Re: When will Labour ditch Ed M? : Tue Sep 24, 2013 8:30 pm  

Energy companies and their regulation are a joke. We had a gas bill today of c. £80 today of which just £18 was gas. The standing charge was £60!

Re: When will Labour ditch Ed M? : Tue Sep 24, 2013 11:34 pm  

Dally wrote:

Energy companies and their regulation are a joke. We had a gas bill today of c. £80 today of which just £18 was gas. The standing charge was £60!

For how long?

Re: When will Labour ditch Ed M? : Wed Sep 25, 2013 2:11 am  

As the standing charge is obviously an annual charge, I don't get the point of your complaint, which implies you got charged that per month, when obvioulsy hat's not true

Re: When will Labour ditch Ed M? : Wed Sep 25, 2013 5:50 am  

cod'ead wrote:

I don't know if it was just Miliband's summary you listened to but Caroline Flint went into a bit more detail. The energy companies are positioning themselves in a similar way to the banks - too big to fail. There is a complete lack of transparency in the market, especially among those who are involved in production and distribution. The opportunity for fixing transfer pricing is undeniable and cannot be allowed to continue.

Rather than spelling out a firm policy, I think this more of a shot across the bows. The energy companies have been given plenty of opportunities to prove the market really is competitive and have failed miserably. I would't rule out windfall taxes or a forensic audit of the big players. And as far as the "what about a wagw freeze" argument, you'll get next to fookall sympathy from the vast majority of the population

None of this is a new revelation is it ? Which begs the question of why Miliband didn't address it when he was Energy Minister in the previous government.......

Re: When will Labour ditch Ed M? : Wed Sep 25, 2013 6:01 am  

Centrica have been doing a good amount of foot stomping and Violet-Elizabeth Bott "Thqueeming" these past few days starting with the threat of ruination for themselves if Labour's electioneering threat of a 20 month price freeze is ever introduced (lets not forget they have no power to do so at the moment) and in the media they have plenty of media reporters and proprietors willing to print ... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24232292 So clearly the threat there is that the 3.6% increase in profits in the domestic market that Centrica made last year simply by playing the energy purchase market would not be able to continue if their retail prices were capped for a period of 1 year and 8 months, I can't quite see that argument myself and I am no expert in the energy market but I have run a business and I have dealt with suppliers and end users and I know that the two things are very different, in a normal business, like one that is not essential to life, the end user controls your retail price by how much they are willing to pay, but its you who controls your supplier prices by simply not purchasing their stuff if they get too greedy - simplified its true but Centrica seem to be saying that they won't be able to do that any longer if Labours plans ever come to fruition, almost as if they will lose the ability to run a business. They are also suggesting that they won't be able to continue with a planned £110billion investment in power stations but having read what Milliband said its fairly apparent that he is talking about a freeze in subsidies and not a stop to all subsidies, so the investment will continue albeit at the same rate for 20 months, surely ? http://www.express.co.uk/finance/city/431675/Centrica-bins-gas-store-plan And then, coincidentally, they throw a massive foot stomp by pulling out of two huge gas storage projects right now rather than waiting for the words "Ed Milliband PM" to be uttered with the argument that the government subsidy in the projects is not enough, the taxpayer will not pay enough for Centrica to use their own facilities (basically two big holes in the ground) to store gas. Seems like their business is struggling along at the moment, could be a good time for Centrica to just hand British Gas back to the taxpayer and we'll get the job done without them and their threatening ways.

Centrica have been doing a good amount of foot stomping and Violet-Elizabeth Bott "Thqueeming" these past few days starting with the threat of ruination for themselves if Labour's electioneering threat of a 20 month price freeze is ever introduced (lets not forget they have no power to do so at the moment) and in the media they have plenty of media reporters and proprietors willing to print ... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24232292 So clearly the threat there is that the 3.6% increase in profits in the domestic market that Centrica made last year simply by playing the energy purchase market would not be able to continue if their retail prices were capped for a period of 1 year and 8 months, I can't quite see that argument myself and I am no expert in the energy market but I have run a business and I have dealt with suppliers and end users and I know that the two things are very different, in a normal business, like one that is not essential to life, the end user controls your retail price by how much they are willing to pay, but its you who controls your supplier prices by simply not purchasing their stuff if they get too greedy - simplified its true but Centrica seem to be saying that they won't be able to do that any longer if Labours plans ever come to fruition, almost as if they will lose the ability to run a business. They are also suggesting that they won't be able to continue with a planned £110billion investment in power stations but having read what Milliband said its fairly apparent that he is talking about a freeze in subsidies and not a stop to all subsidies, so the investment will continue albeit at the same rate for 20 months, surely ? http://www.express.co.uk/finance/city/431675/Centrica-bins-gas-store-plan And then, coincidentally, they throw a massive foot stomp by pulling out of two huge gas storage projects right now rather than waiting for the words "Ed Milliband PM" to be uttered with the argument that the government subsidy in the projects is not enough, the taxpayer will not pay enough for Centrica to use their own facilities (basically two big holes in the ground) to store gas. Seems like their business is struggling along at the moment, could be a good time for Centrica to just hand British Gas back to the taxpayer and we'll get the job done without them and their threatening ways.

Re: When will Labour ditch Ed M? : Wed Sep 25, 2013 7:08 am  

Derwent wrote:

None of this is a new revelation is it ? Which begs the question of why Miliband didn't address it when he was Energy Minister in the previous government.......

It begs no such question but given Angela Knight is now speaking on their behalf, it's no wonder the energy companies are trotting out that soundbite

Re: When will Labour ditch Ed M? : Wed Sep 25, 2013 7:28 am  

cod'ead wrote:

It begs no such question but given Angela Knight is now speaking on their behalf, it's no wonder the energy companies are trotting out that soundbite

So you don't think that the Energy Minister (of whatever government) shouldn't be looking at these kind of issues then ? How come it wasn't an issue for Miliband when he was in a position to do something about it, but now that it's seen as a vote winner it is suddenly a hot topic ?

Re: When will Labour ditch Ed M? : Wed Sep 25, 2013 7:31 am  

Derwent wrote:

So you don't think that the Energy Minister (of whatever government) shouldn't be looking at these kind of issues then ? How come it wasn't an issue for Miliband when he was in a position to do something about it, but now that it's seen as a vote winner it is suddenly a hot topic ?

Put it another way: should someone do something about the huge rises to utility bills or not? And if so, what?

And if not, how do you expect people to manage to live when, as the ONS reported last November, inflation has outstripped income rises for the past 12 years? What will have to give?

Re: When will Labour ditch Ed M? : Wed Sep 25, 2013 7:33 am  

Mind, poor Centrica. One of the comments at the foot of this: "two years ago paid £30 per month now I pay £200 per month that's where they are getting the millions from plebs like ME" Another indicator of just why so many people are struggling to make ends meet. Privatisation – what a great success story for the country's citizens.

Mind, poor Centrica. One of the comments at the foot of this: "two years ago paid £30 per month now I pay £200 per month that's where they are getting the millions from plebs like ME" Another indicator of just why so many people are struggling to make ends meet. Privatisation – what a great success story for the country's citizens.

Re: When will Labour ditch Ed M? : Wed Sep 25, 2013 7:38 am  

Mintball wrote:

Put it another way: should someone do something about the huge rises to utility bills or not? And if so, what?

And if not, how do you expect people to manage to live when, as the ONS reported last November, inflation has outstripped income rises for the past 12 years? What will have to give?

Oh I don't disagree with the principle of it at all, my point is that like all politicians it is only an issue for them when there is something in it for them. In this particular instance its Miliband, but it could be said of most of the other new breed of political lightweights we seem to have in this country nowadays.

So in answer to your question - yes someone should do something about it. I'm just asking why nobody did anything about it a few years ago because this isn't exactly a new issue for concern is it ?