Big energy firms including British Gas to bump up prices for millions - it's time to fight back!

This is Money Podcast

This is Money

Business News, Business, Investing, News

4.1 • 650 Ratings

🗓️ 13 April 2018

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

British Gas have revealed this week that more than four million households face a 5.5 per cent bill increase from the end of May thanks to changes to its standard variable tariff.

Hot on its heels, EDF Energy announced it will be hiking the cost of energy bills by 1.4 per cent for 1.3million customers.

In this week’s podcast, Rachel Rickard Straus and Lee Boyce say it is time for people to fight back and switch.

Energy: The latest podcast looks at the latest energy price rises - and the furore around smart meters

On the energy theme, we talk about our campaign to stop power firms using bullying tactics in order to force households into getting a smart meter – and why it is better to wait until the end of the year.

We take a look at some of the methods to make your home more energy efficient, including insulation and wood burning stoves.

We also discuss how to give money to charity in a tax efficient way - and whether or not loyalty cards are still worth having.

The latter comes as changes to Avios and Nectar are imminent, and Virgin Money unveils two credit cards to garner miles for Virgin Atlantic flights.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to This Is Money podcast in partnership with NS&I, your weekly roundup of the top personal finance, consumer and business stories that editor Simon Lambert and his team have been covering on their award-winning website.
0:12.2	I'm your host, Georgie Frost, and joining me today is Personal Finance Editor Rachel Rickard Strauss and Consumer Affairs Editor Lee Boyce.
0:20.2	And coming up, unjustified.
0:22.5	That's what ministers are calling the latest round of price hikes from British gas.
0:26.5	The first of the big suppliers to announce bills are to go up for millions of their customers next month.
0:31.7	Expect the others to follow suit, starting with EDF just a couple of days later.
0:36.2	We bring you ways to cut hundreds from
0:38.7	your bills and it's not all about switching though that will of course help. Also today not
0:44.1	so smart MoneyMail have launched a campaign against bullying energy firms trying to force us to switch
0:49.9	to digital meters. Also it's obviously about a good cause but giving to charity can also be highly tax-efficient.
0:57.4	We'll discuss the main ways to get the tax man to help your favourite cause,
1:01.4	and we ask do points win prizes any more.
1:04.6	As the changes are rung in for nectar and avios,
1:07.7	what is the point of loyalty schemes?
1:10.0	Then forget used out to date with all the latest breaking money news,
1:13.0	just go to this ismoney.com.uk or download the app.
1:16.9	This is Money.
1:18.2	Brought to you in partnership with NS&I premium bonds,
1:22.3	giving you the chance every month to win up to £1 million tax-free.
1:28.0	A welcome to spring as rubbish as the recent wet weather.
1:31.6	British gas are set to hike bills for 4.1 million of their customers from next month
1:36.5	by around £60 per year.
	...

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