL ... I'm old enough to remember when there were only two tariffs *domestic*
and *commercial* ...... Those were the days ........

I remember that too
Just up the road from me there's a nuke station, and when they were building it, to stop the local protests they said "The power produced will be too cheap to meter"
Yet more B_ll_X.

This makes me so mad seeing huge bonuses and profits being creamed off when people are literally dying because they can't afford to heat their home. I say re-nationalise the energy industry and stop this horrible profit making from something that is essential.

It's win win for Centrica, who both own and supply British Gas and have seen a large profit rise first half of this year while citing rising wholesale prices (which they set).

Even better, I would love to be self sufficient energy wise and opt out of this greedy, unethical mess. Does anyone have any tips on where to start?

reply to post by Scouse100


As mentioned, it would be great to go back to wood fires or coal. And we can do that if we choose. Well, I can't as I live in a Maisonette on first floor but I could still get a Coal Fire going although I'd have to go get the Coal and then I presume I'd stink my place out and risk getting ill from the fumes!



On second thoughts... not a good idea.

But I would definately go wood if I had a chimney.

There could be another way to beat the rises and that is to get as many people as possible switching to one of the other Energy Suppliers before they too put their costs up and then put the others out of Business or it would make those Companies bring their costs down.

It's amazing how many people round here have installed wood burning stoves in their houses over the last few years.

Not long ago if you had a tree fall in your garden, you could barely give the wood away. But now? There's people driving around looking for piles of wood in peoples gardens to buy, it's worth quite a lot of money now.

Heck, we've even had people steal wood out of our garden.

woogleuk:

British Gas
Head Office
Lakeside
30 The Causeway
Staines
Middlesex
TW18 3BY

TruthxIsxInxThexMist[quote]Look at this guy... no wonder he has a big smile on his face: www.mirror.co.uk...

Okay, so we have an address to burn down and a face we can punch. Is that the route we take?

I haven't researched thouroughly but why isn't there a massive drive to get everyone solar panelling to provide energy? My in-laws have them and produce more energy than they can consume so sell it on.
If every building had these then logically we would have more than enough power AND it is environmently friendly AND it is free!

I think the obvious answer is that why give the people free energy when there is profit to be made, so that being the case would it be possbile to form a mini "power station"? By fitting panels on every roof in the street and using a collective, built up source they create?

Failing my fairytale scenario, i would like to see a massive campaign to encourage people to stopo all direct debits to energy companies and send them a cheque for a set amount, we all deem correct as citizens.

Lumpy79
I haven't researched thouroughly but why isn't there a massive drive to get everyone solar panelling to provide energy? My in-laws have them and produce more energy than they can consume so sell it on.
If every building had these then logically we would have more than enough power AND it is environmently friendly AND it is free!

I think the obvious answer is that why give the people free energy when there is profit to be made, so that being the case would it be possbile to form a mini "power station"? By fitting panels on every roof in the street and using a collective, built up source they create?

Failing my fairytale scenario, i would like to see a massive campaign to encourage people to stopo all direct debits to energy companies and send them a cheque for a set amount, we all deem correct as citizens.

Not exactly free > there is the initial outlay which I believe is around £7,000 to
£9,000 (average) they need to be kept relatively clean, and require certain
maintenance checks. The invertor? will likely need replacing, and the current cost is
around £1000 a time. They have a 20 year lifespan and as I understand it like
batteries they tend to slow down towards the end of their life.<

I am just wondering if it is such a good viable source of energy why the government
doesn't provide it direct to the consumer (using the 'green tax monies ) instead of
those highly expensive windmills they are proposing to use all over the countryside
which I understand are 'high' maintenance and weather 'dependant?'

reply to post by Lumpy79


unfortunately, I have just switched to direct debit with my supplier as there is a saving of £100 for duel fuel direct debit every year!

They'll just as easily fleece you with a wood burner with 'green taxes'.

Burn the wrong thing and they fine you.

reply to post by eletheia


There actually is completely free solar panel deals available.

Several companies i can think of, are offering to install a roof full or panels - for absolutely nothing, free, gratis, etc. provided your home is suitable (facing the optimal direction, not overly shaded, etc.).

The deal is, you get to use the electricity generated during the day, and the supplier gets a payment per kWh generated by the panels, and also gets paid for excess sold back to the grid.

But it is a very good question, exactly WHY green taxes raised through excessive 'environmental' fuel taxes, especially vehicle fuels, isn't being spent on giving EVERY household a free installation of panels and kit - a modest 3kW system would be enough, prioritising elderly and vulnerable people and literally covering the roof spaces of Great Britain and enable us to generate our own energy requirements, excess would be fed back into the grid for municiple and public buildings use.

It's an easy concept to grasp...with energy available for no cost, tens of thousands of elderly people won't DIE from the cold every Winter, or the heat in the Summer. Others will have significantly more disposable cash to spend, improving the economy and the peoples sense of wellbeing.

If private companies are doing it for free...surely the government should do the same, especially considering the government is using our own money.

reply to post by MysterX





I am very sceptical about anything promoted as being 'free' it is nearly always either
sub standard, not fit for purpose or costs some where further down the line ....
There's no such thing as a free lunch ... Lol

If you are a small private company, or indeed Marks and Spencer's and you update,
refurbish or expand etc. the money for that comes out of your profits. So why are the
utilities companies subsidised for research and updating? Apart from their share
holders getting dividends and the top execs. getting 2 million plus bonuses annually
just what do they do with the rest of their mega profits?

I wonder if they too are all on the same derisory low level of corporation tax level as
we have recently found out is paid by 'starbucks' and other multi nationals.

Talking of wasted monies that could be better used (slightly off topic) but did you see
how much money was wasted by the MOD on 'directory enquires?' ...mind boggling!!!

anyway, I am just hoping for a Mild Winter! This way everyone will save and the Energy Companies will be out of pocket! in fact, it would be great if the Temperature didn't drop below 10C throughout the Winter Months!



We can all try fixing it with our Minds and Thoughts.... just think Mild Winter and say Mild Winter a couple of times a day. It might work!

Don't forget, we have powers which are yet to be discovered or are never used.

Now NPower are raising their costs by 11%.

Seems like its just a game for these Companies!!

NPower recently upped their standing charges too.

WAFJ (what a fckin joke)

You guys seem to be following in the steps of the US. It almost for a while there looked like you were going to sidestep our folly with all your wind turbines, which I bet is what your utility companies are crying about... that too many people are using alternative energy and they're losing money.

According to The Sun, the truth is, you're paying for a new nuclear reactor to be built.

CASH-strapped customers face more huge energy bill rises — to pay for a £14billion nuclear power station.
Energy Secretary Ed Davey this morning announced an agreement with French firm EDF to build two new reactors at Hinkley Point.

But the company has said it will not carry out the work without first receiving Government subsidies to guarantee a hefty return on its investment.

The cost of the subsidies will be passed on to consumers — sparking fears that hundreds of pounds will be added to families’ electricity bills.

The Sun

reply to post by Kali74


Yeah great... just what we need. Another Nuclear Power Plant!

It seems the Authorities still havn't learnt their lesson from Fukishima.

reply to post by Kali74


Yes and what is worse, the Government have promised to buy, at double todays price, the electricity. So now we know how much we will be paying for our electricity in 10 or 20 years time. (10 years at 10% = 100%) (Wonder if my pension will have doubled by then?) Bet they will get this plant working in double quick time.

Two countries are involved in building this power station, one that will provide hundreds of jobs!
But for which countries? France or China who are paying for the development or the UK?
Any one guess who will reap the tax benefit?

reply to post by dowot


Mention of the French makes me ask, "Is the cost of electricity in France going up this year?"

I do not know the answer, but I have a feeling it is not, maybe a French member can confirm?

If not, no wonder the French are so interested in supplies in the UK. Just why is the UK unable to/unwilling to stand up for itself? I used to be proud of being British/English but these days?

Now going to pull bedclothes over head and hope it is just a nasty dream.

TruthxIsxInxThexMist
reply to post by Lumpy79

 

unfortunately, I have just switched to direct debit with my supplier as there is a saving of £100 for duel fuel direct debit every year!

NEVER pay ANYTHING by direct debit! It gives people open access to your account. Billions of dollars are stolen worldwide every year by this method...because you don't always know it's happening.

Many years ago, when the Council Tax was known as the Poll Tax, my local council casually helped themselves to an extra £2000....they STOLE 2 grand off me! Or rather, they tried.

It was a right ball-ache getting it back...first they denied it, then they challenged me to prove it, then they wanted photocopies of my bank statements, then they wanted this, then they wanted that....you know, like it was ME who was the criminal!

Took the best part of a year before I saw the cheque (yeah, a cheque, not even cash). No apology.

I would never have known I was being fleeced unless I just happened to study one of my bank statements (and how many of us do that?)

That was about 20 years ago. I've never paid anything by direct debit since then, and I never will.