Rigger
Moderator
Is now the time to Re Nationalise the energy suppliers for our Gas and Electricity?
Or run them as non profit making organisations?
Back in 1986 we were promised a market where competition and diverse suppliers would result in cheaper gas and electricity with more investment for the future.
Prices are at an all time high and if nothing is done will continue to rise. The “big six” are talking about investment needed of £200bn in the next few years to be added to our bills. What happened to the ethos of investing profits back into a business…and make no mistake they are making ££ BILLIONS ££
Of the big six companies only two are UK owned
Centrica and Scottish and Southern Energy
German owned E.on and RWE N Power
French owned EDF
Spanish owned (Iberdrola) Scottish Power
They have between them over 4,000 tariffs, and their charges and billing systems are designed to be as complicated as possible to confuse us the customer.
There should be one peak charge and one off peak charge per Kwh applied across the whole of the UK for domestic users
When challenged on prices they always say it is the wholesale prices that are driving up charges, I agree. What they do not admit is that they (big six) control the wholesale prices through other companies in their groups and in effect are“selling” and “buying” to themselves.
There is NO competition between them, why compete on a monopoly.
Our so called Government are not interested in our old folk suffering from hyperthermia for fear of the bills. Or families being driven into debt by the tactics of these greedy scum that are only concerned with their share price and year end bonus.”Our Government” are making £billions a year from corporate Taxes and the ever present VAT we have to pay.
From Privatisation to Transco (part of BG plc)
On 24 August 1986, the privatisation process started when the assets of the British Gas Corporation were transferred to British Gas plc, then owned entirely by the Government. In November 1986, shares in British Gas plc were offered for sale on the stockmarket and trading in British Gas shares commenced on 8th December 1986. During the 1989/90 financial year British Gas plc re-organised into three separate business units - Gas Business in Great Britain, Exploration and Production and Global Gas. By 1991 the 12 regions had been re-organised into 91 districts covering the whole of Britain. The Gas Business in Great Britain underwent further restructuring in 1994 when five Business Units were established :-
· Transco, responsible for transporting and storage of gas;
· Public Gas Supply, the domestic market;
· Business Gas, for supplies over 2,500 therms p.a.;
· Service ; and
· Retail;
E&P and Global continued to operate in international markets. British Gas plc made a number of organisational changes during the early 1990‘s as the industry prepared for increased competition. On 17 February, 1997, British Gas plc demerged into two separate listed companies ; BG plc and Centrica plc.
British Gas‘s transportation and storage business (Transco) and the Exploration and Production (excl. North and South Morecambe gas fields), International Downstream, Research & Technology and Properties business's remained with BG plc. Further internal restructuring in 1999 led to the formation of BG Group with subsidiaries BG Energy Holdings Ltd, BG Transco plc and others.
British Gas‘s Gas Sales and Gas Trading, Services and Retail businesses, together with the gas production business of the North and South Morecambe gas fields were transferred to Centrica.
Or run them as non profit making organisations?
Back in 1986 we were promised a market where competition and diverse suppliers would result in cheaper gas and electricity with more investment for the future.
Prices are at an all time high and if nothing is done will continue to rise. The “big six” are talking about investment needed of £200bn in the next few years to be added to our bills. What happened to the ethos of investing profits back into a business…and make no mistake they are making ££ BILLIONS ££
Of the big six companies only two are UK owned
Centrica and Scottish and Southern Energy
German owned E.on and RWE N Power
French owned EDF
Spanish owned (Iberdrola) Scottish Power
They have between them over 4,000 tariffs, and their charges and billing systems are designed to be as complicated as possible to confuse us the customer.
There should be one peak charge and one off peak charge per Kwh applied across the whole of the UK for domestic users
When challenged on prices they always say it is the wholesale prices that are driving up charges, I agree. What they do not admit is that they (big six) control the wholesale prices through other companies in their groups and in effect are“selling” and “buying” to themselves.
There is NO competition between them, why compete on a monopoly.
Our so called Government are not interested in our old folk suffering from hyperthermia for fear of the bills. Or families being driven into debt by the tactics of these greedy scum that are only concerned with their share price and year end bonus.”Our Government” are making £billions a year from corporate Taxes and the ever present VAT we have to pay.
From Privatisation to Transco (part of BG plc)
On 24 August 1986, the privatisation process started when the assets of the British Gas Corporation were transferred to British Gas plc, then owned entirely by the Government. In November 1986, shares in British Gas plc were offered for sale on the stockmarket and trading in British Gas shares commenced on 8th December 1986. During the 1989/90 financial year British Gas plc re-organised into three separate business units - Gas Business in Great Britain, Exploration and Production and Global Gas. By 1991 the 12 regions had been re-organised into 91 districts covering the whole of Britain. The Gas Business in Great Britain underwent further restructuring in 1994 when five Business Units were established :-
· Transco, responsible for transporting and storage of gas;
· Public Gas Supply, the domestic market;
· Business Gas, for supplies over 2,500 therms p.a.;
· Service ; and
· Retail;
E&P and Global continued to operate in international markets. British Gas plc made a number of organisational changes during the early 1990‘s as the industry prepared for increased competition. On 17 February, 1997, British Gas plc demerged into two separate listed companies ; BG plc and Centrica plc.
British Gas‘s transportation and storage business (Transco) and the Exploration and Production (excl. North and South Morecambe gas fields), International Downstream, Research & Technology and Properties business's remained with BG plc. Further internal restructuring in 1999 led to the formation of BG Group with subsidiaries BG Energy Holdings Ltd, BG Transco plc and others.
British Gas‘s Gas Sales and Gas Trading, Services and Retail businesses, together with the gas production business of the North and South Morecambe gas fields were transferred to Centrica.
