Fury as gas prices 急に上がる

British Gas has been （刑事）被告 of 露骨な／あからさまの 不当利得行為 over a 決定／判定勝ち（する） to 押し進める up prices by 10 per cent in a year.

When it 課すd a 4.7 per cent rise in April, it 約束d to peg prices for the 残り／休憩（する） of the year.

But in a move seen as smacking of cynicism, it now says that 法案s for 13.5million homes will rise by another 5.3 per cent on January 3.

BG, which 供給（する）s 70 per cent of 世帯s, could 直面する a 集まり exodus of 顧客s. 競争相手 供給者 TXU Energi 主張するd there was no need to raise prices.

消費者 groups, however, 恐れる 年輩の and poorer householders will 簡単に turn 負かす／撃墜する their heating, putting their health at 危険, rather than 直面する higher 法案s or the aggravation of changing 供給者s.

Stephen Reid, from the 消費者 監視者 Energywatch, said: 'There's never a good time to 発表する price rises but anything around Christmas would have made Scrooge blush.'

The 増加するs, which will take the 普通の／平均（する） gas 法案 up by around £31 to £331, could 示す even bigger rises ahead. The 産業 監視者 Ofgem will 除去する all price 支配（する）／統制するs from next April, leaving the market open to more 引き上げ（る）s.

Energywatch （刑事）被告 British Gas of 取り消すing on 約束s to 限界 増加するs.

Mr Reid said: 'This is the second price rise within ten months from BG, にもかかわらず a かかわり合い given to 消費者s that 告示s of その上の price 引き上げ（る）s were "極端に ありそうもない" this year and would not 影響する／感情 winter 法案s.

'Two price rises totalling 10 per cent in ten months is outrageous.'

His group is most worried for the 1.4million householders who use pre-支払い（額） メーターs.

にもかかわらず having the least money, they are not 適格の for the 割引s 申し込む／申し出d to 顧客s who 支払う／賃金 by direct debit.

The 消費者s' 協会 joined the attack, 告発する／非難するing BG of putting the 年輩の and 攻撃を受けやすい at 危険.

'They said they did not 推定する／予想する その上の rises this year, but the first chance they get, in the middle of winter, they 押し進める up prices,' said a 広報担当者. 'This is a real 引き上げ（る）.

'Our 関心s are for the 年輩の and others on a tight 予算. We know the 年輩の hate 負債. When 直面するd with this sort of price rise one of the ways they look to save money is not to heat their homes.'

熟考する／考慮するs have 示唆するd householders could save as much as £100 a year by 転換ing their gas and electricity accounts to other 会社／堅いs.

However many have been put off by the sales 策略 of new entrants, time-wasting 策略s used by 会社／堅いs 気が進まない to lose 顧客s, and the 量 of paperwork 伴う／関わるd.

Age 関心, which 申し込む／申し出s a 二重の gas and electricity 取引，協定 in 共同 with Powergen, said: 'This 増加する will be a 激しい 重荷（を負わせる） for older people on lower incomes. While people can change 供給者s, 研究 has shown that older people are the least likely to make a switch to the best possible 取引，協定 for them.

'They will only do that if they have （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） and support.'

British Gas （人命などを）奪う，主張するd the rise had been 軍隊d on it by an 増加する in the 卸売物価 of gas.

However the company's 火刑／賭ける in 探検 and 供給（する） has made millions from price rises over the last two years.

And while the price of gas has risen over an 18-month period, it has 現実に fallen 支援する over the last 12 months from around 29p a therm to below 24p.

There are also suggestions that British Gas may have even colluded in 押し進めるing up the long 称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 price of the 燃料, a question which is now 存在 調査／捜査するd by both the Department of 貿易（する） and 産業 and the European （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限.

The position mirrors that in the oil and 石油 産業, where companies like BP and 爆撃する complain they make no money from forecourt sales, when in reality they cream off 抱擁する 利益（をあげる）s from 探検 and 生産／産物.

TXU Energi - 以前は Eastern Energy and No rweb, and Britain's third largest gas 供給者 - said it could see no need for an 増加する.

'Our 見解（をとる） is that 卸売物価s are going to come 負かす／撃墜する,' a 広報担当者 said. 'We have no 計画（する）s to put up gas prices and we have a 保証（人） to be cheaper than British Gas until March 2003.'

以前, 労働 大臣s have made （疑いを）晴らす that they are 極端に unhappy about price rises and 脅すd 活動／戦闘 if there was any 証拠 of price 直す／買収する，八百長をするing.

The former 消費者 事件／事情／状勢s 大臣, Dr Kim Howells, 警告するd the 産業 a year ago: 'If there's any question どれでも of collusion の中で the companies, we have in the Office of Fair 貿易（する）ing, very strong 力／強力にするs to take these 事柄s into 調査.

'There is supposed to be good, open 競争 out there and prices are supposed to come 負かす／撃墜する, not go up.'

The former 貿易（する） 長官 Stephen Byers 示唆するd that the 操作／手術 of a gas connector 麻薬を吸う to the Continent was 存在 manipulated to create 人工的な 不足s of gas to 押し進める up prices. He wrote to the EU asking for an 調査.

BG said its costs had gone up by 22 per cent in an 産業 where 卸売 costs had almost 二塁打d in the last 18 months.

The managing director of British Gas 貿易（する）ing, マイク Alexander, said: 'We've held off as long as possible and 吸収するd a 重要な element of the 増加するd cost to keep the price rise low.

'Indeed when high gas costs led to a rise in 国内の gas prices across the 産業 earlier this year, our 増加する was amongst the lowest.

'We've also worked hard to 減ずる the 衝撃 by introducing new services such as a capped electricity 契約, energy efficiency 対策 and support for our more 攻撃を受けやすい 顧客s.'

The 会社／堅い said that prices for its 5.5 million electricity 顧客s, which fell by 3.7 per cent in April this year, would remain 不変の.

Ofgem said the 決定／判定勝ち（する） by BG was a 商業の one and fell within 現在の price 支配（する）／統制するs.

A 広報担当者 said: 'Our advice to 顧客s is as always - to keep an 注目する，もくろむ on where the best 取引，協定s are and 交換（する） 供給者 if they wish.'