Energy companies going bust

[Macca]

As usual, a potentially good idea, if done right (to reduce government control and offer more choice/cost savings for the consumer) has been ruined by taking it to extremes, through sheer greed for gold!

Marco [not a fan of a government single-owned anything, especially something as important as energy].

Usually I'm not but in the case of water and power I am. And passenger rail services too for that matter.

Water and power are essentials so shouldn't be run for profit and no-one in the history of the world has ever run a genuinely profitable passenger rail service, any profits made come from government subsidy, i.e out of our taxes.

[struth]

Usually I'm not but in the case of water and power I am. And passenger rail services too for that matter.

Water and power are essentials so shouldn't be run for profit and no-one in the history of the world has ever run a genuinely profitable passenger rail service, any profits made come from government subsidy, i.e out of our taxes.

I'd buy that for a dollar

[Marco]

I understand your reasoning and partially agree, but I'm uncomfortable with the government having the power to cut off your water or energy supply, if for whatever reason, you refuse to 'play ball'.

Energy and water companies should be privately owned, but not run for obscene amounts of profit. Profits should be capped and/or anything over that given to charity. There are simply too many 'fat cats' around, creaming off society, to further their own selfish ends, rather than contributing to the greater good of man.

Marco.

[Macca]

They can't cut your water off if you are a private individual, it's against the law.

Government owned or private owned they will still cut your power off if you don't pay the bill. If you do pay the bill then there's no reason to cut you off.

[Marco]

Lol... Not paying the bill wasn't quite what I meant about not 'playing ball'....

Marco.

[Macca]

Lol... Not paying the bill wasn't quite what I meant about not 'playing ball'....

Marco.

Not sure what you mean then.

[Marco]

Think about possible government-imposed 'emergency measures' introduced (supposedly) to control future pandemics, and not 'playing ball' in that respect, thus facing the consequences...

You can laugh, but I'm afraid I wouldn't trust the fuckers (ANY of them, not just the Tories), as far as I could throw them, so my mantra would always be to REDUCE government authority and control, in ANY area, not increase it, thus empower them more!

Give more power to the people, but only humanitarians and those genuinely out to do good and improve the life of the common man, not odious, money/power-obsessed fat cats.

Marco.

[PeteT]

So at what point does one become a 'fat cat'..?

My local council chief exec earns more than the prime minister's salary... FFS..

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[Macca]

Think about possible government-imposed 'emergency measures' introduced (supposedly) to control future pandemics, and not 'playing ball' in that respect, thus facing the consequences...

You can laugh, but I'm afraid I wouldn't trust the fuckers (ANY of them, not just the Tories), as far as I could throw them, so my mantra would always be to REDUCE government authority and control, in ANY area, not increase it, thus empower them more!

Give more power to the people, but only humanitarians and those genuinely out to do good, not odious fat cats.

Marco.

well I don't think that scenario is even remotely likely, but if it were then they could just as easily make the private energy company cut you off as do it themselves, there's no additional protection afforded by the fact that the billing company (as that is all they are) is privately owned. Within the scope of the Emergency Powers Act (1964) the Government can already effectively do whatever they want.

If you were really concerned about something like that then you would never have got a smart meter as that makes it a doddle to cut you off. One click of a mouse. To cut me off without cutting off the whole neighbourhood as well then they have to come out and dig up the street.

[Marco]

So at what point does one become a 'fat cat'..?

I guess, Pete, when for you money and power become all-consuming and the driving force behind your very existence, and ability to feel fulfilled. It's a mindset rather than it necessarily being linked to any specific salary or level of wealth.

Marco.