dspp wrote:daducky wrote:
As an aside, I noted that for the top 6 largest energsupplies post privatisation of the energy supply market, prices to customers had increased 3 x energy cost inflation in the first 10 years of operating.
That gives you an insight into the amount of underinvestment into the UK energy system in the previous decades during public ownership, and the amount of accumulated obsolescence that needed to be overcome. There were of course some bad things about privatising the utilities (elec, gas, phones, water & sewage, trains), but if you look at the infrastructure progress and service improvements the UK has made in the last 40-years it is very significant.
regards, dspp
I really can't say i've noticed service or infrastruc improvements. But then i live in a city rather than wild and wind swept moors...
All i've i noticed is ripe opportunism from inadequate regulation.
Recently Parly passed a law requiring energy cos to refund customer credit, upon
customer application at the end of their contract. On this:
i) the co unilaterally increased the debit to a rate from customers could not use in a year. Accordingly they should be required to automatically return credit to the same bank account the direct debit was drawn from ie without customer request. It almost certain a good number of customers are not even aware that their energy supply cos sit of piles of their credit and so will not ask for a return of what they're not aware.
Ii) that energy cos sit on credit from xs charging can and particularly for less worldly customers leave them free to be shamefully exploited. It should be the case that a) credit is returned annually eg on 31/3. b) the overcharge from the prior year is used to adjust the current's year's charge to minimise the building of credit which will not be used in year.
Iii) that neither of these actions have been undertaken signals inadequate law making in regard to public protection from profiteering.