£ 50 Cut In Energy Bills

[Bazile]

Will the equivalent a £4/month cut in energy bills , going to make any difference to those struggling to pay their energy costs

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25181676

[Svejk]

Will we actually get it? A few weeks ago Eon, only, increased it's prices c4% in anticipation of a reduction in 'green taxes'. It went on to say that if the reduction wasn't forthcoming they'd increase their prices further to bring them into line with the 10% increases of other providers.
I thought at the time, hello, they seem to be putting in an early bid to keep any tax reduction for themselves.
£50 represents 20% of my electric bill & 50% of my gas bill. So I, for one, hope its returned directly to, us, the consumers.

[gingejbee]

I don't regard the fact that bills will increase by £50 less than they would otherwise have done, as a "cut"!

[Svejk]

Those percentages were based on pre-standing charge bills. I've only just had them 'foisted' on me so haven't taken them into account. (If you see what I mean, lol.)

[Bazile]

//£50 represents 20% of my electric bill & 50% of my gas bill. So I, for one, hope its returned directly to, us, the consumers. //

Crikey Svejk - your gas bill is £ 100 per year - are you tapped into next doors gas supply ?

[Svejk]

To be honest, Baz, I've only had gas/gas heating since mid jan. so its early days re working out costs. From Jan to Sept I used £60. Obviously I'd need more time to get an accurate 'handle' on things.

[bazwillrun]

I said as good in another post

The vast majority of people will not notice it in a real way
bills differ from period to period so how are they going to compare any savings

If they gave a £50 note to everybody then theyll notice it ..but its not going to be done like that or that amount.

some people may get up to £50 and its based on "average" housholds

[tamborine]

If the Gov removed VAT on service bills, that would be a great help

[mikey4444]

The main reason that we are all paying such high prices for our energy is because the Tories privatised the Gas and Electricity Boards. We were promised that privatisation would mean more competition and therefore cheaper prices. But the net result is an overwhelmingly complicated supply system, that nobody really understands, with a range of tariffs that people understand even less. Match that with dozens of overpaid Men in Suits and its not surprising that we are where we are.

Its even worse when it comes to the supply of water, where the bl00dy stuff comes from the same reservoirs, through the same pipes, as it did 3 years ago but now costs us 3-4 times as much.

Tell Sid ? I'd would throttle the bugger if I could get hold of him !

[Bazile]

mikey //Tell Sid ? I'd would throttle the bugger if I could get hold of him ! //

Sid's now an ex-pat , enjoying retirement in sunnier climes - probably living next door to sqad .

[factor-fiction]

Those who don't want it can always donate it to charity. It's a signal. A step in the right direction. It's far better than another increase

[factor-fiction]

>Its even worse when it comes to the supply of water, where the bl00dy stuff comes from the same reservoirs, through the same pipes, as it did 3 years ago but now costs us 3-4 times as much.

Surely that's, erm, hyperbole, mikey. Prices have gone up by more than RPI, and better controls are needed, but they have gone up by less than 25% in 3-4 years. That's too much I know, but it's a long way short of being 3-4 times as much!

Actually after several big increases we switched to a meter, look after our water usage, and our bills have halved compared to 3 years ago

[mikey4444]

FF...yes, probably guilty of a bit of exaggeration but my points still stands.

We were sold a pup when it came to privatisation. Everything we were promised y Thatcher and Major never came true. I can remember people boasting in work about how much money that they made when they sold their 200 shares, in Gas and Electricity but all that short-tern gain was for nothing.

The bl00dy Tories have done it again, with Royal Mail this time. Us Brits never seem to learn our lessons do we ?

[Svejk]

If you read any of the nonsense the energy firms send us, you'll know that they claim the £100 standing charge goes toward green taxes, enviromental initiatives? and paying bills for 'some' people that don't pay them. What I'm saying is this £50 should come directly from the standing charge. Ergo, every customer will be £50 better off. If left to the energy companies they will, like Eon have already suggested, claim to have taken it into account when deciding their next price rise.
Also, this rewards low use customers as opposed to an, allegedly, lower tariff which rewards high users.

[Svejk]

Incidentally Baz, if I remember right, Buenchico's annual bill for gas was £30 :) before they introduced statuary standing charges of £100. :(

[factor-fiction]

Suppliers have to offer a standing charge option now. Previously some used dual rate system (e.g. first X units at say 20p a unit, subsequent units at 10p) instead of setting a standing charge, but for almost everyone the effect wa sthe same.
You can still opt for other deals.
I understand the logic of a standing charge but maybe all suppliers should be forced to have the same standing charge (or no standing charge) so we can then compare them just on their unit charges.