Energy price increases

Stratavarious

chillidoggy said:

BBBlues said:

Haych said:

OK, so I have a question:

Avro have collapsed, they're no longer trading, but their direct debit payment is due in about a week.  

What do I do?  Let it go out or in good faith that it will be dealt with properly or cancel it and sideline the money for whoever fleeces me next?

Actually, now that I see the question in text the answer is almost automatic but I'll let it stand just in case........... shrugs.

https://twitter.com/i/events/1441308044009246720?s=21

For those of us without a Twitter account, what does it say? 

Summary of a Times news article. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/avro-energy-sent-money-to-firms-run-by-owners-x328n95qj

The company was unsound and was paying the family and relatives owner’s other companies, possibly illegally.  27yr old owner has done a bunk.

The customers were footing all the setup bills with their advances. It had no other financial foundation or investment to survive any upset. 

Kittyfrisk

Stratavarious said:

chillidoggy said:

BBBlues said:

Haych said:

OK, so I have a question:

Avro have collapsed, they're no longer trading, but their direct debit payment is due in about a week.  

What do I do?  Let it go out or in good faith that it will be dealt with properly or cancel it and sideline the money for whoever fleeces me next?

Actually, now that I see the question in text the answer is almost automatic but I'll let it stand just in case........... shrugs.

https://twitter.com/i/events/1441308044009246720?s=21

For those of us without a Twitter account, what does it say? 

Summary of a Times news article. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/avro-energy-sent-money-to-firms-run-by-owners-x328n95qj

The company was unsound and was paying the family and relatives owner’s other companies, possibly illegally.  27yr old owner has done a bunk.

The customers were footing all the setup bills with their advances. It had no other financial foundation or investment to survive any upset. 

All of which begs some rather severely pointed questions relating to Ofgem's role in vetting new companies & their fitness for purpose. Funny that... 
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-3978676/How-set-energy-firm-start-up.html

crunchman

This is one industry where full privatisation has been a bad idea.  It needs centralised planning.

If there was just one publically owned supplier, it would also get rid of this idiocy where you have to keep switching suppliers to get the best deal, and get rid of a lot of nuisance calls and spam emails.

Stratavarious

Kittyfrisk said:

Stratavarious said:

chillidoggy said:

BBBlues said:

Haych said:

OK, so I have a question:

Avro have collapsed, they're no longer trading, but their direct debit payment is due in about a week.  

What do I do?  Let it go out or in good faith that it will be dealt with properly or cancel it and sideline the money for whoever fleeces me next?

Actually, now that I see the question in text the answer is almost automatic but I'll let it stand just in case........... shrugs.

https://twitter.com/i/events/1441308044009246720?s=21

For those of us without a Twitter account, what does it say? 

Summary of a Times news article. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/avro-energy-sent-money-to-firms-run-by-owners-x328n95qj

The company was unsound and was paying the family and relatives owner’s other companies, possibly illegally.  27yr old owner has done a bunk.

The customers were footing all the setup bills with their advances. It had no other financial foundation or investment to survive any upset. 

All of which begs some rather severely pointed questions relating to Ofgem's role in vetting new companies & their fitness for purpose. Funny that... 
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-3978676/How-set-energy-firm-start-up.html

Deregulation is not really about benefitting consumers…  

Kittyfrisk

Stratavarious said:

Kittyfrisk said:

Stratavarious said:

chillidoggy said:

BBBlues said:

Haych said:

OK, so I have a question:

Avro have collapsed, they're no longer trading, but their direct debit payment is due in about a week.  

What do I do?  Let it go out or in good faith that it will be dealt with properly or cancel it and sideline the money for whoever fleeces me next?

Actually, now that I see the question in text the answer is almost automatic but I'll let it stand just in case........... shrugs.

https://twitter.com/i/events/1441308044009246720?s=21

For those of us without a Twitter account, what does it say? 

Summary of a Times news article. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/avro-energy-sent-money-to-firms-run-by-owners-x328n95qj

The company was unsound and was paying the family and relatives owner’s other companies, possibly illegally.  27yr old owner has done a bunk.

The customers were footing all the setup bills with their advances. It had no other financial foundation or investment to survive any upset. 

All of which begs some rather severely pointed questions relating to Ofgem's role in vetting new companies & their fitness for purpose. Funny that... 
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-3978676/How-set-energy-firm-start-up.html

Deregulation is not really about benefitting consumers…  

True & I never said it was, but Ofgem's mission statement says  "Ofgem is the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. Our role is to protect consumers by working to deliver a greener, fairer energy system."

Rather epic fail so far. All of which is moot given the present situation, but as with other 'regulators' they really are proving to be as effective as a chocolate teapot.

darius

crunchman said:

darius said:

Another Avro loser here. 

I had not paid much attention to the gas price headlines, but it’s got my attention now. Gas price has more than doubled on all the tariffs I’ve searched. Double whammy that with Work From Home heating. It’s going to be a massive £ hit this winter.
bolox.

I have a little electric oil filled radiator to heat the room I work in so I don't have to heat the whole house.

Given the £6 per week tax allowance for working from home, it shouldn't end up costing you money.

£6. Lol. You underestimate the size of my existing normal heating bill. Heating the house is not an optional extra.

chillidoggy

This from Avro -

“Avro Energy is ceasing to trade. Ofgem, the energy regulator, is appointing a new supplier for its customers.

Customers need not worry, their supplies are secure and domestic credit balances are protected.

Ofgem’s advice is not to switch, but to wait until they appoint a new supplier for you. This will help make sure that the process of handing customers over to a new supplier, and honouring domestic customers’ credit balances, is as hassle free as possible for customers. Support and advice is available on the Ofgem website for both domestic customers and non-domestic customers. Alternatively, if customers need additional support, they can call Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 or email them via their webform. Advice will also be shared on Ofgem’s twitter @ofgem and facebook channels.”

ICBM

And yet again, for ideological reasons the government will run away from the opportunity to renationalise the industry at almost zero cost by buying up bankrupt companies for a token amount, as they've done with several other failed privatisations.

chillidoggy

Why would it want to buy failed energy companies?

ICBM

chillidoggy said:

Why would it want to buy failed energy companies?

1. In order to protect the public from this sort of shit sandwich.

2. In order to generate revenue. Energy supply is profitable.

NB - other advanced Western economies, *including the USA*, operate their energy supplies largely by publicly-owned companies. This sort of direct-to-consumer privatisation is not only ludicrous, it's unique to the UK.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/23/uk-energy-suppliers-publicly-owned-crisis

Boromedic

Well we're paying for it all eventually as it will be government money that props it all up as the hens come home to roost.

They should renationalise it, just so the pigs can sell it off again later and make more money at our expense. The amount of waste is fuckin obscene in all areas, everyone has a dig at the NHS and it is absolutely wasteful. They are certainly far from the only ones, and we just have to accept it until we get to the ballot box again. It's actually not even funny any more how inept they all are. Nor how much money we spend allowing them to fritter it away on shite. 

Ludicrous, absolutely ludicrous

crunchman

darius said:

crunchman said:

darius said:

Another Avro loser here. 

I had not paid much attention to the gas price headlines, but it’s got my attention now. Gas price has more than doubled on all the tariffs I’ve searched. Double whammy that with Work From Home heating. It’s going to be a massive £ hit this winter.
bolox.

I have a little electric oil filled radiator to heat the room I work in so I don't have to heat the whole house.

Given the £6 per week tax allowance for working from home, it shouldn't end up costing you money.

£6. Lol. You underestimate the size of my existing normal heating bill. Heating the house is not an optional extra.

But you only heat the whole house when everyone is in.  You just heat the one room you work in during working hours.

darius

crunchman said:

darius said:

crunchman said:

darius said:

Another Avro loser here. 

I had not paid much attention to the gas price headlines, but it’s got my attention now. Gas price has more than doubled on all the tariffs I’ve searched. Double whammy that with Work From Home heating. It’s going to be a massive £ hit this winter.
bolox.

I have a little electric oil filled radiator to heat the room I work in so I don't have to heat the whole house.

Given the £6 per week tax allowance for working from home, it shouldn't end up costing you money.

£6. Lol. You underestimate the size of my existing normal heating bill. Heating the house is not an optional extra.

But you only heat the whole house when everyone is in.  You just heat the one room you work in during working hours.

Eh? No.

I heat the house when someone is in. And there's more than one of us WFH.

Don't you go to the kitchen?

chillidoggy

ICBM said:

chillidoggy said:

Why would it want to buy failed energy companies?

1. In order to protect the public from this sort of shit sandwich.

2. In order to generate revenue. Energy supply is profitable.

NB - other advanced Western economies, *including the USA*, operate their energy supplies largely by publicly-owned companies. This sort of direct-to-consumer privatisation is not only ludicrous, it's unique to the UK.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/23/uk-energy-suppliers-publicly-owned-crisis

Having experienced publicly-owned utilities, I can see the attraction, however I suspect we would see even larger increases in the cost to the consumer. As I said earlier, Ofgem needs a good kicking for failing to see what was coming.

siremoon

ICBM said:

And yet again, for ideological reasons the government will run away from the opportunity to renationalise the industry at almost zero cost by buying up bankrupt companies for a token amount, as they've done with several other failed privatisations.

"Several", really? 

Let's start with the railways.  Railtrack was done by a Labour Government, TfW was done by a Labour Welsh Government and ScotRail was done by an SNP Scottish Government.  Two of the English Train Operating Companies are operating under OLR contracts which is neither privatisation nor nationalisation being effectively a franchise awarded to an arms-length Government established company.  They still operate under the same legal and contractual arrangements as any other TOC.  The rest are still operated by a private companies, even those operating under the TfL banner, and will continue to be.  The only difference GBR will make is the moving of some operation responsibility from TOCs to NR.  The TOCs will continue to be contracted, independent and mainly privately owned entities.  Rolling stock will continue to be owned by private companies.  Freight will continue to be operated by private companies.  Not my definition of renationalisation.

So two by this Government, sort of.  Beyond that what?  Perhaps you could give us this list of "several" because I can't think of any.

TTBZ

Just had an email from Bulb saying my monthly payment is going up to £190, WTF! When we first moved in it was £85. Tried uSwitch but they're saying they can't give any offers and prices etc at the moment due to the current situation.

Danny1969

We are so soft these days. I grew up in a house without any heating other than a little gas fire in the front room. The house had single paned crittall windows so heat on the inside would soon pass through them. But we coped by wearing extra jumpers and shutting doors to preserve what little heat we had.
Now it seems we can't survive without every room in the house being heated. Fact is we need to stop being so entitled and need to stop burning gas so I don't mind it going up. 
No one needs a monthly price plan, just use what you use a quarter and then pay the bill. If the bill offends you then use less. 

Also it's rare to get any really savage winters these days. At least I remember them being colder with more ice about. 

chillidoggy

Gas fires? Luxury!

My dad used to suck an Extra Strong mint and breathe on us to keep us warm.

crunchman

Danny1969 said:

We are so soft these days. I grew up in a house without any heating other than a little gas fire in the front room. The house had single paned crittall windows so heat on the inside would soon pass through them. But we coped by wearing extra jumpers and shutting doors to preserve what little heat we had.
Now it seems we can't survive without every room in the house being heated. Fact is we need to stop being so entitled and need to stop burning gas so I don't mind it going up. 
No one needs a monthly price plan, just use what you use a quarter and then pay the bill. If the bill offends you then use less. 

Also it's rare to get any really savage winters these days. At least I remember them being colder with more ice about. 

I used to get ice on the inside of the windows in my bedroom growing up.

I don't want to go back to that, but the biggest thing we could do is for everyone to turn their thermostats down 2 degrees.  If I was in government, I would ban thermostats that go over 21C.

Reverend

Danny1969 said:

Well we had it tough. We used to have to get up out of the shoebox at twelve o'clock at night, and LICK the road clean with our tongues. We had half a handful of freezing cold gravel, worked twenty-four hours a day at the mill for fourpence every six years, and when we got home, our Dad would slice us in two with a bread knife.

Ah yes, a valid point.