British Gas five-year price freeze comes to an end
Around 460,000 British Gas customers who signed up for a price freeze deal in 2005 are about to see the deal come to an end and a significant increase in the cost of their gas. The deal saw the 460,000 customers in question pay £820 for their gas which is around £370 less than the average bill today - which is £1,194. As a consequence, there are many people who will receive an unwelcome surprise with their next energy bill!
While there's no doubt that those customers who took advantage of the price freeze have benefited enormously over the last few years, there is still much uncertainty about the future price of gas, electric and water. Only this morning we saw Severn Trent warning of the need to reorganise and revamp the UK water industry with the prospect of water bills increasing by more than 20% in real terms over the next 20 years.
There's no doubt that the UK energy industry is holding businesses and consumers to ransom and there is very little the government or various consumer bodies can do. Water bills have increased by over 45% in real terms since 1990 and the prospect of more increases in the future is not one which consumers and businesses will really want to face head-on.
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