Gas price

[Pastis]

Years ago when I bought my home I had to admit the lack of town gas was a bit of a negative. It was never connected a hundred plus years ago when built and the cost of connection when redeveloped twelve years ago was considered too expensive. How things can change, eh?

35% increase!    I now reckon I'm quite fortunate not to have to find the extra dosh for that utility. How are you lot coping?

I also have this notion that gas is a finite resource ~ we only have 13 days capacity to hold reserves, and that soon we'll have to buy it elsewhere. The leccy on the other hand is generated... 

[Snoopy]

This village has no gas supply either. We use Electricity for light/cooking and the pump on central heating which is oil fired BUT we also have two rooms with fireplaces and an endless supply of logs. OK logs cost a few quid but timber is a renewable source of heating and produces remarkably little polution.

[Pastis]

I think the chimbleys in this place went when the incendiary bomb put paid to the ornate roof    Therefore no fireplaces. A friend of mine on the other side of the park however seems to getting good supplies of timber from the parkies 

[Darwins Selection]

Woodburning stove and Aga.
Lifetime supply of free wood.
Planned windmill for electricity.
What's the problem?

[Snoopy]

'Cactly.








Tho' by a strange quirk of fate I have just switched to British Gas for our leccy supply because they were the cheapest on offer. I may reconsider 

[Grumpmeister]

I notice that Centrica have posted record earnings the day after they announced the British Gas price hike. 

[Pastis]

I note there are a few who won't have a problem with that price hike...

Jake Ulrich, the Centrica executive who famously advised customers to wear a second jumper and turn down the heating if they are struggling to pay bills, is in line to receive total dividend payments of £116,000 on his shareholdings...

British Gas's managing director Phil Bentley, who was on TV news bulletins telling Britons to do something about energy waste, is to pick up dividend cheques for £84,500 - supplementing his annual pay of £1.1 million.

Meanwhile, Centrica's £1.8 million-a-year chief executive, old Etonian Sam Laidlaw, will receive payouts worth £46,000. He sought to justify the increase by saying that the company had to reflect shareholder interests as well as customers.

Ok, if I was a British Gas shareholder there'd be a nice little divi in the offing, but I fail to see how this strategy "reflects the customers' interests"   

[Snoopy]

The means of heating and lighting our homes and the provision of fresh drinking water should never ever have been taken out of public control for the sake of a few pounds in the Exchequer. The sooner power, gas, water and for that matter the railways are renationalised the better.

[Pastis]

Agreed. I just happened to catch Carol Thatcher (who, incidentally, is quite odious) on TV commenting on the 100th birthday of the pension system.

A laudable notion saving countless thousands from the indignity of the workhouse, now sadly neglected. With the population of this country averaging over 50 in another 20 / 30 years... well, pear shaped doesn't begin to describe it 

[Barman]

Agreed. I just happened to catch Carol Thatcher (who, incidentally, is quite odious) on TV commenting on the 100th birthday of the pension system.

A laudable notion saving countless thousands from the indignity of the workhouse, now sadly neglected. With the population of this country averaging over 50 in another 20 / 30 years... well, pear shaped doesn't begin to describe it 

But it does describe Carol Thatcher... 

[Darwins Selection]

Agreed. I just happened to catch Carol Thatcher (who, incidentally, is quite odious) on TV commenting on the 100th birthday of the pension system.

A laudable notion saving countless thousands from the indignity of the workhouse, now sadly neglected. With the population of this country averaging over 50 in another 20 / 30 years... well, pear shaped doesn't begin to describe it 

But it does describe Carol Thatcher... 

[Grumpmeister]

Ok, getting back on topic hang on to your hats folks. I can guarrantee blood boiling like never before. Having hiked gas prices by over 30% British Gas then justifies a £250k 'social event' including champagne, an open bar and entertainment by Jimmy Carr to 'teach its staff how to justify the price hike' 

LONDON (Reuters) - British Gas-owner Centrica has issued an apology after a social event, meant to brief staff on how to explain its 35 percent price rise to irate customers, ended in a drunken brawl.

The Sun newspaper reported almost 1,000 Centrica employees were entertained at Wednesday's 250,000-pound event by comedian Jimmy Carr who joked: "I've put up my fee by 35 percent just like you".

The night started with a champagne reception followed by a four-course meal, one manager told the Sun on Friday.

"On each table was a bucket filled with bottles of Budweiser lager and red and white wine. There was a also a free bar. Back at some of the hotels there were punch-ups because everyone got so drunk," the manager said.

The 35 percent hike was Centrica's second price rise this year and British Gas Managing Director Phil Bentley, as part of the apology, said the briefing in Birmingham had been organised to prepare staff for Thursday's announcement of the increase.

"At such a difficult time for our customers, we need our staff to understand why energy prices are rising and what support is available to help our customers cope," said Bentley in a statement.

"However, we're deeply disappointed with the behaviour of a few individuals who let us and our customers down after the briefing ended, for which we sincerely apologise."

Centrica said it had been "absolutely necessary" to raise household gas prices as first half operating profit fell nearly 20 percent to 992 million pounds.

Recent sharp increases in fuel bills, together with large profits announced by energy companies, have fuelled calls for a windfall tax on their earnings.