Energy Providers

[Rincewind]

I think they would have found an excuse to put prices up anyway. Not that they would need one.

 

A woman who also does the radio was saying how she was waiting for the meters to be read. She  sat in the kitchen with the door open and went into the garden some later and there was a sorry I missed you card on the door mat. 

 

Thats privatisation for you. You have to read your own meter they dont turn up when a meter reading is due and they put up prices whenever they want.

[Jon the Hat]

Yeah right , of course it is

I think you'll find any excuse for privatised companies to rip us off . 

I'm pretty sure you'd have a different perspective if this was still a nationalised industry.You'd be using this as incontrovertible evidence of corruption , incompetence , inefficiency or greed etc etc 

 But I doubt if you'll ever admit it 

 

Ideological intransigence at it's very best.    

 

What?  I am just saying using a single stat often doesn't tell you the full story.  These companies dont change their price every day, which the wholesale price moves all the time.  At some point they have to either buy forward their gas or leave themselves open to the market price.  Perhaps this is all a bit complicated for you?

[Ross-Kemp]

I think they would have found an excuse to put prices up anyway. Not that they would need one.

A woman who also does the radio was saying how she was waiting for the meters to be read. She sat in the kitchen with the door open and went into the garden some later and there was a sorry I missed you card on the door mat.

Thats privatisation for you. You have to read your own meter they dont turn up when a meter reading is due and they put up prices whenever they want.

Meters only legally have to be read once every 2 years, it's your own responsibility to read the meter.

If she went out into the back garden knowing a reader was attending then it's her own fault.

[Jon the Hat]

I think they would have found an excuse to put prices up anyway. Not that they would need one.

 

A woman who also does the radio was saying how she was waiting for the meters to be read. She  sat in the kitchen with the door open and went into the garden some later and there was a sorry I missed you card on the door mat. 

 

Thats privatisation for you. You have to read your own meter they dont turn up when a meter reading is due and they put up prices whenever they want.

 

Are you joking?  I have about a dozen meter readers a year trying to read my meter.

[Zingari]

What?  I am just saying using a single stat often doesn't tell you the full story.  These companies dont change their price every day, which the wholesale price moves all the time.  At some point they have to either buy forward their gas or leave themselves open to the market price.  Perhaps this is all a bit complicated for you?

How many more times do i have to say this ?

The wholesale price of energy is the same as it was in 2008 ( it actually went down for a considerable amount of time) but they keep using it as an excuse to put prices up. If the are blatantly lying about that, how can we trust anything they say? .

 

How many rises have we had since 2008 ?

[Guest MattP]

Are you joking?  I have about a dozen meter readers a year trying to read my meter.

 

I'm sorry Sir but who are you to doubt the woman who (clearly does something else I think) who also does the radio was said how she was sat all day waiting for the meters to be read sat in the kitchen with the door open that went into the garden for a minute some later and there was a sorry I missed you card on the door mat.

 

This clearly isn't the ramblings of an insane old woman. This is the evil of privatisation, had this beeen a nationalised industry they would have stood at the door knocking for 3 hours whilst offering gas at a price even the homeless could afford.

[Jon the Hat]

How many more times do i have to say this ?

The wholesale price of energy is the same as it was in 2008 ( it actually went down for a considerable amount of time) but they keep using it as an excuse to put prices up. If the are blatantly lying about that, how can we trust anything they say? .

 

How many rises have we had since 2008 ?

 

My point is that you can quote a chart, but unless you actually know the source of that chart, you don't know whether it accurately reflects the cost of forward purchase agreements for Gas at that time or not, so you are not necessarily comparing the cost of Gas to the suppliers to the cost they pass on to the consumer.  I am not saying there is not a scam going on here, there may well be, but that chart doesn't give us enough information to tell one way or another.

[Zingari]

My point is that you can quote a chart, but unless you actually know the source of that chart, you don't know whether it accurately reflects the cost of forward purchase agreements for Gas at that time or not, so you are not necessarily comparing the cost of Gas to the suppliers to the cost they pass on to the consumer.  I am not saying there is not a scam going on here, there may well be, but that chart doesn't give us enough information to tell one way or another.

OK OK you win have it your own way.  

But I'm sure that chart would have been enough for you if we were talking about how public utilities had scammed us

[Trav Le Bleu]

It's the Bankers I feel sorry for.

 

Imagine seeing a 10% increase when you have three or four houses to heat.

 

You don't heat empty houses.

[Jon the Hat]

OK OK you win have it your own way.

But I'm sure that chart would have been enough for you if we were talking about how public utilities had scammed us

 

I think that is a bit harsh.  I tend to believe state provided services are inefficient.

[Guest MattP]

You don't heat empty houses.

 

Evil Nazi Bankers and Tories do.

 

Then they walk down the street laughing and pointing at the poor while they catch flights to the Cayman Islands to hide their taxes.

[Jon the Hat]

You don't heat empty houses.

 

You do unless you want damp.

[Jon the Hat]

Evil Nazi Bankers and Tories do.

 

Then they walk down the street laughing and pointing at the poor while they catch flights to the Cayman Islands to hide their taxes.

 

After a few drinks a mate and I devised a great plan to go to the Heathrow expansion protest camps a few years back. 

 

The plan was thus:

1) Rent a couple of Range Rovers.  The V8 petrol ones, not some diesel bollocks.

2) Rent a couple of huge winnebago trailers

3) Procure a large gazebo awning thing to go in between said winnebagos

4) Get a couple of generators going to power a TV and sounds system.

5) Light up four or five of those gas heaters, you know being outside isn't much fun if you get a bit chilly.

 

Probably best that the cost was a little prohibitive we might have upset a few of the hippy greeny types.  Would have been fun though.

 

Edit:  And the beer fridge, I forgot about that.

[Guest MattP]

I would have contributed myself to join in that!

[Jon the Hat]

I would have contributed myself to join in that!

 

Once we added the cost of security it got a bit silly.

[leicsmac]

I think that is a bit harsh.  I tend to believe state provided services are inefficient.

 

And the present situation is no good for the consumer either, it would seem - due to the aforementioned lack of competition and perversion of free market economics. So what can be done?

[Zingari]

I think that is a bit harsh.  I tend to believe state provided services are inefficient.

And just how much more efficient are the privatised utilities ?

I don't just mean I want to hear an intransigent belief that they are, I'd really like  to see some hard evidence of it.

Because I'm feckin well sure I'm paying a lot lot more in real terms for gas water and electricity now.

 

Prove me wrong   

[Rincewind]

They cannot hide taxes if they have not been paid as the IR have not got their grubby mitts on them Unlike the average man who has no choice and is taxed on almost everything. They hide what should have been paid in taxes. I don't know why people condone this,

[The God Emperor]

And just how much more efficient are the privatised utilities ?

I don't just mean I want to hear an intransigent belief that they are, I'd really like  to see some hard evidence of it.

Because I'm feckin well sure I'm paying a lot lot more in real terms for gas water and electricity now.

 

Prove me wrong   

If the nationalised providers where more efficient then why did the government have to resort to inflationary spending to fund them? It may have said the gas was cheap on the bill but thats not countign the other ways you would have been paying for them.

not the current system of government backed cartel is any better or devalues our currency any less mind. 

[Rincewind]

They are in it to make a profit so the consumer is not high on their priorities. Same as any other business.

[Jon the Hat]

They are in it to make a profit so the consumer is not high on their priorities. Same as any other business.

 

Shows how much you know about business Ken.  In 90% of them, if you don't have you customer at the top of your priority list then you won't have a business for long.  This is where the utilities are in fact different from many other businesses, because you are captive, and they all seem as bad as each other.

[Rincewind]

No profit no customer

[The God Emperor]

They are in it to make a profit so the consumer is not high on their priorities. Same as any other business.

as a government backed cartel this is true, no competition means they can do as they please.

Without the governments protection if they treat the customer like dirt they will go else where. in a competitive and free market the consumer is the number 1 priority.   

No customer no profit

fixed that for you 

[Harry - LCFC]

Yeah I have to say come on Ken, the cafe down the road isn't going to remain in business if it charges £5 for a cup of coffee is it? It's just the bigger companies that are some times able to exploit their position.

[leicsmac]

If the nationalised providers where more efficient then why did the government have to resort to inflationary spending to fund them? It may have said the gas was cheap on the bill but thats not countign the other ways you would have been paying for them.

not the current system of government backed cartel is any better or devalues our currency any less mind. 

 

Yup, this.

 

Shows how much you know about business Ken.  In 90% of them, if you don't have you customer at the top of your priority list then you won't have a business for long.  This is where the utilities are in fact different from many other businesses, because you are captive, and they all seem as bad as each other.

 

And this is bang on the money too. Free market economics is superb for the consumer as long as it remains free, but sadly with the energy companies that's not the case. Is there a solution? Who knows? The consumer is getting shafted any which way.