Gas and electricity news

Electricity market reforms revealed

22/05/12
The Government has published new reforms to the UK's electricity market, which it is hoped will drive billions of pounds of investment...

'Fuel poverty fall' is welcomed

18/05/12
The number of UK households in fuel poverty dropped from 5.5 million in 2009 to 4.75 million in 2010, new figures show.

British gas owner cost hike warning

15/05/12
E.ON Energy Company has given its customers something to be happy about for the rest of 2012 after it promised to freeze its prices for the rest of the year.

British gas owner cost hike warning

11/05/12
Households are facing the prospect of more price hikes after British Gas owner Centrica warned its costs continued to mount.

Labour mulls electricity scheme

23/04/12
The Labour party is considering plans to bulk-buy electricity in a bold bid to force energy companies to lower their prices.

Many shocked by energy bills rise

20/04/12
Many UK households are finding that their energy bills are higher than last year despite a relatively warm winter.

New plan for cheaper energy bills

11/04/12
Customers will receive a letter each year from their energy company telling them which is the best tariff for their personal needs, Nick Clegg will announce today.

Ofgem to get mis-selling powers

10/04/12
The Government is to publish plans to give regulator Ofgem new powers to force energy companies to compensate customers for mis-selling and overcharging.

Ofgem announces E.ON sales probe

05/04/12
Ofgem has opened an investigation into energy supplier E.ON to establish whether it is complying with selling obligations, the regulator has announced.

Water bill given the thumbs up

28/03/12
A scheme that allows the highest water bills to be cut by £50 per year has been given the green light to become law.

Essential spending on the rise

20/03/12
Consumer spending on essential goods has risen at the fastest rate in nearly 24 months, meaning households are still under intense pressure, a report has said.

£50 water bill cut announced

15/03/12
Households in the South West will soon benefit from having their water bills reduced by £50 per year after MPs voted through a Bill to hand out a nine-figure sum to a private water firm.

More people 'live in fuel poverty'

15/03/12
A new assessment of fuel poverty in England has found that more people are affected by the problem than previously thought.

£4.5m payout by energy company

09/03/12
An energy firm has agreed to pay £4.5 million to needy households after misleading claims made to customers by sales staff.

Npower announces large profits

07/03/12
Energy heavyweight Npower is again at the centre of controversy, after announcing a 34% leap in profits after a series of energy bill hikes.

SSE reduces energy tariff range

22/02/12
The UK's second largest energy supplier, SSE, has drastically reduced its tariff range amid criticism that pricing strategies from...

Call for levy on major energy firms

20/02/12
Seven out of 10 people want the Government to impose a levy on the profits of the so-called 'big six' energy companies, a poll has revealed.

Charity warns of poverty fuel gap

21/02/12
Energy companies have a moral duty to tackle widespread fuel poverty among low-income families, children's charity Barnardos has said..

Energy secretary's emissions pledge

Confidence 'still low' despite jump

Carbon emission charge plan slammed

70% unhappy with cost of energy

24/01/12
A survey has revealed that 70 per cent of consumers are not happy with their energy provider's prices even though only...

Co-op to pay energy moving charges

23/01/12
Gas and electricity supplier Co-operative Energy is offering to pay penalties for customers who switch from other companies...

Ministers warned over smart meters

17/01/12
Campaign group Which? has warned ministers that the rollout of new energy meters to every home in Britain is in danger of becoming a "fiasco".

Gas bill worries 'for many people'

16/01/12
Research has suggested that many Britons are fretting over covering the cost of their winter gas and electricity bills.

Home heating overhaul 'essential'

13/01/12
Homeowners must dramatically change the way their properties are heated if the UK wants to achieve carbon reduction...

Yorkshire firms' heat benefits

09/01/12
The Government has revealed that two Yorkshire-based businesses will become the first to get paid for generating heat from renewable sources.

Energy Bills 'Hit Family Incomes'

29/12/11
The financial strain placed on family budgets this year has left them £15 a week worse off...

Frozen pipes cause winter disaster

20/12/11
As temperatures plummet it's not just your home you need to keep warm - it's your pipes too.

Christmas gifts 'could boost bills'

19/12/11
Energy bills could be upped by £150 through gadgets being given as presents at Christmas, academics have warned.

SSE to refund mis-selling victims

16/12/11
Energy supplier SSE has announced plans to compensate customers who were victims of door-to-door contract mis-selling.

Scots praised for green home effort

15/12/11
Vouchers which help towards the cost of renewable energy heating schemes have been eagerly snapped up in Scotland.

Call over green impact upon bills

15/12/11
Government climate advisers have quelled fears over the impact of green technology investment on household energy bills over the coming 10 years.

Energy complaints 'have increased'

12/12/11
The level of complaints about the "big six" energy companies increased over the summer, a watchdog has revealed..

Red Cross gives winter coping tips

08/12/11
Research shows that Britons are failing to prepare for the oncoming winter weather, with just 20 per cent of road users taking the necessary precautions.

British gas simplifies tariffs

24/11/11
British Gas has promised to provide a more transparent billing system and to simplify energy tariffs.

Drive to help people in energy debt

16/11/11
Householders who find themselves falling behind with their energy bills are to be given a helping hand thanks to a new campaign.

TalkTalk loses more customers in Q2

15/11/11
It would appear that customers remain wary of TalkTalk despite the company working to resolve its customer service problems.

Bond scheme for renewable energy

07/11/11
Investors looking to back renewable energy projects will be pleased to learn of a £10 million bond scheme which allows them to invest hassle-free.

UK urged to up gas storage levels

26/10/11
The UK needs to boost its gas storage levels and invest in new sources of power so as not to leave itself exposed to...

Rising bills 'due to profit bids'

24/10/11
A poll carried out for Friends of the Earth has suggested half of the population believes rising energy bills are due to power companies...

Labour attacks rising energy bills

20/10/11
Labour is calling for a radical simplification of energy tariffs to make it easier for people to compare different offers.

New scheme for cutting energy bills

18/10/11
The Government is set to bring in new reforms to give energy companies incentives for getting households to cut their energy bills.

Fossil fuels 'add £300 to bills'

17/10/11
Claims that green taxes are to blame for the hike in energy bills have been discredited by environmentalists, whose research...

Profit increase for energy firms

14/10/11
Energy companies are making an annual average profit of £125 out of every customer due to price increases, it has been claimed.

Energy companies 'give poor advice'

13/10/11
Energy companies, long criticised for their confusing and pricey bills, are believed to be giving dodgy information to people who call to switch providers.

Energy firm to auction electricity

12/10/11
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has announced plans to auction its electricity supply on the open market.

Gadgets consume too much energy

04/10/11
The average UK household has three-and-a-half times as many gadgets as 20 years ago, a new study has found.

Co-op Energy Announces Price Hike

30/09/11
The 14,000 customers who turned to Co-operative Energy as an alternative to mainstream providers will be frustrated to learn that they too will suffer gas and electricity price hikes.

Energy firms want competition probe

23/09/11
Householders hit by soaring fuel bills could be in line for more positive news after three of the country's biggest suppliers called...

Huhne to announce energy reforms

20/09/11
The Government is set to unveil new measures to help customers save money on their gas and electricity bills.

Consumers urged to shop around

19/09/11
The energy secretary has called on people to investigate the market if they want to reduce the cost of gas and electricity bills.

EDF raises household energy prices

15/09/11
EDF Energy is set to increase its gas prices by 15.4% later this autumn, the firm has announced.

Assessor 'may be salesman in disguise'

15/09/11
Energy companies should not be allowed to "switch hats" and visit people's homes under the guise of being independent assessors, an MP has said.

Software aims to detect leaky pipes

07/09/11
Computer software developers have designed a piece of technology aimed at preventing flooding by identifying leaks in old water pipes.

Green policies 'will cost 30 per cent more'

05/09/11
Bringing in more environmentally friendly Government policies will result in the average UK household having to fork out £300...

EDF energy complaints rise

02/09/11
Complaints about EDF Energy have risen by nearly 20 per cent, while the rest of the Big Six suppliers have seen a fall...

Over-75s 'failing to go online'

01/09/11
Older people are still struggling to access the internet, with over three-quarters of them never going online, according to new figures.

Power NI reveals price hike plans

26/08/11
Householders in Northern Ireland are bracing themselves for energy price rises, after electricity supplier Power NI revealed it plans to increase bills.

Energy firms told to explain prices

18/08/11
Energy regulator Ofgem has demanded suppliers explain how they calculate bills amid allegations that customers have been...

Ofgem investigates profits of Big Six energy firms

22/08/2011

The profits of the country's 'big six' gas and electricity suppliers are set to be assessed by a team of specialist accountants appointed by energy regulator Ofgem.

British gas 'suspends doorstep sales'

12/08/11
British Gas is suspending its doorstep sales operation after pressure from consumer groups over the practice.

Many shoppers 'left with nothing'

11/08/11
Research has revealed that more than 30 per cent of British shoppers are left with no money after paying their monthly bills.

Utility bills 'will fuel inflation'

10/08/11
Inflation could rise as high as 5 per cent in the months to come, the Bank of England has predicted, with utility bill increases...

Whole gas price 'at 12-month low'

08/08/11
Reports have suggested that energy firm E.ON announced it was raising its prices on the same day that wholesale gas prices fell to their lowest of 2011.

E.ON raise price of gas and electric

05/08/11
E.ON customers face higher gas and electricity bills after the energy firm announced price rises.

Gas giant announces pre-hike profit

28/07/11

Centrica faces the wrath of consumers after it reported £1.3 billion in half-year profits - £270 million of which was for British Gas, which has just announced a massive hike in prices.

British Gas fined over complaints

27/07/11

British Gas has been ordered to pay a fine of £2.5 million for the way it handles customer complaints.

Call for energy deal compensation

25/07/11
Customers who have been mis-sold gas and electricity contracts by doorstep salesmen should receive compensation, MPs have said.

Eon and Npower hike energy prices

25/07/11
Eon and npower have become the latest energy firms to announce plans to raise their prices, according to reports.

Domestic energy consumption 'rises'

22/07/11
The UK's domestic energy consumption has risen significantly over the past four decades...

Scottish and Southern Energy 18% rise

21/07/11
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) customers face higher gas and electricity bills after the firm announced price rises.

Fuel poverty continues to rise

14/07/11

Some 5.5 million of the UK's households experienced fuel poverty in 2009, according to the latest statistics.

Electricity reforms 'may cut costs'

11/07/11

Householders could save money over the next 20 years as a result of electricity market reforms being put forward by the coalition government...

Huhne urges consumers to switch

11/07/11

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has called upon members of the public to increase their use of price comparison websites to save themselves money on energy bills. 

British Gas hikes prices by 18%

British Gas will raise gas prices by 18 per cent and electricity by 16 per cent, it has been announced today...

Electricity charge soars by £40

ScottishPower is to charge its electricity customers an additional £40 a year for receiving the service...

Ofgem probes Scottish Power offer

Regulators have launched an investigation into a "potentially misleading" offer from Scottish Power.

Supplier summit in bid to cut bills

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne will this week chair a summit of gas and electricity suppliers in a bid to cut prices...

Consumers urged to switch firms

Cash-strapped consumers should fight back against the rising cost of power by switching to a different provider, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has said.

Energy bills set for further hikes

Consumers face paying even more for their gas and electricity, the chairman of British Gas owner Centrica has warned.

Energy customers facing price hikes

Scottish Power has said it will increase gas bills by an average of 19 per cent and electricity bills by 10 per cent from August 1, in a blow for some 2.4 million customers.

Energy customers facing price hikes

Consumers are facing another round of energy price rises after the UK's biggest supplier revealed a further squeeze on its margins.

Energy firm misled potential clients

A major energy company misled potential customers, using doorstep salesmen, in a case believed to be the first of its kind to carry a conviction.

Price warnings for energy customers

Gas and electricity companies have to give their customers 30 days notice of any price rise, under new rules that come into force on Thursday, April 28.

Warning over energy bill debt rise

In the past four years the number of people in debt to their energy provider has nearly tripled, a charity has warned.

Energy firms under pressure to publish wholesale costs

Consumer Focus has called on energy companies to publish details of the wholesale costs of supplying the UK’s homes with gas and electricity.

Energy firms urged to alter tariffs

Public health experts have called on energy firms to alter their tariffs to reduce the number of deaths related to the cold in winter.

Landlords urged to improve energy efficiency of homes

Landlords are being encouraged to improve the energy-efficiency of their properties to avoid possible fines at a later date.

New measures proposed to protect consumers with smart meters

Energy watchdog Ofgem is taking steps to make sure consumers are not disadvantaged when gas and electricity suppliers install smart meters.