speye91

Looks certain that BS is putting it's prices up in September.

12.4% for gas,9.4% for electricity

I get both from British Gas,and im annoyed by the amount they have put it up by in the last few months.So does anybody on SN use a different provider?

Tried Powergen in the past and there customer sevice was terrible,UDL announced that they will put there price's up so dont want to try them.

Mick

Scooby Snacks 23

I'm with BG for both electricity and gas and I think they're bloody epxensive. My leccy bill is really high following their 20% rise in April time - are you saying that they're putting it up again in September by 9%??? Nearly 30% rise in less than 6 months - surely not???

gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

I used to use PG and they put my bill up from £25 to £56 to cover my debit - anout £60!!!! I told them not to take any more via direct debit, but they ignor you - I wouldn't recomenr them.

Check on u-switch.com (I think that's the correct site). Gives you a chance to compare suppliers.

Graham

Nezz10

Unfortunately all energy prices will be going up, just because British Gas has done it first doesnt mean that its worth switching just yet. I will wait till nearer winter time when all the prices chages have come into effect from all companies, then I will look to see is the cheapest for me.

James Neill

iTrader: (1)

Mort than 30% in 6 months actually.

Original price = 100
Up by 20% = 120
Up again by 9% = 120 x 109/100 = 130.8

Total rise of 30.8%

Rises are compounded so that's why a 20% rise followed by a 9% rise is actually a total rise of more that 30%!!!

Sorry, doesn't make it any better though

tamb

Thatchers legacy. So much for competition driving prices down.

Reality

I Blame King Henry VIII. If he'd left the Church alone we'd all be fine today.

If it was all still British Gas you honestly believe that prices would be cheaper The price of gas would still be through the roof and we'd be paying for 487,938 people to not deliver it to us

tamb

Yes I do believe they would be cheaper than they are today.

Reality

Was Maggie in power in 2001 ? or did her legacy kick in then ?

tamb

Were there price hikes of this magnitude and speed before privatisation ?

Chip

British Gas were privatised in 1986. Price rises have only really kicked in since Blair has been in power so one can hardly blame Maggie for the price hikes.

Prices are very likely to rise again when the unless the US stops fukcin around in the middle east.

Chip

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

Not to mention all the north sea gas and oil sold off on the cheap in the late 70's early 80,s to pay for labours last **** up

Flatcapdriver

Err, no. Because wholesale gas prices have never been so high before and unsurprisingly when Thatcher was in power and the UK had gas surpluses the cost of gas was correspondingly lower. Funnily enough, no-one complained when the UK had 'cheap' electricity as a result of the dash for gas.

Drboobfondler

IDIOT !

Flatcapdriver

Wow, did you think that one up all by yourself or did you get help down at the playgroup?

Drboobfondler

Well what the *** do you know about the thatcher years !! silly labour supporter !

Flatcapdriver

Did you actually understand the point I was making? How you can make the leap to me being a Labour supporter when I've quite clearly made the point against Thatcher's involvement is puzzling?

Drboobfondler

ok appologies, didnt read it right !

Drboobfondler

While we're on the subject .... I never yet met a labour supporter in nine years of them being in power so who the hell is !!!

Flatcapdriver

No worries. There is the possibility of a LNG terminal being built close to you which may help future energy costs (int terms of increased storage) provided the NIMBYs don't block it.

Drboobfondler

I dont live in southend !! it's a tactic used to keep the women away !!

Flatcapdriver

It doesn't matter. You'll still benefit from it.

Chelspeed

LNG terminals don't store gas they import it. Salt caverns, old gas and old oil fields are used to store gas.

OK LNG terminals do store gas for a few days between ships but their primary purpose is importing.

Chip

At the moment LNG terminals DO store gas. There are already a few around the UK at the moment and more are being built now. Those being built now in West Wales will be primarily for storing for a few days but will hardly be used during summer months when capacity will be built up pre winter before being transferred to a new 42" pipeline running the width of Wales.

I know as Ive recently spent a few weeks working on 3 tank's containing 138,000 tons of the stuff. Gets a bit worrying though when you get a leak or two as the gas in them has no odourant in it and is pressurised at a temperature -262c so cryogenic suits etc need to be worn which are rather hot in this weather.

Chip

tamb

No wonder you cant win an election.

logiclee

Yes it is partly Thatchers fault we are in the current situaton.

Her policies rigged the electricity market in favour of gas generation, this was done to make coal generation look expensive so she could close down the mines. With these policies she managed to rid the Tories of one of their greatest enemies.

But this policy has meant the UK's natural gas reserves have been used up for electricity generation. If the generation market had been fair during the 80's and 90's, the "Dash for Gas" wouldn't have happened and we would have nearly 15 years of natural gas left. The market was evened up some years ago but it's been too little too late. The cheapest way to generate electricity in the UK is though coal burn, during last winter 50% of electricty generation was done from coal fired stations. Even so 70% of this coal was supplied from abroad at a far higher cost than coal mined in the UK.
As it is we will have to get used to bidding against other countries for fuel so energy prices are not going to get cheaper.

Cheers
Lee

Chelspeed

> At the moment LNG terminals DO store gas. There are already a few around
> the UK at the moment and more are being built now

You're getting confused.

There are the old LNG peak shaving plants (there are 5 around the UK) which do store gas.

Then there are the new generation of LNG import terminals like South Hook and Dragon in Milford Haven which are being built at present. They will import LNG, convert it to gas for export into the gas network, but won't store it long term, they'll send it thro Wales to the rest of UK thro your 42" pipeline.

Chelspeed

> Even so 70% of this coal was supplied from abroad at a far higher cost
> than coal mined in the UK.

What tosh. The electricity generation market is privatised. Why would a private company buy coal from abroad at far higher cost if an equivalent coal was available in UK?

The critical thing is no doubt equivalent. UK coal is very high in sulphur so would cost much more to clean the emissions up to UK allowable emission standards whereas burning foreign coal doesn't need clean up so ends up cheaper.

logiclee

Not tosh at all.

There are only six large scale mines left in the UK and the total output is about a third of current coal burn.
Most stations are now fitted with de-sulphurisation plants which yes cost money to operate but are far cheaper than the imports.

The current dock price of coal is around £1.90 a gigajoule, UK production is currently around £1.30 a gigajoule but some contracts such as EDF get it at £1.15 a gig.

China will burn 1.3billion tonnes this year and they have a short fall of around 300million tonnes so they are buying this on the world market forcing up prices. The shortfall next year is expected to be greater

Cheers
Lee

Chip

Not getting confused at all. LNG terminals in use at the moment are purely for storage and nothing else. The gas is liquified at the site of the tanks.

The new processing plants being built will as you say convert the LNG from tankers to gas for distribution through the new national grid pieline.

Chip