www.iva.co.uk

Gas prices are likely to soar, then remain high, it is reported.

Channel Four News said it had seen an internal report for the company Centrica which suggested gas prices could rise by 70%.

Jake Ulrich, managing director of Centrica Energy, told the programme: "I think it is going to hit people hard."

He admitted that gas price rises were likely to lead to a "potentially significant" rise in the number of people in fuel poverty.

And he predicted people would have to change their habits to deal with higher prices.

"I do think we will see people change their behaviour, I think people will use less energy and I hate to go back to the Jimmy Carter days in the US but maybe it's two jumpers instead of one.

"I think people will change the temperature they keep the house, they'll be more cognisant of energy waste, they'll buy better appliances."

Gas prices are likely to remain high in the foreseeable future, he said. "The pressure is going to be upwards on prices for some time."

And he added: "We're part of a world economy and I don't think we can rely on UK production or cheap gas, cheap energy of any sort any more.

"I think it's a reality not only in the UK but in Western Europe and North America - energy is going to become relatively much more expensive in the future."

all the coal this country has going to waste and the jobs it would create mining it again[xx(]

its just getting totally out of hand..

what about these OAPs how they supposed to survive, most panic about bills to start with, without fuel prices soaring.. its bad enough for the younger generation but its worrying, I think about the news in the winter reporting how many pensioners have died from flu/pneumonia as they won't put fire on or heating

More good news then? I live 'up North'. It get bitter cold around these parts at times.I was wearing a rather large woolly cardi yesterday whilst at home and this is July!!!

i'm in the north east Cat and I know what you mean.. i've still had heating on for the odd hours to dry clothes.. no b***** wonder prices are soaring!!

yes were will it end its just getting worse and worse something is going to burst even people without debts can not live on their wages and people are living much longer the demand is so high for everything
this pushes the prices up and then the climate we are getting summer is a thing of the past this will hit crops its a worrying time[:I]

yes i am in the north west and at the moment it is like november[:(]

you can understand people wanting to emigrate

We are also on North West and to say its summer, the weather is b***** awful.
We have a pre paid gas meter which we top up through the summer while we are using less. We put in more than we actually need so it doesnt hit us as hard come winter.
Theres gonna be a boom in coat sales me thinks.

I always try to leave it as late as possible before turning on the heating every year. It does seem to be getting earlier and earlier though. I am thankful that we had the cavity wall done last year (always thought we had some, but we didn't - dread to think how much money disappeared through the wall!), and more insulation in the loft. I am hoping that that will help to keep the bills down.

As you may know, I am in Manchester, and as Mrs Skint and indebtforever say, it is as miserable as can be at the moment. Normally at this time of year you can at least dry the washing on the line, at the moment the dryer is going constantly and our electric bill is horrendous. The gas bill is just as bad and both bills have doubled from the level they were at 2 years ago.

Everybody is certainly feeling the pinch at the moment.

Regards.

Centrica owns British Gas, they published this report commissioned by themselves to 'justify future rises - a self forfilling prophecy in the making....how convient. I accept Gas and oil are cyclical in the industry but still this is a make believe scenario -we are not running out of GAS.It is poor competition unlike supermarkets that is causing the hike in prices