UNDERSTANDING GAS BILLS

That this House notes with dismay the complex calculations required by British Gas customers to enable them to understand and check their gas bills; further notes that customers are told by British Gas that they calculate gas charges by converting the customer's units to kilowatt hours (gas units used x metric conversion factor [2.83] x volume conversion factor [1.02226400] x calorific value [39.7589] divided by kilowatt hour conversion factor [3.6] = kilowatt hours used); notes that for metric meters they do not apply the imperial to metric conversion; further notes that customers are informed that energy is charged at 2 base rates, the first 12.526 kWh per day at 4.959 pence per kWh and the remaining kWh used at 2.801 pence per kWh; further notes that customers are told again that energy is charged at 2 base rates, but, this time, the first 12.526 kWh per day at 3.412 pence per kWh and the remaining kWh used at 2.492 pence per kWh; and believes that these calculations would defeat most people and calls upon British Gas to devise a more straightforward and simplified gas bill.