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Energy companies 'exploit poor'
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Energy companies have been accused by an industry watchdog of exploiting some of the poorest people in society.
Customers with pre-payment meters are paying hundreds of pounds more for electricity and gas than those with access to the cheapest tariffs.
According to Energywatch, some people cannot take advantage of lower tariffs as they do not have bank accounts.
Customers on the meters are charged an average of £195 more a year than those paying by direct debit, it says.
Full Article: BBC NEWS
(Which we on here already know).
Customers with pre-payment meters are paying hundreds of pounds more for electricity and gas than those with access to the cheapest tariffs.
According to Energywatch, some people cannot take advantage of lower tariffs as they do not have bank accounts.
Customers on the meters are charged an average of £195 more a year than those paying by direct debit, it says.
Full Article: BBC NEWS
(Which we on here already know).
It's PAC not PAC Code, it's MAC not MAC Code, it's PIN not PIN Number, it's ATM not ATM Machine, it's LCD not LCD Display, it's DVD not DVD disc... It's no one not noone, It's a lot not alot, It's got not gotten... Panini is the plural of panino - there is no S!!
(OK my English isn't great, the sciences, maths & IT are my strong points!)
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Comments
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not EBICO
they treat all customers equally0 -
not EBICO
they treat all customers equally
Though it does cost more to offer a service to pre-payment customers, but they let those who pay by direct debit and cash/cheque subsidise them.
So is it really treating them equally when those who don't pay by pre-payment are subsidising the cost?
EBICO are only OK for those on pre-payment, those who pay by other means can get cheaper rates elsewhere.
EBICO is a good idea, just a shame in practice it isn't quite so good.It's PAC not PAC Code, it's MAC not MAC Code, it's PIN not PIN Number, it's ATM not ATM Machine, it's LCD not LCD Display, it's DVD not DVD disc... It's no one not noone, It's a lot not alot, It's got not gotten... Panini is the plural of panino - there is no S!!(OK my English isn't great, the sciences, maths & IT are my strong points!)0 -
It depends how you view how societies should be made up.Though it does cost more to offer a service to pre-payment customers, but they let those who pay by direct debit and cash/cheque subsidise them.
So is it really treating them equally when those who don't pay by pre-payment are subsidising the cost?
That should read "may" as it depends on your use of electricity and gas.EBICO are only OK for those on pre-payment, those who pay by other means can get cheaper rates elsewhere.I'm not cynical I'm realistic
(If a link I give opens pop ups I won't know I don't use windows)0 -
Bearing in mind that fuel poverty is classed as 10% of income being spent on energy consumption, and doesnt include any money being repayed as debt, PPMs work.
Makes things easy to budget, easy to manage, takes away huge quarterley bills, cant argue. The extra cost of PPMs isnt visits to property, its providing facilities for customers to top the meters up, providing keys, developing new types of meter that are more accurate etc.0 -
Try signing here...
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to make gas and electricity free for the millions of people in the UK who are
classified as living in 'fuel poverty'
In Britain today more than 2 million homes are living in what
is called Fuel Poverty. That is to say, the inhabitants spend
more than 10% of their incomes on fuel bills. Britain is one of
the world's richest countries, but this year more than 25,000
people, mostly seniors, are expected to die from cold-related
illnesses. We have to stop this by helping the most desperate
members of our society.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/spread-warmth/Missing Tesco R&R since Feb '07 :A & now a "Tesco veteran" apparently!
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Plushchris wrote: »Try signing here...
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to make gas and electricity free for the millions of people in the UK who are classified as living in 'fuel poverty'
In Britain today more than 2 million homes are living in what
is called Fuel Poverty. That is to say, the inhabitants spend
more than 10% of their incomes on fuel bills. Britain is one of
the world's richest countries, but this year more than 25,000
people, mostly seniors, are expected to die from cold-related
illnesses. We have to stop this by helping the most desperate
members of our society.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/spread-warmth/
Who's gonna pay for that?It's PAC not PAC Code, it's MAC not MAC Code, it's PIN not PIN Number, it's ATM not ATM Machine, it's LCD not LCD Display, it's DVD not DVD disc... It's no one not noone, It's a lot not alot, It's got not gotten... Panini is the plural of panino - there is no S!!(OK my English isn't great, the sciences, maths & IT are my strong points!)0 -
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Plushchris wrote: »The government, I dont know about you but if it meant I knew it would save old people from dying from hypothermia etc. then I could live with it coming out of the tax I pay.
Many old people think they can't afford the heating, when in fact they can't spend their money quick enough.
My nan was similar, other than we told her, don't worry about the heating, if you ever get stuck we'll sort it out, yet even though she was only on state benefits she had more money coming in that she could ever spend, we'd often find thousands in boxes we'd have to put in the bank for her. There are many many people like that.
Maybe what needs changing is the way some benefits are paid, maybe part of that benefit is paying for heating and electricity, but other benefits reduced, because if these people like my Nan and her friends and neighbours are all stashing the benefits because they can't spend the money quick enough, there's no need to get more benefit.It's PAC not PAC Code, it's MAC not MAC Code, it's PIN not PIN Number, it's ATM not ATM Machine, it's LCD not LCD Display, it's DVD not DVD disc... It's no one not noone, It's a lot not alot, It's got not gotten... Panini is the plural of panino - there is no S!!(OK my English isn't great, the sciences, maths & IT are my strong points!)0 -
Maybe what needs changing is the way some benefits are paid, maybe part of that benefit is paying for heating and electricity, but other benefits reduced,
Hit the nail on the head there!
I agree, instead of giving people the money to pay for bills which may well get spent on other things or saved the fuel should be paid for directly by the government instead.Missing Tesco R&R since Feb '07 :A & now a "Tesco veteran" apparently!0 -
Plushchris wrote: »Hit the nail on the head there!
I agree, instead of giving people the money to pay for bills which may well get spent on other things or saved the fuel should be paid for directly by the government instead.
Yeah, I'd have no problems with that.It's PAC not PAC Code, it's MAC not MAC Code, it's PIN not PIN Number, it's ATM not ATM Machine, it's LCD not LCD Display, it's DVD not DVD disc... It's no one not noone, It's a lot not alot, It's got not gotten... Panini is the plural of panino - there is no S!!(OK my English isn't great, the sciences, maths & IT are my strong points!)0
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