Trying to freeze utility prices - can a labour supporter please explain how?

kabayiri

Kennyboy66 wrote: »

...
There shouldn't be quite as much variation in Gas prices.

This came up on the radio this morning, highlighting the relative lack of gas storage here compared to our Euro neighbours. Apparently, back in May we got down to only 6 days of Gas supply held. There was a vague suggestion this impacts on the price we pay, but it wasn't substantiated.

The argument over who pays for building new storage will undoubtedly surface.

Fella

Kennyboy66 wrote: »

Lovely.

And people wonder why the more intelligent posters, who offer a bit of insight have disappeared.

If someone has a dig I'm quite happy to tell them to eff off. Easily avoided by not having a dig in the first place.

Passive-aggressive turds & the people who support them make me puke. Either be nice YOURSELF or don't complain if you get a reaction.

Fella

wotsthat wrote: »

I've only heard this argument for the first time in the last few days. Some bright spark in the conservative party must have thought it up, run it through a focus group and found it resonated. I expect to hear more of it in the coming months.

I haven't heard anyone say it actually, it's just an obvious thing for them to say since it's true.

wotsthat wrote: »

The conservatives are overspending just as labour were. Labour were holding the baby when it went t**s up and took a huge credibility hit. People don't look too deeply though - if a financial crisis hit right now the same thing would be said about the conservatives.

Remember when labour and conservatives were trying to out trump each other based on how little they were going to spend? What happened to that?

Yes I agree the Tories are spending like crazy. They don't have the courage of their own convictions & are dismally disappointing so far. That's not to say that Labour wouldn't be much worse - they would - but it's a bit like comparing a mugger who nicks your wallet to someone who stabs you as well.

CLAPTON

Kennyboy66 wrote: »

Electricity can be generated from many different sources each with a different short and long run cost. It can't be stored and is both expensive and inefficient to transmit long distances.
Some countries made the decision to go nuclear in a big way decades ago (france) with the state paying, some countries are 'going green' and loading the cost onto current consumers.

It's hardly "undifferentiated stuff".

There shouldn't be quite as much variation in Gas prices.

It is 'undifferentiated' stuff from a consumers point of view. We get exactly the same stuff whoever we buy it from.

So the price can't vary very much, because we consumers and industry would move from expensive to the cheaper 'undifferentiated ' stuff.

At 'best' expensive electricity generators would go bust as indeed British Energy did but distribution companies can buy from the market.

Although BE going bankrupt was, I suppose a triumph of the market, the price we will pay is that no-one will ever build a new nuclear facility without subsidies and price guarantees for 30-40 years.

michaels

I think we like to think that when a 'stupid' policy is announced it shows that the politicians are stupid but actually we should remember that they are not, I see it playing out like this:

Labour announce popularist move. Utility companies play along by objecting loudly, using their role as pantomime baddies to maximise the level of publicity.

Meanwhile in the background they have agreed to play it as follows, utility prices increase sharply (in anticipation of a freeze) in the run up to the election, "under Tories prices are rising rapidly, Labour are promising a freeze" (which of course the suppliers have already factored in). Suppliers win, Labour wins, consumers lose, pitiful '4th estate' media make no attempt to explain this as it is 'too complicated' for the general public.

It is called political election strategy, it has nothing to do with the interests of the voters who will be fooled by it and everything to do with the ambitions of the very bright people in the political parties and their counterparts paid by the utility companies. See 50p tax rate at end of 13 years of labour govt and 50k cut off for child benefit as other examples.

CLAPTON

michaels wrote: »

I think we like to think that when a 'stupid' policy is announced it shows that the politicians are stupid but actually we should remember that they are not, I see it playing out like this:

Labour announce popularist move. Utility companies play along by objecting loudly, using their role as pantomime baddies to maximise the level of publicity.

Meanwhile in the background they have agreed to play it as follows, utility prices increase sharply (in anticipation of a freeze) in the run up to the election, "under Tories prices are rising rapidly, Labour are promising a freeze" (which of course the suppliers have already factored in). Suppliers win, Labour wins, consumers lose, pitiful '4th estate' media make no attempt to explain this as it is 'too complicated' for the general public.

It is called political election strategy, it has nothing to do with the interests of the voters who will be fooled by it and everything to do with the ambitions of the very bright people in the political parties and their counterparts paid by the utility companies. See 50p tax rate at end of 13 years of labour govt and 50k cut off for child benefit as other examples.

a little unclear why the Utility companies want a labour victory

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I would vote for whichever politician just came out and told the truth; there are no cheap, easy energy solutions that please everyone.

Nobody wants to live near a power station.
Nobody wants to live near a nuclear plant.
Nobody wants to rely on gas from dodgy ex Soviet states.
People moan about wind turbines.

And yet everyone expects the lights to always come on, and thinks it should be pretty much free.

Kennyboy66

kabayiri wrote: »

This came up on the radio this morning, highlighting the relative lack of gas storage here compared to our Euro neighbours. Apparently, back in May we got down to only 6 days of Gas supply held. There was a vague suggestion this impacts on the price we pay, but it wasn't substantiated.

The argument over who pays for building new storage will undoubtedly surface.

It already has Centrica have written off £250m.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24207586

ILW

Out,_Vile_Jelly wrote: »

I would vote for whichever politician just came out and told the truth; there are no cheap, easy energy solutions that please everyone.

Nobody wants to live near a power station.
Nobody wants to live near a nuclear plant.
Nobody wants to rely on gas from dodgy ex Soviet states.
People moan about wind turbines.

And yet everyone expects the lights to always come on, and thinks it should be pretty much free.

Just start using our massive coal reserves again and tell the Greenies to shove it.

I have never seen a Polar bear in my life and can always look at archive footage if I want to.

grizzly1911

Kennyboy66 wrote: »

It already has Centrica have written off £250m.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24207586

Centrica haven't written off anything the consumers will have paid for it.