Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

Without going to google, just off the top of my head, I believe that natural gas "sits" on top of the oil .... back in the old days (my youth:mad:) they used to burn the gas off before pumping the oil. Nowadays the gas is piped off and is used to heat homes etc. Like oil,it is a non-renewable resource. Fortunately, in Canada, we have lots of it.:theband: and we export to the US.

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

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Thats the stuff i use in my car. :D

They still burn off about 70% as we don't have a use for it all

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

I hear a few people suggesting windfall taxes or higher taxes for energy companies. Obama wants to do it in the US.

It might be popular with the public, to attack those nasty rich shareholders and energy companies, but its the public who get hit in the long run. Energy companies already get taxed a massive amount. To increase supply, to meet demand, and lower prices, energy companies have to drill for more oil. Currently fields are only around 10/20% used and it costs a fortune to drill further. It is often a very, very risky investment to search for oil and dig in new places. These places often don't give a return on the investment.

If we windfall tax these companies, who exactly is going to have the money to search for new supply or spend more drilling deeper? Supply will drop, and prices will increase. The taxed money will only be wasted by our government anyway. Who loses out?

For those who are going to suggest nationalisation. That's where the problem lies, 90% of oil produced is by nationalised companies bumping up prices through inefficiency and bureaucracy.

We need to start looking more seriously at lowering our energy consumption, as this problem is not going to go away. Perhaps with government nudging through massive reductions in taxation on energy saving goods.

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

Try telling that to old aged pensioners and poor families who already suffer in winter because they have to almost freeze before they turn the heating on... I don't believe in any windfall taxes.. but I do believe that a buy back..or even a forced nationalisation of basic public services would be good, but is there a political party that has the guts to do it?

When these sevices..water, electricity, gas were sold off to all comers..the big lie was that they would be owned by the public..or was it "Sid".. it amounted to selling the public something they already owned!...I agree that we have no choice left but nuclear power.. but we still had/have enough coal to last for decades but the then Tory Government felt the best way forward was to shut down the mines..not for care of global warming, but because they wanted to smash the communities they saw as "militant"

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

And as usual you are right.What we really need is a government That works out what we need.dresses us all the same and shoots people that want to improve themselves.Then and only then can they go out and buy Football Clubs.We Are All Equal!!!!OK:jimbo:

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

[quote Andrewb]We need to start looking more seriously at lowering our energy consumption[/quote] Do you honestly think that people have any other choice in the matter? It is not up to us to lower anything to be comfortable but we will have no say when winter really kicks in!!! I only hope that you have no relatives who can't afford to keep warm this winter:mad:

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

Do you honestly think that people have any other choice in the matter? It is not up to us to lower anything to be comfortable but we will have no say when winter really kicks in!!! I only hope that you have no relatives who can't afford to keep warm this winter:mad:[/quote]

I seem to remember in the 60's we all had stickers next to the light switches - saying TURN IT OFF SAVE ELECTRIC

Swiftly followed by a massive rise in electric bills because they were loosing money.
God am I that Old:gooddog:

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

We don't NEED to reduce consumption, we just need to find alternative sources. There is enough kinetic energy in this world to power us humans many times over, its extracting it in an acceptable way that is the issue.

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

No need for that comment at all.:mad:

Of course it is up to people to lower their energy consumption. Who else is it up to?

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

agree completely,just can't be bothered arguing with "BAMBER":rolleyes:

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

Haha :D Hamster wheels ;)

In terms of alternative fuel we need to go down the Nuclear route in my opinion. In the meantime consume less.

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

Consume less the price goes up to cover the returns to the shareholders.

Consume more the price goes up to make you consume less.
The term short and curlys comes to mind.

However a nice man from the Gas board has sent me a letter telling me that my gas will remain the same till April 2009.:tongueout

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

Youre not far off actually, think excercise bike type wheels that you sit on your settee and pedal, add a generator and you can exercise whilst powering the TV :D just think of the obese kids, instant exercise for their playstation time, don't pedal fast enough and it goes off :D

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

BBC NEWS | Politics | Tories plan energy discount card

Plans to give people without bank accounts the same discounts people with direct debits have. Could save the poorest members of society around £100 a year.

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

I've just got one from British Gas saying that my prices are frozen until 2011 Beni:tongueout

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

But is that frozen at the price after the rise.....or before....?

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

This adds to the confusion, as British Gas's 'frozen until 2011 deal' which is on at the moment is actually at a higher rate than the current prices!!!

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

Just got a letter this morning from British gas to say because i get my gas and electric from them i will get a 15 pound discount at winter!
I'm sure that will make all the difference lol!

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

I'm with BG for both Loz, think I'll sit behind the door waiting for the postman to arrive, I'm so excited, I nearly passed mi fags round:D

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

If you are with British Gas and are on benefits you can sign up for the Essentials Terriff which means no price increase untill April 2009. I have done it myself. Check out the BG website for more info.

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

No matter who your supplier is, the cheapest tariffs they offer seem to be available to users who do ALL these-
1- pay by direct debit
2- provide their meter readings on line when asked to (by email)
3- get both gas & electric from one supplier (dual fuel)
4- have on line bills (no paper bills)

These type of tariff (online tariffs) cut down admin costs of the supplier, because the system is computer automated.

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

But then they swear they have not recieved your readings, which they also do if THIER meter reader reads it! Mmmm!

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

Did you know that British Gas charges different prices to where you live? Live in the Norweb area and you pay more than Manweb area?

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

That might happen to phone reported readings, when a person has to listen to a tape.
I have had no problem with entering a reading on the website MyAccount page, and get a thank you email for doing it (which reassures that it has been recorded)

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

They call and read my meter every quarter, I know that it isn't possible for a lot of people, but its seldom I'm out during the day, not by choice

Re: Ouch ! 35% price hike from British Gas
 

They come and read ours too but we are usually out,maybe its time to set it up online!