Brits Are Not Happy With Utility Companies
Brits are not happy with utility companies, a YouGov poll conducted earlier this month shows.
As of 22 August, 49 percent of those surveyed said they felt very unfavourable about utility companies – including electricity, gas, and water providers – and 24 percent said they felt somewhat unfavourable. Fourteen percent felt neither favourable nor unfavourable. Six percent felt somewhat favourable, four percent responded ‘don’t know and two percent felt very favourable about utility companies.
A YouGov poll conducted on 24 August 2021, showed that 32 percent of those surveyed felt neither favourable nor unfavourable about utility companies, 29 percent felt somewhat unfavourable, 15 percent felt somewhat favourable, 14 percent felt very unfavourable, seven percent responded ‘don’t know and two percent felt very favourable.
Last week, UK independent energy regulator Ofgem announced that the energy price cap will increase to $4,162 (GBP 3,549) per year for dual fuel for an average household from 1st October The increase reflects the continued rise in global wholesale gas prices, which began to surge as the world unlocked from the COVID pandemic and have been driven still higher to record levels by Russia slowly switching off gas supplies to Europe, Ofgem noted in a company statement accompanying the cap rise.
“We know the massive impact this price cap increase will have on households across Britain and the difficult decisions consumers will now have to make,” Jonathan Brearley, the CEO of Ofgem, said in a company statement.
“The price of energy has reached record levels driven by an aggressive economic act by the Russian state. They have slowly and deliberately turned off the gas supplies to Europe causing harm to our households, businesses and the wider economy. Ofgem has no choice but to reflect these cost increases in the price cap,” Brearley added.
“The government support package is delivering help right now, but it’s clear the new Prime Minister will need to act further to tackle the impact of the price rises that are coming in October and next year. We are working with ministers, consumer groups and industry on a set of options for the incoming Prime Minister that will require urgent action,” Brearley continued.
Back in February, Ofgem announced that the energy price cap would increase from 1st April for approximately 22 million customers. The company noted at the time that those on default tariffs paying by direct debit would see an increase from $1,497 (GBP 1,277) to $2,311 (GBP 1,971) per year and that prepayment customers would see an increase from $1,535 (GBP 1,309) to $2,365 (GBP 2,017).
YouGov is an international research data and analytics group. Its utility company poll includes between 1,931 and 2,081 UK adults per wave.
•By Andreas Exarheas|Rigzone Staff
To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
