The Energy Rip-off

[brb]

is it time for the government to intervene?

I see that it has been announced today further energy increases across electricity and gas prices, some going up as much as over 10%.

So despite the last decade people looking at ways of cutting their energy requirements via energy saving devices and reducing consumption, with dwindling world resources, the annual energy costs for the consumer are more expensive now despite ensuring measures to reduce that consumption. Our little tiny island in the world is still used as an excuse to screw the British consumer by major companies, under the guise of future planning and development in the search of renewable energy.

I've not had my heating on once since last winter/spring so how much more do these energy companies want us to cut back? With the temperatures due to drop over the coming week, I wonder how many elderly suffer the same dilemma but may not be so resilient health wise, when faced with the options.

I always believed many years ago what the outcome would be if the Gas/Electric/Water companies were left to their own devices, their continued greed is now evident for everyone to see. Sorry how wrong am I, they are planning for the future of generations to come and the UK will continue to lead the way, yeah right.

[mark8364]

We are lucky we have a great landlord! £650 a month all bills included! Been the same for 2 years!

[CadburyMan]

Our supplier recently wrote to us suggesting that we increase our monthly direct debit by some 20%. I looked at the account online and this showed that we were £180 in credit for electricity and £255 for gas; this credit should easily see us through the winter with a bit to spare

After some discussion with the supplier we came to the conclusion that we would get better service and value elsewhere so that is exactly what we did

Doubtless we will have to go through the same hoop in some months' time.

Worst thing we ever did was to sell off the utility companies and make ourselves "energy-hostages to Russia etc.

[Garawa]

I cannot understand how they justify the increases as the cost of the raw product. Funny how it never goes down when the raw price does, especially in the summer months. British Gas announce profits of £300m+ for 6 months and yet put prices up just as the heating starts to be switched on. Do they think we are daft/blind/both?

The government should intervene because in any other sector market forces would dictate what people can charge. Effective competition would ensure the prices stay as low as possible. So this must be a cartel and is proved by how they all put prices up within weeks of each other. Its sick and is helping (along with cost of petrol) to make everything else super expensive through inflation!

[Elgrande]

It is the same with utilities all over Europe. You only have one grid, one pipe system and in the main one Telephone system, people just pay to use it so you can never really get true competition. The government is getting involved, but you can bet the EU will stick its Degaulle size nose in if they and when they do.

[steve347]

We live in an era of monetary fascism when corporations, financiers and politicians are continuing to rob us by many means (including money printing and low interest rates = financial repression) so they have made their piles of money before we all sail off the cliff together.
Gryff is storing years of supply of dog food tins in the garage cos he's no fool.

[Poshgill]

Where is Sid now then? I'll f$#&ing tell him alright !

Call me naive if you like, but I thought the whole thing about privatisation was to introduce competition into the utilities markets so drive down cost. Well it certainly hasn't happened and it never was going to happen. We need to get utilities back in the public domain. We all need gas, electricity and water. For these mostly foreign owned companies to make outrageous profit on the backs of necessity is quite frankly, obscene.

[sotongill]

Hear , hear , Posh ! Essential utilities should be under public control - Some previous governments leave a lot to be answered for , especially the Greed is Good Thatcher ones .

Our supplier recently wrote to us suggesting that we increase our monthly direct debit by some 20%. I looked at the account online and this showed that we were £180 in credit for electricity and £255 for gas; this credit should easily see us through the winter with a bit to spare
.

Happened to a good friend of mine Cadbury , a couple of years back . Got his annual statement that showed he had £500 credit on both Gas and Electricity . So they had £1000 of his money . Told him they were increasing his Direct Debit payments for the next twelve months . He was completely baffled , couldn't understand why they were doing that . Me , i pay quarterly in arrears as i've always done , don't let them get hold of my money in any other way .

[Robpthegills]

Lol first its facism to blame and then its thatcher.

15 years of left wing didnt do us any good. Can you people not move forward. There has been ample time to change things but nobody has. You can blame everyone else for that.

As for the bill's going up I also think its dreadfull, its putting even more pressure on families that are already struggling, but seriously can we deal with the here and now and stop wanting to blame
thatcher for everything. Even if it was a mistake initially your supposed left wing gods have had ample time to change things.

[Poshgill]

Tell me then Rob. Has privatisation worked for the utilies? Have the promised increased competition given the consumer wider choice and cheaper utilities? Who exactly has benefited from seeling off gas, water and electricity?

I don't recall 'blaming' anyone on this thread but it is intersting to note that you jump to the defence of Thatcher and a failed policy at the drop of a hat. We gave it a try, it hasn't worked, let's try something else.

The utilites are mainly owned by foreign companies. Lets knock that on the head straight away. Also, Offwat and the other regulators are toothless quango's that cost a lot of money to operate. These quango's are backed by this govt and you would think that with them banging on about austerity all the time, they would have looked at this sort of thing, but then, its jobs for the boys isn't it?

Perfectly ok for this regime to waste £40m in our money on a failed Rail Franchise bid but they won't tackle importnat issues like spiralling costs of utilities. Of course the last Labour govt did lots of things wrong, but one thing they did do was manage to keep a lid on electricity and gas prices. The cost of these have rocketed since this lot were in. Wonder haw many front benchers have shares in utilities companies........