Gordo does it again !

1carminestocky

Totally agree with a lot of what you say, DGJSaver, but what about France? Are they not a capitalist economy? If you are going to allow the privatisation of a basic human resource then there must CLEARLY be a determination to regulate it properly and regularly. It is to the eternal shame of successive Govts. after Maggie's appalling regime that this has NOT been a political potato hot enough to see through.

DGJsaver

1carminestocky wrote: »

Totally agree with a lot of what you say, DGJSaver, but what about France? Are they not a capitalist economy? If you are going to allow the privatisation of a basic human resource then there must CLEARLY be a determination to regulate it properly and regularly. It is to the eternal shame of successive Govts. after Maggie's appalling regime that this has NOT been a political potato hot enough to see through.

To be honest mate i couldnt give a toss about france , i care about here and about what this governement that i helped get in power here , does , or more to the point doesnt , do.

Let business thrive but not at the consumers expense ! , applies even more so as its a basic need they are plakying with, it`s not as if we think Tescos is getting to dear , im going to morrisons this week , if only it were that simple !

But it`s all too late now , The torys are more or less in so anything that is done now is far too late

moonrakerz

BYALPHAINDIA wrote: »

Anybody see the Main man of Eon in the Mirror - saying he is out for the kill, To make as much money out of all of us as he can??

Yes, absolutely dreadful wasn't it ?

Of course only someone from an energy supplier would be so brazen as to say such an awful thing about their customers, wouldn't they ?

You obviously don't remember Gerald Ratner say this his shops sold "crap".

or

Royal Bank of Scotland deputy chairman George Mathewson saying that his £750,000 bonus was not enough to buy "bragging power in a Soho wine bar".

or

The marketing chief of clothes retailer Top Man saying his customers were "hooligans".

or

Camelot boss Dianne Thompson saying that, far from being in with a chance of riches, lottery ticket buyers "would be lucky to win a tenner."

1carminestocky

I have a feeling the Eon bloke's career won't be quite so affected as Mr Ratner's, though....

Dreamnine

They'll all get their comeuppance.

1carminestocky

Come the revolution, lol....

A_fiend_for_life

dori2o wrote: »

Lets not forget it was Thatchers Tory government that put us in this position by privatising our national energy provider and allowing these companies to raise and cut (not likely) prices as required to guarantee their shareholders extreemly large dividends, for their directors to take obscene amounts of money in bonuses, and make unnecessary £B's profits.

I'll vote for any party that agrees to Nationalise our energy services again. 1 price for everyone with no emphasis on the profiteering that we currently see.

Lets not forget it was both Labour and Tory government attitudes of squandering a limited valuable mineral resource to shore up the economy: Both new about peak oil both squandered. The Norwegians seem to have done a far better job of it.

I don't think nationalisation or privatisation is the golden bullet to provide such an essential service.

Privatisation may mean fat cats, shareholders, bonuses(?) and slimming down of infrastructure such as gas storage and power plants running at near maximum with little overhead at times.

Nationalisation has its pitfalls too. Industrial action, demand for higher wages which impact on costs (Nothing wrong with a fair wage of course). More layers of management and slower decision making. Bloated infrastructure and a use it or lose it attitude to annual budgets.

Both have their problems and both work in opposition to the consumer.

Much as I would prefer nationalisation the higher prices we currently experience are here to stay, add to that a lack of spare capacity and industrial action we'd have rebound in energy demand for heating during the cold periods causing more power outages or power cuts (I forget the distinction here!!).

Not for profit? An appreciation that shares in energy companies should be a long term investment?

I certainly remember more power cuts with nationalisation than privatisation but that might be a combination of geography and a poor memory.

We now seem to have more deviation and hesitation than repetition. Where's the 'Insulation, Insulation, Insulation'. This is what counts most in the short, medium and long term.

Anyway I think I've stomped my foot through my soapbox.

tomstickland

moonrakerz wrote: »

You obviously don't remember Gerald Ratner say this his shops sold "crap".

Yes, poor man, he was just being honest about the cheapest item his shops sold.

A_fiend_for_life

1carminestocky wrote: »

Come the revolution, lol....

Bit chilly for that is it not.

Cardew

A_fiend_for_life wrote: »

Lets not forget it was both Labour and Tory government attitudes of squandering a limited valuable mineral resource to shore up the economy: Both new about peak oil both squandered. The Norwegians seem to have done a far better job of it.

I don't think nationalisation or privatisation is the golden bullet to provide such an essential service.

Privatisation may mean fat cats, shareholders, bonuses(?) and slimming down of infrastructure such as gas storage and power plants running at near maximum with little overhead at times.

Nationalisation has its pitfalls too. Industrial action, demand for higher wages which impact on costs (Nothing wrong with a fair wage of course). More layers of management and slower decision making. Bloated infrastructure and a use it or lose it attitude to annual budgets.

Both have their problems and both work in opposition to the consumer.

Much as I would prefer nationalisation the higher prices we currently experience are here to stay, add to that a lack of spare capacity and industrial action we'd have rebound in energy demand for heating during the cold periods causing more power outages or power cuts (I forget the distinction here!!).

Not for profit? An appreciation that shares in energy companies should be a long term investment?

I certainly remember more power cuts with nationalisation than privatisation but that might be a combination of geography and a poor memory.

We now seem to have more deviation and hesitation than repetition. Where's the 'Insulation, Insulation, Insulation'. This is what counts most in the short, medium and long term.

Anyway I think I've stomped my foot through my soapbox.

Apparently the Norwegians, who have the best supply of North Sea oil available, have the highest petrol prices in Europe.

Even in the USA they have been careful to not exploit their oil and gas reserves in the same manner as Britain has done since we discovered our 'Black Gold'.

It still amazes me that so many threads on MSE(and the tabloid media) give the impression that it is the profiteering Utility companies that are the major contributer to our high gas and electricity prices - and they ain't!!!

As said many times, reduce their profit margins to zero and get rid of the huge salaries and it will hardly make a dent in our £1,200 pa fuel bills.

I have not seen any argument from the Government or in the media that states the large price increases for gas and electricity are not broadly justified.

Even the tabloid headlines that scream about the obscene profits, at the same time as the price increases, fall short of arguing that they are not justified by world energy prices.

Sure there is a valid argument that profit margins are high(and a valid argument that they are not) but they have a marginal effect on the price we pay.