British Gas profit while I freeze

Its February and were still in the grip of winter or so it would seem. As I work from home I dont have the benefit of a warm cosy office to go to during the day to avoid the cold snap. The local library has turned out to be a quite a sanctuary however, and an interesting diversion when it gets too cold to work at home.

Weve already seen our heating bill go up last year

Why dont you turn the heating on you may ask? Well its quite simple really. It is just too darn expensive and before anyone says it, no Im not a miser or a skin flint! Im just aware of the extra cost of heating the home during the day when its only me that would benefit.

Our household runs on a tight budget and cranking up the heating for all those extra hours would make the electricity and gas bills soar. Weve already seen our heating bill go up in the last year without adding more fuel to the flames so to speak. Turn the heating on Our own heating budget isnt the purpose of this gripe; rather its the news story that grabbed my attention as I sat here with two jumpers on with an array of candles on the mantle piece (hoping to add some extra warmth!).

"British Gas profits jump to 571m" the headline said. Well that little nugget of information did nothing to warm the cockles of my heart I can tell you! I appreciate that companies have to make a profit, especially now that I am self employed. But to rub our noses in it after all the increases in gas and electricity prices over the past year and a half, its just downright callous.

All the energy companies are at it though not just British Gas, theyre just the latest energy company to announce profits on the one hand and increase the heating bills for the consumer on the other. Why cant this information to themselves, because Id really rather not know how bloated their coffers have become!

It just makes me so angry... especially when Im sat here freezing. Im sure theres folk out there a lot worse of than myself. At least my heating will kick in a few hours from now and Ill be able to loose some of the layers of clothing. Some people out there will be shivering for a lot longer and theyre the ones the energy companies are really hurting.

By: Heating Bill

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You'll find that, in fact, British Gas have not increased their prices at all in the last year and a half

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SG - 25-Nov-10 17:19

I see that Brittish gas have reduced their prices by seven percent today,

I bet that they are still the dearest energy provider in the UK.

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Gainsborough lad. - 5-Feb-10 22:34

Bumpkin, as you are a countryside dweller, I think it is time for you to move over to solid fuel, like a wood burning stove or a coal fire, also take trouble to go around the house and search out all those cold draughts coming in from outside, every one sealed makes your home warmer.

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Gainsborough lad. - 2-Feb-10 22:47

We live in a rural area 6 miles from the nearest town so there is no mains gas supply, our heating system works on 47kg propane gas bottles and we have four of them to run the central heating system. In august it cost £160 for four bottles which last around 3-4 weeks using it on a timer system just 4 hours a day, in November this went up to £196 then in January it went up again to £216 a bottle. We spent most of Christmas and January when it snowed without heating , we are a family of 5 on a low wage and just couldn't afford this amount every 3-4 weeks its absoult day light robbery! we are worried sick as we know next year its going to happen again!

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Bumpkin - 2-Feb-10 14:14

Usually after the summer my gas bill is in credit. I pay by direct debit an equal amount each month of £40 which I think is very high. I was informed when I rang to tell them of my gas reading that I was £80 in debit and they are putting my DD's up to £69 per month! I live on my own and work 4 days a week and am at my partner's house at weekends so am not having baths every day or having the heating on 24 hours a day. The only time I use more is when my daughter stays during her uni holidays. This seems absolutely ludicrous to me. What can I do? I have started to look at the website for other suppliers but they all want to know loads of complicated details like how much gas I use so I will have to study my bills.

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Fuming Suzie - 15-Nov-09 18:31

Gainsborough Lad, I am so with you on this one. I also believe that mankind, if the will can be found has the power of the stars well and truly within his grasp through nuclear fusion. More money spent researching this and a little less wasted on MPs expenses and benefit scroungers would be the right way to go.

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Kevin - 12-Nov-09 12:04

France has 59 nuclear power stations, (wikipedia it) many bad accidents? not that I can remember, with gas running out, why has it taken this country, this long to realise that nuclear power is the only viable way forward for the future, not logs, wave power, and coal.

Any protesters that protest against it, don't supply them with power.

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Gainsborough lad. - 12-Nov-09 00:21

To make life more bearable during winter, have you tried Halogen heaters?. They are relatively energy- efficient and you can adjust the heating so they run at 400w, 800w, 1200w etc.
Also, you might like to buy an energy- efficient electric Underblanket and save yourself a fortune when it comes to keeping warm at night. I had safety concerns about electric Underblankets, but these were dispelled when I read about the strict safety standards which the manufacturers have to fulfill in order to become BEAB approved.

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islamophobiasucks - 30-Sep-09 14:35

The reason why Ofgem will never have the power to make the energy companies pass the price cuts onto the customer is because it cannot afford the energy required for the power at the prices charged by the energy companies.

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JRJ - 19-Sep-09 00:01

I found I couldn't pay my bill and asked for a pre payment meter installed, makes it easier to budget when you are on a budget. The company involved ignored two requests, sending me letter after letter demanding money and telling me they would take me to court. I had kept copies of all letters sent (recorded delivery) and email information as well as phone bills to prove that I had called them. I continued to contact them and it was only when I recieved a letter from another company saying they were coming to cut off my gas, and I contacted them that I finally got the meter. I did what they asked and tried to contact them yet they weren't interested. Yet by the time the meter was installed I had almost paid the money due (bar £50) in bits and pieces. I am quite happy to pay a little extra for gettign my gas through a pre pay meter, at least I won't be in a situation like I was and no one wanting to listen. They are only interested in their profit margins, nothing else, whatever has happened to customer service?

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Glad it's nearly summer! - 10-May-09 19:40

I'm fed up answering the door to energy suppliers trying to tempt us to switch. It's getting beyond the joke now because the last one had the nerve to stick his foot in the door! Bring back the jehovas, at least they took no for an answer and were polite

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Energy companies! - 7-May-09 11:00

I'm absolutely sick to death of hearing how customers are having their Direct Debit payments doubled, tripled, increased through the stratosphere for their gas and electricity bills and they can't afford to pay and what should they do? Here's a tip - contact your bank and cancel them!!

Setting up a DD means authorising someone to help themselves to your money and is madness. Take control and set up a Standing Order instead if you want to make monthly payments. YOU then set the fixed amount you want to pay, but you must be realistic and prepared to pay any difference when it's invoiced.

British Gas threatened to cut me off last year because there was £16 owing after my SO's had been paid and I hadn't increased my monthly SO from £30 to £61 for the previous 8 months or so as they demanded. Since they hadn't read my meter ("we're not obliged to read it more than once a year"), I took great pleasure in telling them that if I had increased it they would then owe me almost £400 and I considered this to be bullying tactics and was considering making an official complaint. Especially as I told them I am a disabled Pensioner. (Am I? Am I not..? Would they be able to tell when playing the tape recording they make to 'improve customer service'?)

Stony silence from the other end of the line and I'm STILL paying £30 a month.

Stop being wimps and get a grip!!!! They can't win all the time.

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Warm & Solvent - 23-Dec-08 13:24

I hope you guys have signed up for Click Energy 6 because British Gas are not going to offer it to you without applying for it. If you cannot be bothered, then get your energy managed by professionals - for instance 'email energy' (emailenergy.co.uk) will keep you on the cheapest tariffs.

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Bill Energy - 11-Oct-08 00:28

Ruddy heck. Privatisation, it's the tories fault, yadda yadda. Nonsense. Labour have been in "power" for over a decade. it's their damned fault for selling our gas to France, not stockpiling our supplies, not building new reactors, taxing these companies to death until none of them are in the UK any more and so forth. It is Labour's fault!

I'm a British Gas customer. I hate the profiteering but I can't do anything about that, but at least understand the problems and don't whinge on about things that don't matter. eight years ago a plan was tabled by an obscure Tory MP detailing the energy crisis and this was flattened by Labour who desperately needed money after robbing the pension fund blind. There. Grow up, understand the issues and realise you've the dolts to blame. A free market is a good market.

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Nick - 6-Aug-08 13:00

what do they mean by profit? operating, net or gross?
The lefty media seems to think all companies have a duty to operate on a non profit basis; which is ridiculous as they would soon cease to operate---you have to take out of the gross profit things like overheads, future spending comittments, bank interest etc etc
You virtually need to see a balance sheet to really understand a companies true financial situation.
Oh incidentally the nationalised industries spent vast amounts of our money on paying off their huge bank interest on their debts --so renationalisation wouldn't necessarily be a good bet.

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son of a banker - 31-Jul-08 16:12

Why do Gas meter cards cost more than a quarterly bill??? Why should ten pounds on my gas meter only last me 2 days? I have my heating timed for twice a day (2 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening)and why oh why should I pay charges?? Its not so bad now as its summerish outside but in winter I freeze because British Gas insist on ripping off council tenants who have no choice but to use a meter!!!!

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Anon - 7-Jun-08 21:50

John Boy - This is the best description of Gordon Brown I have ever heard. God I hope he reads this forum

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get in the real world - 3-Jun-08 22:59

Wake up people...this is CARTEL TIME couresy of the greedy TORIES (privatise and sit on the Board..). You think PFI-Gordon is going to change things?
An autistic-spectrum PM and women-only parrots...does anybody seriously think thy give a sh*t??

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John Boy - 12-May-08 19:22

We were told prices would be coming down when the new Gas pipeline from Norway was finished and the new gas supply from this country started in early 2007?

In fact in 2006 the UK Government said it could ignore Gas and Electric costs in the Inflation figures, because High energy prices were ONLY temporary and would come down when things like this pipeline were finished. It's 2008, Energy prices never really came down, (they went down but quickly went back up!)

The Government says WAGE inflation is 2%, but for Council Tax inflation has to be capped at 5% (meaning some want a higher figure.). Anyone notice how the same Government is saying inflation is two different figures, one for wages, one for council tax? Part of the reason is higher Gas bills for all those council buildings! Yet us Joe Public, what we don't have higher gas bills? Liars!

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spareusthelies - 14-Apr-08 00:29

British gas profits (and the rest of the energy companies) are obscene. I agree with the poster that it's the fact they rub our faces in their greed that really gets my back up. They have us by the short and curlies though because we all need to stay warm, cook etc. Funny how when the raw product prices goes back down we still don't get our bills reduced!

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Had enough - 27-Feb-08 20:36

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