I am gouged, you are gouged, we are gouged...

[yoganmahew]

… looks like they are gouged too; read to the end:
ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2010/03 … r-desurge/

A UK power desurge
Posted by Izabella Kaminska on Mar 26 17:01.

In the UK, it is a well know fact that power demand surges at the end of every episode of Eastenders, Britain’s best-loved TV show.

The reason that happens — for those unfamiliar with British custom — is because millions of people simultaneously rush to switch on their kettles to make a cup of tea.

All of that water boiling demands a lot of energy (2.2kW in our example).

The tea-rush habit is so dependable, meanwhile, that TV ratings are compiled using National Grid data.

Alas, even cliffhanger endings and the killing off of a major character weren’t enough to boost UK electricity demand in 2009.

[HoardAndSurvive]

Average consumer energy bills up 19 pct at £1,178

Thats pretty shocking.

Just proves that deflation is a myth.

[The_Unwelcome_Guest]

Pretty cold winter in all fairness…

[Longtermrenter]

Surely the punchline should read “average domestic bill”, paints a different picture, as TUG points out, it was a cold winter.

[BoyRacer]

Surely the punchline should read “average domestic bill”, paints a different picture, as TUG points out, it was a cold winter.

The cold winter did not really hit until very end December 2009 into January 2010 and the statistics are from the year 2009 published on Dec 23, so the cold winter does not explain it.

decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn150/pn150.aspx

[dolanbaker]

It’s more to do with recent increases in oil prices and fuel taxes than anything else, with peak oil on the horizon, the percentage of income spent on fuel will continue to increase.

I have certainly noticed that here in recent months!

It can only get worse.