13 September 2005
The recent 14.2 per cent rise in gas and electricity prices at British Gas has led to calls for consumers' rights to be taken into account.
British Gas, whose rises will add over £100 a year to families' fuel bills, was sharply criticised by unions and energy watchdogs who disputed the company's assertion that higher oil prices necessitated price rises.
Brian Strutton of the GMB union said: "This is all about corporate profit behind a smokescreen of energy costs.
"The hard reality for the poor and elderly is that they will need more help from the government this winter with fuel bills."
Energywatch spokesman Graham Kerr concurred: "The link the companies make between the price of oil and gas is a phoney one. The industry needs to be far more clear about what is happening in the market."
Alan Tattersall of uSwitch.com said: "This will come as a real blow to customers, particularly those who remained loyal to British Gas following last year's record price hikes. Anyone still with British Gas would do well now to shop around for a better deal."
Shadow energy minister, Bernard Jenkin, said the government's energy policy was to blame: "It makes domestic and commercial electricity prices subject to gas price volatility."
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