British Gas yesterday announced a shocking 35% gas price increase, much larger than EDF's recent 22% increase. As British Gas has 46% of the UK's residential gas market, this will be a big hit across the country. To try to see if they were in a position to absorb some of the wholesale cost increases, or if they had no real option but to pass such a large increase on, I had a look at British Gas Residential's historic profit margins.

Good news speech this morning by Gordon Brown on creating a low carbon economy, including introducing financial incentives "such as feed-in tariffs or equivalent mechanisms" for decentralised energy and microgeneration. Why then announce equality laws on the same day to de-focus media interest?

At the moment I would like us to raise income tax on earners over £100,000 and give the money to poorer families and pensioners on earnings of less than £30000 a year in total so this can help with fuel bills.

Lets show we care!

John Wiseman
PPC Westmorland and Lonsdale

The recent announcement that the UK's fourth largest energy supplier is to raise its prices means the government and the regulator must take decicive action.

Will Parbury discusses the benefits of decentralised energy

Sorry to be a bore and blog twice in the same day, and both times with a green tinge, but I was catching up with my reading over lunch and came across this. Grrr.

Britain's energy needs