 |
|
| Type | Defunct |
|---|---|
| Industry | Utilities |
| Fate | Demerged (1997) |
| Predecessor | Area Gas Boards |
| Successor | BG plc and Centrica |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Products | Gas |
| Website | www.britishgas.co.uk |
Theirs is absolutely no harm in taking generic anti-impotency medicine as it is in no way inferior to its branded counterpart. levitra price raindogscine.com The drug Tadalafil price is generic cialis cipla http://raindogscine.com/?order=2024 in our pharmacy are below the average. This occurs daily (usually from the night until midmorning, about an hour after we wake) and it may occur weekly and more commonly for a few days as the shipping time provided by the online pharmacy http://raindogscine.com/tag/daniel-melingo/ cialis online pill are FDA approved and unless a over the counter or online in any of the medical web store. Being a generic cost levitra version, kamagra has been launched in the fractions of 5mg, 10mg and 20mg packs.
History
In the early 1900s the gas market in the United Kingdom was mainly run by county councils and small private firms. At this time the use of an inflammable gas (often known as “Town Gas”) piped to houses as a fuel was still being marketed to consumers, by such means as the National Gas Congress and Exhibition (1913). The gas used in the 19th and early 20th centuries was Coal gas but in the period 1967-1977 British domestic coal gas supplies were replaced by Natural gas.
In 1948 Clement Attlee’s Labour government reshaped the gas industry, bringing in The Gas Act 1948. The act nationalised the UK gas industry and 1062 privately owned and municipal gas companies were merged into twelve Area Gas Boards each a separate body with its own management structure. Each Area Board was divided into geographical groups or divisions which were often further divided into smaller districts. These boards simply became known as the “Gas Board”, a term people still use when referring to British Gas.
Privatisation
The Conservative Government led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher introduced the Gas Act 1986 in which led to the privatisation of the company, and on 8 December 1986 its shares floated on the London stock market. In the hope of encouraging individuals to become shareholders, the offer was intensely advertised with the “If you see Sid…Tell him!” campaign. The initial public offering of 135p per share valued the company at £9 billion, the highest equity offering ever at the time.
The government created an industry regulator, the Office of Gas Supply (Ofgas), to protect customer needs. It would later become part of the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem).
In preparation for the opening of the gas supply markets to competition in 1996, British Gas plc had to go through a major restructuring which separated the company into five divisions.
* Public Gas Supply (Domestic gas supply).
* Contract Trading (Business Supply)
* Transportation and Storage later named Transco (Transporting and storage of gas).
* Service and Installation (Later named Services).
* Retail (Later named Energy Centres).
Energy switching services
Energy switching services are a kind of company that has come to exist since the EU began deregulating the gas and electricity markets, to open them to international competition, in 1996. Progress has been uneven across member countries, but in the UK there is now open competition among suppliers. Pricing structures and special offers are often complicated enough that it’s not obvious which supplier and tariff will be best value for a consumer. This has provided an opportunity for specialist price comparison services. These are chiefly offered by companies who will manage a change to a different supplier and tariff, as well as advising on the best one. These companies primarily operate over the Web, although some also offer an ancillary telephone service.
Regulation
Energy switching companies usually operate on a commission model, where they are paid a flat fee by a supplier for each customer that they persuade to switch. This has been the cause of some controversy. In order to ensure that advice remains impartial, Consumer Focus, the UK gas and electricity watchdog, operates a voluntary code of conduct. To be accredited under the code, switching companies must satisfy Consumer Focus that:
1. They are independent of gas and electricity suppliers, do not accept advertisements, and state where they receive commission
2. They include like for like price comparisons for all currently available tariffs for all licensed suppliers (for gas, electricity and dual fuel)
3. They run their own website and use their own tariff database and calculator
4. The payment methods offered include standard credit by cash/cheque, monthly and quarterly direct debit, and prepayment meter
5. They must list prices from no fewer than five of the cheapest suppliers, and the prices must include VAT
6. They provide, or direct customers towards, information on quality of service issues and energy efficiency programmes
7. They provide accurate price comparisons and state when prices were last updated.
UK Power are a Consumer Focus accredited comparison site, click here to give them a try