howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
they have just posted their profit figures showing a 98% gain on the previous year.
they made great play of cutting prices(naturally at the end of winter) profits like this on a basic necessity seems obscene to me.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
You are not alone Howard. All the consumer groups today are horrified at the level of profits. People have very little choice in these matters either...they are at the mercy of this company. Pay up or freeze. the elderly, the young, everyone is hit unnecessarily hard.
It was interesting to see how the company had their PR media quotes all ready and worked out as they released the news today, they knew how the response would be....they were almost embarassed by the figures. I say almost...
Profit isnt a dirty word but too much profit is, especially when its taken by a monopoly who have their customers at their mercy. Shame.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
just heard a b/gas bloke tell us that they will trying to limit price rises!!!
they have a licence to print money, same as the other fuel providers, people will say that we get a choice.
not really one will be lower for a while then higher again later, add to that the vat on top of the prices.
It is possible to swap to other providers and avoid high costs. We frequently move our accounts to avoid being stung too much.
My parents in Ireland (when both were alive and kicking!) used to pick up wood from the fields and have open fires with back burners. Turf as well - smells great!
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
You can look at it from another point of view also.
For the last 18 months to 2 yrs I have been heavily in credit with them, ie they owe me money.
They have just informed me they now want to DOUBLE my direct debit to cover for the increase in fuel wich means I will be even more in credit.........but who the **** is making the interest on it?
.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
Ian, I reached a similar situation a few years back with BG, but before I could take action they sent me a credit payment into my bank account. Maybe they've changed their rules.
Guest 694- Registered: 22 Mar 2010
- Posts: 778
i try to stay in credit by paying the same amount all year, and then when i dont use anything in the summer it should balance itself out...
good theory... alas with the recent hard winter my fuel bill is just insane.. damn victoria rooms!! Great in the summer.. not soo great to heat!!
Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,036
I got my bill from British Gas last week and despite being nearly £50 in credit they wanted to increase my monthly payments by 50% from £45 to £68. I rang them up and got no where with a rude lady in their customer service call centre. I admit that I got a little worked up and I said that years ago my £50 credit would have been refunded, her reply was "this isn't years ago Mr. Sheldon" . I put the phone down and called their complaints dept. and after a lot of waffle from another lady I managed to keep my payments the same. What a shower.
Like Sid says it might pay to shop around. I have looked at some comparison websites but cannot make up my mind as there is not much difference in them.
Guest 694- Registered: 22 Mar 2010
- Posts: 778
Alec.. play em off each other.. just saying.. well its cheaper with doo dah but i want to stay with you but your making it really difficult.. blah blah blah...
not of course that i do that with my bank at all..
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
waste of time alec, the bill rounds itself up over a period of time, just like the supermarkets that "compete" but the overall prices are fixed allegedly.
Oh well, we don`t mind getting ripped off year after year do we. After all, don`t forget how lucky we are to have those very nice Ofgem people looking out for us.
Where on earth would we be without them? err.....probably better off actually!
I note that the Ofgem mantra is ( now don`t laugh ) " Promoting choice and value ". I suppose it could be argued that we do in fact have a choice, of sorts, in which Company we wish to be fleeced by ( unless they mean the choice as to whether or not to actually switch the gas on etc? ) and perhaps they`re still working on the "value" side of things.
However, whilst I`m not too sure as to who funds this waste of space outfit, be it the good old taxpayer or the industry itself ( probably the former! ) I do note that it`s Staff and Admin. costs during the last financial period amount to in excess of £50 mill. There are also at least 35 mega paid head positions within this group.
If this outfit is not classed as a "quango" then it should be, and done away with asap. Any "regulating" can be done by clobbering "excess" profits through taxation.
I`m sure somebody will tell me if I`m missing something here!
Spot on John
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i am sure i read earlier in the week that ofgem are on the coalition hit list.
Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
I left BG just before they dropped the charges.
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
It's a strange situation where the utility companies can dictate in this way, same happens on the road digging up.
Although councils are supposed to make sure they are repaired and put back in a reasonable manner, hardly ever happens, and all hre utillity companies have to do is say its an emergency and can dig up what they want, without having to finish job!!!!!!!
total shambles me finks
Agreed Keith. Some of the recent repairs in Kearsney Avenue are already breaking up, so what price doing the job twice instead of once but properly? Some of the A2 not resurfaced recently is also beginning to pothole, so again, patchy repairs have only done half the job.
I recognise it comes down to money, so all the more reason to ensure the job is done properly.
I think with regard to utility company's digging up our roads, the entire DF cast will agree with you.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
We pay by having a card because my income now is not great, I pay most of our bills the same way,I am with Southern Electric wih GAS As well we pay £10 on each most weeks but you can pay what you like,but I find out with this way I never get a bill and they always owe me which goes onto the next bill so when the big one comes in over the winter it is all paid up ,we do the same with BT,Water,and the TV .if like me on a fix income, you might just find that better.
Good advice Vic.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Do you not pay a higher rate than if you paid by say D/D ?
Roger
