February 10, 2008

British Gas increases energy tariff by 18.58%

From a position of being one of the cheapest online tariffs in the UK up until the 8th January, Click Energy from British Gas has decided to cease selling Click Energy 4 and introduce Click Energy 5.

February 02, 2008

Who is the cheapest energy supplier in the UK?

There appears to be a constant quest to discover who the cheapest energy supplier in the UK, however this is something that is completely impossible to convey with a single table. Energywatch, the domestic electricity and gas watchdog were some years ago encouraged by the Advertising Standards Authority to come up with a profile of the standard customer.

When these figures were produced, some six years ago, they relied on what was publicly available information at the time and came up with the consumption figures 20,500 kWhs for gas and 3,300 kWhs for electricity and today in every table we see, including that noted below, these figures are quoted.

The truth is the average domestic consumer uses nothing like these figures so when we read that such and such supplier is cheapest in a particular area it is always based on an energy profile that simply does not exist.

January 16, 2008

EDF Energy increases gas and electricity prices

EDF Energy has today announced a price increase applicable to residential customers effective from 18th January 2008.

The increases are 12.9% for gas and 7.9% for electricity. EDF Energy are the second major energy supplier to introduce a double digit price increase in domestic energy during 2008.

Like npower, EDF Energy has noted increased wholesale energy costs and increased distribution costs as being the main reason for these price increases

December 04, 2007

British Gas reviews its Market Tracker energy tariff

In line with the rules surrounding this tariff, British Gas has announced an increase at its first quarterly review of its Market Tracker tariff.

The increase averages 15.03% on gas and 15.21% on electricity across all fourteen UK distribution areas**.

With British Gas Market Tracker, prices are tracked against wholesale prices from 1st September 2007 until 31st August 2008. Prices are set at the beginning of each quarter on the following dates: 4th December 2007, 4th March 2008 and 3rd June 2008. The prices are then fixed for the remainder of that quarter.

December 03, 2007

Who is the cheapest energy supplier?

The most sought after position in the UK domestic energy market is now being dominated by the relatively new player, Spark Energy.

Up until recently British Gas held the mantle of being the cheapest dual fuel energy supplier for a standard domestic customer, paying by monthly direct debit with an online account.

E.ON, the new name for Powergen

From now on it's E.ON. As of December Powergen became E.ON, one of the worlds largest investor owned energy companies, who is committed to changing energy for the better. That means they want to change where we get our energy from, how E.ON gets it to you and helping us to use it more efficiently.

In the UK, E.ON's generation business produces enough electricity to cater for the needs of around eight million homes. E.ON is one of the leading green generators, with 21 wind farms located from Cornwall to Northern Ireland and have recently finished building the UK's largest dedicated biomass power station at Lockerbie.

November 12, 2007

Better plan launched by Scottish and Southern Energy

Scottish and Southern Energy have launched a new energy tariff called better plan and here is what they have got to say about it.

Our world is getting warmer. But that doesn't mean the 'British weather' will be better. Instead, the outlook for the whole world is worrying. Globally, hurricanes have doubled in the past 30 years. Floods, droughts, and severe storms are becoming all too common.

Scientists agree that the carbon we all produce is a major cause of global warming. The energy you use at home is a big part of your 'carbon footprint' so using less energy is key to tackling this important global issue.

October 01, 2007

British Gas launch Click Energy 4

British Gas has today, 1st October 2007, launched a new energy tariff named Click Energy 4. This is an online tariff where consumers will manage their account online.

Click Energy 4 currently holds the number 1 position across the UK for combined gas and electricity (dual fuel) at what is classed as a standard domestic consumer paying by monthly direct debit.

September 03, 2007

Utilita, first to launch a twelve month domestic energy contract

Utilita, the gas and electricity supplier who re-launched in the domestic energy market after a fourteen month break in February 2007 are the first supplier to take advantage of the recent OFGEM decision to allow domestic energy customers to be offered a 12 month contract, thereby ending of what is known as the 28 day rule.

The 28 day rule required domestic suppliers to offer contracts that could be terminated on 28 days notice. This was originally put in place to prevent existing suppliers signing up customers on long-term contracts to restrict competition from new suppliers.

From a supplier viewpoint this will allow suppliers to develop innovative energy saving products which should ultimately help the consumer reduce their energy bills. Typical savings of some energy efficiency measures can be found in the table below.

However, from a consumer viewpoint there is a concern that these type of contracts will be sold to consumers who are not fully aware that they are tied into a long term contract.

June 14, 2007

British Gas price tweak

British Gas has today reviewed the prices of its standard electricity in two regions of the UK, ScottishPower and Manweb.

The reduction only applies to the standard electricity tariff from British Gas and equates to a 1.2% reduction in the ScottishPower area and 1.49% reduction in the Manweb area.

British Gas has advised that this is not indicative of more price cuts and is simply their response to ensure that their standard tariffs are competitive across the whole of the UK.

June 06, 2007

Online Energy Saver 4 launched by ScottishPower

ScottishPower has today, 6th June 2007, launched a new tariff to be known as Online Energy Saver 4.

This is a replacement to Online Energy Saver 3 which ScottishPower closed for new applications today.

Online Energy Saver 4 provides the customer with:

The ability to manage your account online

A dedicated online contact centre

No exit fees should you subsequently decide to leave the tariff

No standing charges,so you only pay for the energy you use

Online Energy Saver 4 is available to dual fuel customers only. (Dual fuel is where you take both gas and electricity from the same supplier).

May 31, 2007

British Gas launch Click Energy 3

British Gas has today, 31st May 2007, closed applications to its Click Energy 2 tariff. The good news for consumers is that the tariff has been replaced with Click Energy 3, with prices remaining identical to the tariff removed.

Click Energy 3 is available to both new and existing British Gas customers.

As an online product Click Energy 3 is only available to sign up over the internet.

There are tie in periods nor cancellation fees for customers who select the tariff and later decide that they wish to transfer to another energy supplier or tariff.

April 26, 2007

Powergen honour Price Guarantee Tariffs

Powergen has today immediately responded to the reduction in standard prices announced by British Gas by reducing their tariffs within their suite of tariffs known as Price Guarantee.

Under the Price Guarantee suite of tariffs - which includes EnergyGaurantee and ElectricityGaurantee - Powergen provide the comfort that customers are guaranteed a price which will be lower than British Gas standard quarterly billed account until 1 September 2008.

British Gas follows Telecom Plus and announces a price cut

British Gas today, 26th April 2007, announced a further cut to its standard electricity and gas rates for domestic customers with immediate effect. This follows Telecom Plus, another gas and electricity supplier who announced price cuts across their tariffs yesterday.

British gas has announced a headline grabbing reduction of 6 per cent on electricity prices and gas prices by 3 per cent - this applies to their standard tariffs for customers paying by monthly direct debit or quarterly credit.

April 19, 2007

PriceFall launched by ScottishPower

ScottishPower has launched an exciting new energy tariff that is available immediately to dual fuel (gas and electricity) and electricity only customers.

The tariff called PriceFall is effectively a capped price tariff where the customer 's energy bills are guaranteed not to increase until at least November 2008.

British Gas launches new green business

British Gas today, 19 April 2007, announced the launch of a new business which will lead the company's drive to offer green, low carbon products and services to customers who want to manage their impact on climate change.

The business, British Gas New Energy, will compete in a rapidly growing market, advising customers on how to make their homes and businesses greener and supplying products and services to facilitate this. Gearoid Lane, previously Centrica's director of energy procurement, has been appointed managing director of the new business.

The new business will leverage the green position already established by British Gas's customer facing businesses. British Gas Residential has the lowest carbon intensity of any major UK energy supplier as can be viewed at www.fuelmix.co.uk

March 02, 2007

British Gas reduce Click Energy 2 prices further

At 0843am today, 2nd March, British Gas reduced its electricity prices on its Click Energy 2 tariff even further.

This places British Gas in the enviable position of being the cheapest online supplier across the whole of the UK when you look at a standard domestic energy customer paying by monthly direct debit.

Over the last few weeks we have seen the domestic energy market almost reduce on a daily basis.

Energylinx has these new prices loaded into its systems now and would encourage all domestic energy customers to carry out a free impartial comparison to ensure that they do have the very best deal available to them.

February 12, 2007

Green Energy UK reduce electricity prices

Green Energy UK has today announced a price reduction in its two tariffs Green Energy +10 and Green Energy 100.

green energy +10

green energy +10 delivers 10 percentage points more green electricity than the statutory requirements (for 2007 this will be 17%)

green energy 100

green energy 100 is 100% pure green electricity - available at a small premium over your regional electricity supplier.

February 08, 2007

British Gas reduces domestic energy prices

British Gas has made a very welcome announcement today in that they are going to reduce the costs of gas by 17% and electricity by 11%.

With wholesale gas prices radically reducing over the last few months suppliers such as British Gas have come under pressure to pass on these reductions to their customer base.

We welcome this move and have carried out some additional analysis to allow you to see the overall effect of these reductions:

January 31, 2007

Scottish and Southern Energy to reduce energy bills

Scottish and Southern Energy, the energy supplier who supplies via the brands Southern Electric, SWALEC, Scottish Hydro Electric and Atlantic Electric and Gas has announced to today that it has written to its seven million domestic customers to confirm that it will cut gas and electricity prices within the next few months.

During the three years of rising wholesale energy prices, like many suppliers Scottish and Southern Energy has passed on to its customers much less than the full extent of the increases and further Scottish and Southern Energy has also delayed any price rises for as long as possible.

The last increase was announced in September 2006 and took effect for existing customers on the 1st January 2007 so this planned reduction will be welcome to those who have just experienced the effect of that increase.

January 19, 2007

LLoyds TSB energy customers face increase in their energy bills

80,000 domestic energy customers of Lloyds TSB will see their energy bill increase suddenly as a result of the decision by Lloyds TSB to drop its Ideal from Lloyds service.

Launched in a blaze of publicity back in July 2003, the plan was to supply cheaper gas, electricity and phone services to the bank's customers.

Lloyds TSB teamed up with ScottishPower and Cable & Wireless, promising savings of more than £100 a year.

But due to the ever increasing cost of energy the deals started to become unstuck last year and the bank has apparently spent months negotiating a way out of its commitments.