The BG click energy tariff is currently 'competitive' !!, because they are marketing it towards those who are inclined to switch/can switch. They will do this for a month or two then raise the price alarmingly having captured the gullible.

The least able to switch (no internet) will be lumbered with the incredible 35%/ 9% increases.

Why is it that we now have two or more increases per annum?

Why is it that these rates can change immediately,giving customers up to 8 weeks before they can switch supplier?

Why is it that EDF's french customers have their prices capped to inflation but us suckers pay whatever they demand?

Whatever profit Centrica make overall doesn't mean a dime to BG. Centrica aren't allowed to subsidise BG losses under the terms laid down when the monopoly was removed.

You would dispute the figures (despite the fact I've seen them with my own eyes and you would to if you bothered to look for them). And what's wrong with trading on their name? Name me a business that doesn't! If I thought I'd get something better elsewhere I'd switch in a heartbeat. But I've heard horror stories about every single one of the other companies numerous times. So why would I bother? If I don't have a problem with a company then it may well be worth staying loyal. At the end of the day the prices change that much that the cost is largely the same wherever you go.

But notice that the click energy tariffs are still the best. Have been for ages. So not that bad.

Ok I took the liberty of looking into some figures to balance the BG bashing- I am a loyal beast after all- and found that they were the only supplier to reduce the bills twice last year (15% in total) and that they are gaining 250,000 more customers a year than they lose which isn't bad going. They are nowhere near the bottom of the table of Energywatch complaints, indeed complaints are down 94% Apr07-Apr08.

I'D DISPUTE THE ABOVE FIGURES AS NOT ALL COMPLAINTS ARE MADE TO ENERGY WATCH,ID SERIOUSLY DISPUTE THE CUSTOMER FIGURES ASWELL GIVEN AT LEAST 2 MILLION HAVE LEFT THEM OVER LAST 2 YEARS.

And if you're on the internet tarriffs you aren't paying any premium at all! It's still the cheapest option in the majority of areas.

British gas overall are THE DEAREST IN THE COUNTRY...fact!!

I do agree some of the stories make me despair of them, but then the same could be said of all the companies. And not just energy ones- BT are horrendous,AGREE Sky drive me mad DONT AGREE and don't get me started on Virgin Trains.-----OR ANY TRAIN COMPANY FOR ME

But I've worked for BG, I've stayed with them for years as have most of the family and we don't see the problem. The alternatives are not worth the hassle either.

Translates as i cant be bothered changing whatever the saving.

I hope they succeed in suing the makers of the new billing system. It was indeed a nightmare at the start when they got rid of the old one!

2 hopes bop hope and no hope...they should have ran more trials on it.

Facts are british gas trade on their name far to much they are not even british owned anymore,centrica made just short of a £billion profit last year at a time where customers are struggling you would think these profits would go towards price cuts or at least a price freeze.

loonytooner:

But I've worked for BG, I've stayed with them for years as have most of the family and we don't see the problem. The alternatives are not worth the hassle either.

Says it all. As if it wasn't obvious.Good pension benefits.

Ok I took the liberty of looking into some figures to balance the BG bashing- I am a loyal beast after all- and found that they were the only supplier to reduce the bills twice last year (15% in total) and that they are gaining 250,000 more customers a year than they lose which isn't bad going. They are nowhere near the bottom of the table of Energywatch complaints, indeed complaints are down 94% Apr07-Apr08. And if you're on the internet tarriffs you aren't paying any premium at all! It's still the cheapest option in the majority of areas.

I do agree some of the stories make me despair of them, but then the same could be said of all the companies. And not just energy ones- BT are horrendous, Sky drive me mad and don't get me started on Virgin Trains. But I've worked for BG, I've stayed with them for years as have most of the family and we don't see the problem. The alternatives are not worth the hassle either.

I hope they succeed in suing the makers of the new billing system. It was indeed a nightmare at the start when they got rid of the old one!

Hi Loony,

Not even BG could raise prices by more than 50% in any one year.

Over 10 years BG have been consistently the highest price supplier only getting into line with the market over the last 18 months after the mass exodus of customers. Over 2m customers lost I recall. The exodus was based on price and appalling customer service. Not my judgment but that of Ofgem, Energywatch, Watchdog and other customer representative bodies. You must have lived in a complete vacuum not to have read the horror stories and their MD even publically apologised and blamed the new billing system.

You will have payed a significant premium to have been a customer. Really the supply of energy and billing is such a simple straightforward task.What should go wrong? You are singing their praises for something which is automated.

Interestingly,the wholesale price of gas plummetted the day before their astonishing announcement. It's better to book into some profit before it drops back even further so we can fleece our customers over the winter period.Betcha they don't reduce the price if it falls back further.

I would think that judging by the headlines and 40% rises mooted about a 9% increase for electricity only customers isn't bad at all and I'm sure that EDF customers who are facing 17% electric rises would agree. And what I meant by the timescale is that there will no further increases. So no nasty Christmas surprises.

I fail to see why you think BG alone are robbing ***? All companies are equally culpable. I've been a BG customer for over 10 years and have never had any problems with them and nor have anyone else I've spoken to. And we were all happy when they cut prices so fair's fair.

The gist is that gas supplies are running out and we have to trust that these people can come up with something to replace it when it runs out completely. May not be in my lifetime but it will affect my children's generation. To invest in the future costs money. I don't think that's being unreasonable.

loonytooner:

Everybody raised their prices in January, so I'm not with you. And I never said it wasn't classed as a hike either. I just said that it's fairer if those who don't use gas don't get penalised for the increased amount it costs to buy the stuff.

You said 'BG have announced that this will be the only increase this year'. It's simply not correct as you have now clarified yourself in your most recent post !! This is the second increase.Whether other suppliers increased earlier doesn't affect the statement.

I may have misread the tone of your second statement ,it looked as if you were implying 9% was a good deal. Sort of singing BG's praises when they clearly are a load of robbing b*********.

Everybody raised their prices in January, so I'm not with you. And I never said it wasn't classed as a hike either. I just said that it's fairer if those who don't use gas don't get penalised for the increased amount it costs to buy the stuff.

looks my easy prediction that the big 6 will have raised prices by august is going to ring true.

slightly harder prediction is who;s next.

gonna be ethier npower or e.on.

wont matter if its e,on as ive every intention of swtiching to a duel fuel plan soon.

loonytooner:

BG have announced that this will be the only increase this year. Smart money reckons that the other suppliers are likely to further increase their tarriffs twice this year.

I suppose it costs more to produce gas and so it's not fair to penalise those who have all electric homes with price hikes when it's not necessary?

BG had already increased prices by a whopping 15% for gas and electricity on the 18/1/2008. Of course the others will follow suit, they are all in the same club. So 9% isn't even classed as price hike these days.Unbelievable.

BG have announced that this will be the only increase this year. Smart money reckons that the other suppliers are likely to further increase their tarriffs twice this year.

I suppose it costs more to produce gas and so it's not fair to penalise those who have all electric homes with price hikes when it's not necessary?

A problem I encountered is

switching from npower SOL6 circa £900 pa to BG capped or E-on capped is that the cost increases would be as follows according to UKPower ~ £200 but according to USwitch ~ £380 (similar for both BG - no longer available and Eon - still on line.

According to UKPower I should switch as £200 will be easilly swallowed by price rises but using £380 from Uswitch the choice is not so obvious.

I thought I was good with numbers but can someone 'in simple terms' explain how one supplier can raise gas prices by 22% and the other needs to raise it by 35%? For electricity the relative figures are 17% and now 9%. If 22% wasn't taking the p***, we now have 35%........you just can't catch your breath. If these things are governed by oil prices/wholesale costs how can there be such an incredibly wide discrepancy?

Only this Government, who meddle in the minute details of our private lives and erode freedoms on a daily basis,could sit back,do nothing and watch this amazing spectacle occur .

I have changed twice in the last 6 months.

Firstly I moved to BG as it was the cheapest at the time of applying. By the end of the week they had upped the prices. I waited until I got some cashback (about 3 months) and then changed again to E.On.

Now that the prices rises are going round I have today switched to their Capped tariff as its only a matter of time until E.On follow suit.

I would suggest that anyone not with BG or EDF switch to a capped tariff before your own suppliers increase prices.