David Cameron & energy prices

Kennyboy66

A tory government, yes a tory government making ludicrous interference in the free market.

The UK has the second lowest electricity prices in western europe (after France) and Cameron wants the state to set prices to get a few cheap headlines.

Its like 1970's all over again. What next ? a prices and income policy ?

He really is a rancid charlatan

Radiantsoul

I guess the outcome will be an equalisation of tariffs, but on the whole energy companies do not make huge margins.

Graham_Devon

Well to be fair, it's exactly what Ed Milliband stated the other day, is it not? When he was saying he would do something....make tarrif's easier to understand and make sure people paid the right price?

As with everything in politics....they just fiddle. All one tarrif would do is pull all the cheap tarrifs.

You can't tinker round the edges on these things. These companies make collosal profits. Either we accept that, or we stop it. Fiddling with how they make those profits to make it look more acceptable to the general populace is a complete waste of time....and secondly a waste of all our money paying all the politicians and civil servants to spend hours in meetings talking about this claptrap.

Wookster

Oh dear, Sometimes politicians should really think before they speak. One expects someone like ed milliband to make blunders often but Cameron should know better. The energy market is punctuated with incredibly complicated tariffs but if consumers can't be bothered to research and switch then that's there problem.

Kennyboy66

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Well to be fair, it's exactly what Ed Milliband stated the other day, is it not? When he was saying he would do something....make tarrif's easier to understand and make sure people paid the right price?

As with everything in politics....they just fiddle. All one tarrif would do is pull all the cheap tarrifs.

You can't tinker round the edges on these things. These companies make collosal profits. Either we accept that, or we stop it. Fiddling with how they make those profits to make it look more acceptable to the general populace is a complete waste of time....and secondly a waste of all our money paying all the politicians and civil servants to spend hours in meetings talking about this claptrap.

I think Ed Miliband said he would force companies to offer the lowest tariffs to the over 75's.

We are now in the bizarre situation where the Labour appear to be more pro-competition than the Nanny state Tories.

CLAPTON

The governement already massively interfers with the market.

No wind power would be available if it weren't for the massive government dicated subsidies.

The only debate being held is how much the government should interfer rather than any 'free' market proposal.

The suppliers arguably form a cartel but of course one wouldn't expect the 'best rates' to vary much as the product is identical.

It's often impossible to work the 'best rate' for oneself as the prices changes so often and the hassle factor in changing is considerable.

Wookster

CLAPTON wrote: »

No wind power would be available if it weren't for the massive government dicated subsidies.

What a terrible waste of money. Wind-power does not make economic sense.

Generali

Kennyboy66 wrote: »

A tory government, yes a tory government making ludicrous interference in the free market.

The UK has the second lowest electricity prices in western europe (after France) and Cameron wants the state to set prices to get a few cheap headlines.

Its like 1970's all over again. What next ? a prices and income policy ?

He really is a rancid charlatan

Stopping companies from using deliberately confusing pricing structures is no bad thing in general. There is a trend towards that and IMHO it's wrong because these things are deliberately set up to prevent price discovery which results in the market failing at it's main purpose!

Whether this is good or bad specifically I have no idea. It's too hard to follow the detail of politics from afar.

Whether this is a good or

Linton

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Well to be fair, it's exactly what Ed Milliband stated the other day, is it not? When he was saying he would do something....make tarrif's easier to understand and make sure people paid the right price?

As with everything in politics....they just fiddle. All one tarrif would do is pull all the cheap tarrifs.

You can't tinker round the edges on these things. These companies make collosal profits. Either we accept that, or we stop it. Fiddling with how they make those profits to make it look more acceptable to the general populace is a complete waste of time....and secondly a waste of all our money paying all the politicians and civil servants to spend hours in meetings talking about this claptrap.

You havent been reading the tabloids again have you? What evidence do you have that utility companies make over-large profits as a % of turnover or as a % of capital employed compared with say Tesco, Shell or any other large company?

Perhaps you believe that water, gas, electricity should be supplied as a public service since they are all essential to a basic quality of life. That sounds dangerously like socialism which wont go down well on this forum.

Radiantsoul

Wookster wrote: »

What a terrible waste of money. Wind-power does not make economic sense.

I don't know if that is the case. Carbon is arguably not appropriately taxed(cost of global warming and the fact that future generations cannot reburn it), we go to wars to maintain oil, nuclear energy has received large subsidies and is not popular, etc...

SleeplessinScandinavia

Difficult to believe David Cameron is a member of the same party that famously believes that ‘competition solves problems’ – and now his govt wants to intervene in the energy market.

Still - no harm in a touch of PR to 'curry favour' with the poll ratings...:cool:

As energy prices ‘seesaw’ perpetually, how does anyone know what the lowest price will be, at any one time? Will companies, be forced, say from next week, to charge everybody the same 'lower' price? Or will they have time to increase all their prices before any new law is in place? Or maybe there will be an 'average price' - and everyone gets charged the same higher average?

Am I cynical or am I cynical...?:rotfl: