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Broadband bigwigs release data

A number of major broadband providers have recently released their latest quarterly performance reports, with Virgin Media and BT having released their figures openly last week. This comes shortly after another report that indicated that new broadband subscribers across the UK and other parts of Europe had fallen during the third quarter of the year, and had also fallen in the second quarter of the year in comparison with the figures in the first quarter of this year. Read more

Severn Trent profits plunge due to fines

The profits of water giant Severn Trent have plunged because of the hefty fines that have been imposed by the water regulator Ofwat. The water company serves three million households in the Midlands region, but has found itself enveloped in disgrace and controversy recently, resulting in fines from Ofwat. In fact, to the end of the last financial year profits had reportedly plunged by 40%, sinking to just £195 million. Read more

Will government’s fuel poverty assistance really help?

With the cost of energy usage already having gone up, and with expectations of further price hikes in the autumn, the government has been taking measures to try and reduce the risk of fuel poverty for the more vulnerable, which includes reforming data protection laws so that consumers can be contacted directly and offered help should the need arise. Other moves that the government has planned to try and reduce fuel poverty include providing assistance for consumers to ensure that their homes are energy efficient and to make sure that they are with the most suitable and affordable provider. Read more

One in four T-mobile customers takes out mobile broadband

Officials from T-mobile, the communications giant, have recently released their first quarter figures for this year, and state that around twenty five percent of new customers are taking out mobile broadband, which reflects the popularity of this up and coming technology. The company has already revealed an increase in customer numbers, and officials predict that figures will quadruple by the end of the year. Read more

Water services’ complaints on the rise

According to a recent report the level of complaints relating to water services has been rising significantly over the 2006/2007 financial years, with a rise of 30% from the previous financial year. Figures come from the water watchdog for England and Wales, which shows that over 240,000 complaints were made in the 2006/2007 financial year, with the majority from customers of Thames Water, United Utilities and Severn Trent. Around 50% of the complaints are said to be about charging and billing issues. Read more

Number of consumers subscribing to broadband falls

According to recent reports the number of people that are subscribing to broadband within the UK is on the fall, with a far lower number of people subscribing to broadband as new customers over the third quarter compared to the second quarter. The report shows that there were around 460,000 new broadband subscriptions in the UK between July and August, which was 40,000 drop on the 510,000 new subscriptions that took place in the previous quarter. Read more

Guarantee offered to O2 broadband subscribers

Communications giant O2 has recently launched its broadband service, and is offering a choice pf broadband packages along with an impressive guarantee to ensure that the service is suited to the customer. Over the past couple of weeks there has been speculation over the packages and prices that O2 will be offering, but the company recently confirmed its packages. Customers will also be offered a one hundred day guarantee to customers that sign up for the service before the end of January next year so that if the service or package is not suitable they can break the contract without penalty. Read more

What’s in store for energy bills?

For the past couple of years energy prices in the UK have been at the centre of controversial debate, with price hikes affecting consumer finances enormously and concerns over anti competitive practices amongst energy firms. Over the past couple of years gas and electricity prices in the UK have been soaring, and this has resulted in household finances becoming increasingly strained, particularly given that between August 2006 and July 2007 interest rates went up five times by 0.25% each time, making the financial situation even worse for many. Read more

More consumers switching energy suppliers

According to recent reports from the energy regulator Ofgem an increasing number of people in the UK are now switching energy suppliers in a bid to enjoy better service and lower prices. According to the industry regulator the first seven months of this year saw around 2.8 million consumers switching their electricity supplier and around 2.3 million consumers switching their gas supplier. However, Ofgem also stated that there are many other consumers that are failing to switch and are therefore missing out on big savings. Read more

Summit to be held with broadband industry

In a recent report it has been revealed that he former e-commerce minister and minister for competitiveness, Stephen Timms, along with Ofcom, the communications regulator in the UK, are to be involved in a summit with the broadband industry in order to try and bring the UK up to speed so that it can embrace future advancements and increased speeds in relation to broadband. Past reports have highlighted how the fibre based networks used by other countries such as Japan means that they are ready to welcome these advancements, but the UK was lagging behind. Read more

Take care of your wireless broadband connection

Officials have stated that many consumers in the UK that have wireless broadband connections could end up paying for a services that is simply not up to scratch – not because of the service provider but because their wireless connection is being used by others, posing a number of problems including compromised service and speeds. Authorities have warned that those with wireless broadband connections could also be at risk of real problems if those stealing the connection – typically done by using laptops outside the homes of those with wireless broadband – use their connection to perform illegal or dodgy activities. Read more

Rising energy prices lead to investigation

The rising cost of gas and electricity usage in the UK has led to an official investigation being launched by the energy regulator, Ofgem, in order to find out whether anti-competitive practices are being used by energy giants. Earlier this year the major energy suppliers hiked up the cost of gas and electricity usage significantly, stating that the rising cost of wholesale energy meant that they had to raise their prices. The move is likely to send many more households into fuel poverty. Read more

Enquiry into soaring gas and electricity bills launched

An enquiry has been launched by the energy regulator Ofgem into soaring gas and electricity prices in the UK, which have rocketed at the beginning of this year forcing an increasing number of households into fuel poverty. The government has also issued a warning to energy giants stating that it will be cracking down on any market abuse that is designed to boost profits. Business Secretary John Hutton said that action would be taken if anti-competitive practices were being used. Read more

Huge premium hikes for drivers caught on phones

According to a recent report there is to be a huge rise in insurance premiums for drivers that are convicted of using their mobile phone whilst driving, with many set to see their premiums hiked up by a third if found guilty of this offence. The first company to increase the impact of this offence is Allianz Insurance, which will be treated the offence in the same way as careless driving. Read more

Scottish and Southern raises prices

Earlier this year, when the other five major energy suppliers hikes up their energy usage prices, Scottish and Southern Energy promised that it would keep prices on hold until the end of March. Although the firm lived up to its promise that time has now come around, and the last of the six major energy suppliers in the UK has now announced that it will be increasing its gas and electricity usage costs from April. Read more

Fuel poverty targets likely to be missed

According to a recent report fuel poverty targets set by the government are likely to be missed as a result of recent hikes in energy prices coupled with the government’s own policies. The prediction comes from the government’s own advisers on the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group. Around 2.3 million households are already thought to be in fuel poverty following the recent price hikes, where they are paying out over 10% of their income on fuel bills. Read more

Dual fuel not necessarily the best option

In the past many consumers in the UK have taken both their gas and electricity from the same suppliers, and this is because this was often the cheapest option, with many energy giants offering big discounts to consumers that take both gas and electricity from them, known as dual fuel. However, according to recent reports from price comparison services this may no longer be the cheapest option for consumers, and many consumers may find that going through different suppliers for gas and electricity is the most cost effective option. Read more

Energy suppliers need to act to help the more vulnerable

The UK’s major energy suppliers have been warned that they need to do more to help those on low incomes and the more vulnerable when it comes to energy price affordability. This is the warning that came from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, in his recent first budget. Darling has expressed concern over the affordability of energy prices for poorer and more vulnerable consumers, and has said that energy forms must do something to address this issue. Read more

Water bills to rise in April

Consumer across England and Wales are to see their water bills rise by 5.8% from April according to a recent report. Figures suggest that the average 5.8% rise will equate to around £18 per year more for the average household, and although this does not seem a lot it is simply another increased bill for many households that are already struggling to keep on top of rising repayment. Read more

Energy firms could be forced to help poorer consumers

In his first budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, has stated that he wants energy firms in the UK to do more to help poorer consumers that struggle to pay their bills, and has said that if the energy firms do not act voluntarily he will take action to force them to help more vulnerable consumers. Darling wants to get a better deal for customers that pay their gas and electricity through pre-paid meters, and wants utility firms to triple funding for their poorest customers. Read more

Ofgem launches energy firm investigation

The UK’s energy regulator Ofgem has recently announced that it is investigating competition issues amongst the UK’s major energy suppliers following worries about how much residential customers parti poker netpoker regeln holdfive card draw pokerparty poker bonus,party poker 50 bonus,bonus bei party pokerpoker um geld spielensichere online spielepoker anleitung texas holdempoker no deposit bonusparty poker downloadmultiplayer championship poker texas holdempoker software gratisomaha poker rulesonline spielenpoker texaspoker kostenlosplay omaha pokerpoker stars bonus code7 card stud downloadfull tilt poker bonustexas holdem poker handsregeln zu pokerplay omaha poker onlinetexas holdem ohne anmeldungonline poker für macgratis poker gamespoker spiel downloadentexas holdem wahrscheinlichkeitpoker java gamewww poker spielenpoker taxas holdempoker signup bonuspokerstars bonusparty poker net cheatsholdem poker pc gamewo kann man poker spielenonline poker detexas holdem poker downloadmultiplayer championship poker holdemtexas holdem no limit regelnparty poker 75draw poker onlinevincere poker onlinesoftware cartepoker texano on linestip poker gratisil poker onlinestrategie texas holdemfull tilt pokerpoker roompoker texas holdem,tornei poker texas holdem,regolamento poker texas holdem and small business are having to pay for their energy. At the start of this year the major suppliers all announced pretty hefty energy usage price hikes, yet a number of them have also reported soaring profits for last year, which has angered campaigners and consumers.
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Water bill increases add to financial burden

At a time when many households are facing financial woes as a result of high mortgage repayments, high living costs, and increased energy bills, many are set to receive another blow over the coming days in relation to their water bills. Water companies are now sending out statements and bills to customers regarding water charges for the coming year, and in some areas water customers will be facing steep rises, which will simply add to the financial burden. Read more

Illegal downloaders could be banned from Internet

According to a recent report big name broadband companies may start taking serious action against consumers found to be illegally downloading, and a three strike rule may come in where consumers that are found to have downloaded illegally for a third time will face getting banned from the Internet altogether. A first offence will result in a warning, and the second in temporary suspension, according to the report. Read more

Fewer households switching their energy suppliers

A recent report has shown that fewer households are now switching their energy suppliers, and for many this is working out to be very costly. Some consumers in the UK are stuck on price fix tariffs, where the cost of their energy usage was fixed when prices were at their highest last year. The first half of this year saw the number of households that were switching their energy suppliers fall by 1.5 million according to figures, falling from 7.5 million to 6 million. Read more

Many still not happy with their broadband service

A recent survey has shown that although the popularity and take up of broadband services have rocketed recently in the UK, there are still many people that are very unhappy with their Internet Service Providers – although many fail to take any action by switching to another service provider. Lack of satisfaction with Internet Service Providers results from a range of factors, including customer service, technical service, and billing, amongst others. Read more

Profits rocket for British Gas

British Gas is one of the major energy suppliers that have hiked up the cost of energy over the past few weeks, claiming that the rising cost of wholesale energy means that in order to make a profit it has to raise the cost of energy usage. This has left many households facing fuel poverty, as average household energy bills rocket to around £1000 a year. Read more

Gas bills could be on the rise again

According to recent reports households in the UK could be facing steep rises in their bills just months after gas usage costs were slashed as a result of reductions in the cost of wholesale energy. The rise in gas bills stems from financial demands made to energy suppliers by the companies that run, repair, and maintain gas main networks in the UK, including National Grid. The row that has emerged by these demands, involving the gas companies, energy suppliers, and even the UK’s energy regulator Ofgem, could see a major review of the energy industry being performed by competition regulators. Read more

New billing system from Thames Water

A new billing system has been brought in by Thames Water, which will see customers paying for water based on the size of the property that they live in. Under the new system the cost of water bills will be determined by the size of the home, and this will affect thousands of water customers that are not on water meters. The new billing system will only affect those that had requested water systems but were unable to have one fitted for practical reasons. Read more

Multi million pound fine for Southern Water

According to a recent report Southern Water has been fined millions of pounds by the water regulator Ofwat as a result of provision of poor service and failure to provide accurate information. The water giant was accused of mis-representing information to the water authorities and providing poor service. The £20 million fine will be passed on to shareholders and not to customers according to officials from Ofwat. Read more

Water bills could rise by up to 9%

According to a recent report water companies will be able to increase the cost of water bills by up to 9% next month, with the average customer likely to see their bills rise by around 5.8%. This means that the average household will see bills rise by an annual £18 a year to around £330 from April. Customers of some water companies across England and Wales, such as Yorkshire Water and United Utilities, will see their bills rise by an above average rise of 7.5%. Read more

Broadband offers even more exciting freebies

In the UK there are now many different communications companies offering some great deals on broadband, and competition amongst broadband providers has really increased over the years. As these broadband providers compete to try and get as much custom as possible within the UK, many have been trying to think of new and exciting ways to tempting customers into signing up for a broadband contract. Read more

Investigation into energy firms begins

An investigation into whether there are competition issues amongst the UK’s major energy suppliers has now been launched by the energy regulator Ofgem. The regulator is looking into the gas and electricity markets that supply to both residential properties and to small businesses. This comes after concerns were raised by watchdogs and campaigners over how effective the market is and how much consumers and businesses are having to pay for their energy. Read more

Further anger over energy firms’ profits

Just days after British Gas delivered its customers with a slap in the face, announcing that profits had increased five fold since last year, whilst consumers were struggling to pay rising energy bills, another energy giant Npower has also delivered news of soaring profits, leaving even more customers seething over the fact that whilst they are risking being pushed into fuel poverty the energy firm bosses are sitting pretty with huge bonuses on the way. Read more

Scottish power energy prices rise

Following in the footsteps of several of the other major energy suppliers in the UK Scottish Energy recently announced that it would be raising its energy usage costs as a result of increased wholesale energy prices. Scottish Power made the announcement about its price hikes after similar announcements by other energy giants, including EDF Energy, NPower, and British Gas. Scottish Power is raising its prices by 15% for gas usage and 14% for electricity. Read more

Man receives gas bill for £11 million

A landlord from Dorset in the UK was shocked recently after he received a gas bill from British Gas – asking for £11 million. The man, Denis Dixon, owns just a two bedroom rental flat in Dorset, and realized that the bill was, of course, a mistake. However, he said he was stunned to have received the bill, particularly considering that he had already settled his £500 quarterly bill. Read more

British Gas reports huge profits

Over recent weeks cash-strapped consumers in the UK have been hit even harder after the major energy suppliers in the UK decided to increase their prices on gas and electricity usage, stating that the rise was necessary because of increases in the cost of wholesale energy. Average households are now paying around £1000 a year for their energy usage, and many are in danger of being pushed into fuel poverty as a result of these price hikes. The new about rising energy costs came at around the same time as the interest rate cut in December. Read more

Surge in water bill complaints during last financial year

The last financial year saw the number of water bill related complaints surge in the UK according to recent reports. Billing complaints have surged with many utilities from energy companies and Internet providers to phone providers – and water companies have not escaped this trend, with certain water providers pushing up the total number of complaints. Figures show that the number of complaints made to the official watchdog were at their highest in thirteen years during the last financial year. Read more

Energy suppliers need to take complaints more seriously

Officials from the consumer campaign group Energywatch have stated that energy suppliers in the UK are taking far too long to deal with customer complaints, adding that it was taking some of the energy giants over seven months to deal with some complaints, which had resulted in customers dissatisfaction levels rocketing to 97%. Energy companies are now being urged to take customers complaints more seriously and get these issues dealt with more efficiently and quickly. Read more

Southern Water gets fined millions

Officials from the UK’s water regulator, Ofwat, have reported that Southern Water has been fined over £20 million for mis-reporting information and providing poor service. The cost of the fine will not be passed on to customers, state Ofwat officials, but will be passed on directly to shareholders. The total fine that the water supplier has been hit with comes to £20.3 million. Read more

E.On firm raises prices

Just after the Bank of England announced the latest interest rate cut last week another of the UK’s energy giants announced that it was hiking up the cost of gas and electricity usage, which means that many homeowners that may have seen their payments reduced by the 0.25% interest rate cut will not also see their cost of their energy usage rise, counteracting the benefit that they receive from lower repayments. E.On is the latest of the energy giants to announce rises, which price hikes already having been put in place by British Gas, Npower, EDF and Scottish Power. Read more

Thames Water brings in new billing system

Under a new billing system that has been brought in by Thames Water the amount that consumers will have to pay for their water will be determined by the size of their home. The move will affect thousands of homeowner that have no water meter, and each will be placed into a banding system in order to determine how much they will pay for their water based on the size of their property. Read more

Enquiry launched into energy industry

An enquiry is being launched into the competition levels amongst the UK’s energy giants, with a committee of MPs looking into whether consumers across the UK are paying too much for their gas and electricity usage. The Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Berr) select committee will be investigating whether there is enough competition amongst the major suppliers – a move that comes after four of the UK’s leading energy suppliers announced dramatic hikes in the costs of gas and electricity usage. Read more

Broadband switching needs to be made easier

Experts have stated that switching broadband service is too complicated a process and needs to be made easier, in the same way that it is with energy suppliers. According to some experts many consumers have found that switching broadband provider is a complication process, and campaigners have called for broadband switching to become as simple as switching energy providers has become over recent years. Read more

British Gas bill blunders continue

Over recent months British Gas, one of the UK’s leading energy giants, has seen a flood of complaints arise over billing problems, with many customers expressing anger at various blunders and bad practices suffered at the hands of British Gas. A recent report has further highlighted the extent of the billing blunders made by British Gas, as it was revealed that one consumer was hounded for nine years over money that was supposedly owed to British Gas – the customer was not even being supplied by British Gas. Read more

Energy price hike from Scottish Power

Another of the UK’s leading energy suppliers has announced hikes in its gas and electricity usage costs. Scottish Power is the latest of the energy suppliers to announce price rises, Npower, British Gas, and EDF Energy have all already raised prices following increases in the cost of wholesale energy. Scottish Power is raising its prices by 15% for gas usage and 14% for electricity. The energy supplier has over five million customers, and like the other energy firms has blamed the need to raise prices on rising wholesale costs. Read more

Another energy company hikes up prices

Just as a specialist committee has launched an investigation into the price hikes applied by energy companies in the UK another of the UK’s energy giants has announced that its prices will be going in a matter of days, joining the other big 4 that have already announced significant hikes in the cost of gas and electricity usage. Like the other energy firms that have already hiked up prices, E.On has blamed the need to raise prices on increases in wholesale energy prices.<!–more–>

E.On will be raising prices on gas usage by 15% and the cost of electricity usage will go up by 9.7%. The company, which was formerly known as Powergen, has said that whilst the new pricing comes into effect on 8th February, around 670,000 customers classed as vulnerable would not have to pay the new prices until April. E.On is the latest of the energy giants to announce hikes, and price rises have already been announced by British Gas, Npower, EDF and Scottish Power.

An official from E.On stated: “We realise the impact this price increase will have on our customers and we’re doing everything we can to minimise this. Our announcement has been made in response to sustained pressures from the wholesale market. We are offering a new product to allow more customers to join the half a million already benefiting from protected prices, while also helping those customers who are most in need.”

In the meantime a committee of MPs in investigating whether consumers are paying too much for energy in the UK, with one committee official stating: “The continuing controversy over energy prices is an issue that demands to be addressed. It is a complex but vital question and one that affects everyone in the country, individual consumers and households, small businesses and major energy users alike.”

Complaints to be taken more seriously by energy suppliers

Energy suppliers across the UK are being warned that they need to take customer complaints more seriously, with the consumer watchdog Energywatch claiming that it takes the UK’s energy suppliers too long to deal with a customer complaint. The consumer body also added that it took energy firms an average of seven months to resolve some issues, and that this was resulting in dissatisfaction levels rocketing to 97%.

Energywatch has now appealed to the energy regulator Ofgem to make the suppliers meet certain basic standards. Energywatch recently carried out a survey of 1100 people who had contacted its helpline last year. The results showed that in the vast majority of cases suppliers had failed to meet standards and had failed to deliver, leaving the customer feeling let down and dissatisfied.

One Energywatch official stated: “Everything is designed to put consumers off. When consumers have a problem they need to be able to make effective complaints and get the problem sorted out.” Officials from Energywatch have acknowledged that some progress has been made with the issue but state that there is still a lot to be done in order to convince consumers that their complaints and problems would be resolved quickly.

The Energy Retail Association said that it was not surprised that most of the consumers that called Energwatch were not happy with their supplier. However, officials from the ERA said: “A more significant statistic is the 70% drop in complaints Energywatch has recorded over the past five years in all areas, including doorstep sales, switching and billing.”

Officials added: “The industry has already established the Energy Supply Ombudsman scheme, a billing code, a code of practice for doorstep sales and a set of principles on complaint handling to which all suppliers subscribe.”

Various energy providers now hiked up the interest rates

The news that energy companies across the UK were planning to raise the cost of energy usage came as a blow to consumers, as this meant further financial strain on household finances. The announcement from energy companies came late last year just as consumers though that they would see a reduction in their outgoing because of the December cut in the base interest rate. Read more

Npower pulled up over increased customer cut-offs

Energy giant Npower has been warned by regulators that it has to do more to help customers that are struggling to pay their gas and electricity bills after it was found to be top of the tables when it came to customer cut offs. According to figures Npower was cutting off around 70 in every 100,000 customers in 2006. Second on the tables was EDF Energy, but Npower was still cutting off double the number of people than the firm that came in at second place. Read more

Internet provider awards revealed

This year marks the tenth annual ISP Awards, which recognises the achievements of Internet service providers in the UK based on performance following testing by Epitiro. The awards are run by the Internet Service Providers’ Association. There are sixteen categories in the awards altogether, and the actual ceremony is to take place at the Marriott Hotel in London on 14th March, where some of the biggest ISP names will be hoping to scoop the top spots. Read more

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