Deflation news

[DimPrawn]

Gas bills to rise up to 30% before winter, warns Ofgem - Telegraph

Consumers are being officially warned they face price increases of up to 30 percent on their gas bills before next winter.


Time to put that weight back on I lost recently. I'll need the blubber.

[Troll]

Ofgem

What do we do?
About us

Ofgem is the Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets. Protecting consumers is our first priority. We do this by promoting competition, wherever appropriate, and regulating the monopoly companies which run the gas and electricity networks. The interests of gas and electricity consumers are their interests taken as a whole, including their interests in the reduction of greenhouse gases and in the security of the supply of gas and electricity to them.

Latest Consumer Bulletin

We are concerned that energy companies still have not done enough to make the market work on behalf of consumers. (surely that the point of regulation!)
Our key findings are:
Complex tariffs are reducing the effectiveness of consumer engagement with the energy
market.

60 per cent of consumers are disengaged from the energy market according to our
consumer research.

Lack of effective competition means that for the first time, there is evidence that suppliers
are putting up prices quicker in response to wholesale price rises than they are cutting them when
wholesale prices fall.

Shoot the regulators and replace with someone able to fulfil its remit...simples

[doodab]

Complex tariffs are reducing the effectiveness of consumer engagement with the energy
market.
60 per cent of consumers are disengaged from the energy market according to our
consumer research.

Maybe they have better things to do and don't want to be engaged with the energy market?

I know I don't. I want to set up a direct debit and forget about it.

[Troll]

Maybe they have better things to do and don't want to be engaged with the energy market?

I know I don't. I want to set up a direct debit and forget about it.

That's what they rely on - Banks, Insurance, Energy all expect you to just sign up and not change while they ramp up the costs year on year.
Their Buisiness Models are all based around offering big upfront discounts & then relying on customer inertia to stay - I have just switched from EDF to British Gas after 3 years. Shortly before the change over I got a call from EDF almost pleading with me to preserve our relationship & cancel the switch - then he started offering huge discounts to get me to stay (think this tactic is also used by Sky)

Told 'im to fook off and come up with better renewal offers rather than trying to win back customers who walk

And without any real regulation it's the only way to buy your energy/insurance etc

HTh

[doodab]

And without any real regulation it's the only way to buy your energy/insurance etc

HTh

Which is why we need some real regulation and not this "competitive free market" tulip. Regulators need to take into account that people will happily pay a bit extra not to have to deal with the all the crap their current approach entails.