Energy Price Rises Are A Disgrace.

[Arnold_Lane 0]

9 minutes ago, enntee said:

The individual consumer may not have to pay for a smart meter to be fitted, but all the costs of smart meters are being met by approved increases in tariffs, nationwide, for this purpose.

That is a fair point.  On that basis, if you want cheaper energy prices, you should have one fitted.  Because, as Ivan pointed out, the energy companies only offer cheaper tariffs if you have one.

 

I await his thread about Tesco offering lower prices for certain items - but only if you have a club card.  It's the same thing, basically.

Edited March 3, 2021 by Arnold_Lane

[*Wallace* 333]

And MP’s working from home because of COVID have been claiming money to compensate them for the extra heat and electricity in their big houses.

[Arnold_Lane 0]

3 minutes ago, *Wallace* said:

And MP’s working from home because of COVID have been claiming money to compensate them for the extra heat and electricity in their big houses.

As have many others, no doubt.

 

You can go online and quite easily apply for tax relief due for working from home.  I think it works out at a couple of quid a week extra.  

 

Or, there is a longer form to go through if you wish or are entitled to claim back more.

Edited March 3, 2021 by Arnold_Lane

[El Cid 214]

14 hours ago, Anna B said:

Free Market Economics, as brought in by Margaret Thatcher, means governments no longer involve themselves by 'interfering' in situations such as this.

 

The socialists among us will no doubt be using the little more expensive non-profit making energy companies?

People's Energy, Our Power, Ecotricity and Ebico. I wonder why they are not the cheapest, because there are no BIG profits to the shareholders.

There was Yorkshire Energy, but that went bust, costing some local council a lot of money.

[AKAMD 0]

The only way we are to get any fair provision is to bring it back into accountable public ownership, along with gas, water, telecommunications, public transport; the only person likely to have done that in recent years was Jeremy Corbyn, who was demonized out of office so as to maintain the status quo.  The Labour Party no longer represents the working class, nor does any party likely to be elected into government for that matter.  As for smart meters, yet another example of digital  technology being a social curse.  Their prime function is to spy on us and our electricity usage just as the apps on your phone spy on where you are and what you're doing.  George Orwell was way off the mark from where we are actually going!

[willman 10]

3 hours ago, enntee said:

The individual consumer may not have to pay for a smart meter to be fitted, but all the costs of smart meters are being met by approved increases in tariffs, nationwide, for this purpose.

 

In fact, the requirement for energy companies to pursue the installation of smart meters has led to funds, from such increases in tariffs, being used to install equipment that is not fit for purpose and to pay for advertising campaigns that have been disingenuous.

Which is probably most advertisements in some peoples eyes. Just wait for electic cars to start using the FREE charging points, funded by grants to be later reclaimed in tax returns and then by charging everyone because they have no other choice.

[Organgrinder 1,946]

21 minutes ago, AKAMD said:

The only way we are to get any fair provision is to bring it back into accountable public ownership, along with gas, water, telecommunications, public transport; the only person likely to have done that in recent years was Jeremy Corbyn, who was demonized out of office so as to maintain the status quo.  The Labour Party no longer represents the working class, nor does any party likely to be elected into government for that matter.  As for smart meters, yet another example of digital  technology being a social curse.  Their prime function is to spy on us and our electricity usage just as the apps on your phone spy on where you are and what you're doing.  George Orwell was way off the mark from where we are actually going!

Very true, It's hard to understand the public,  who should care about the rising costs which they themselves have to shoulder, and yet they would not support a Labour Leader who wanted to challenge this.

Labours past stupid stance of wanting to deny Brexit was a major part of that and Labour must learn to listen to those at the bottom because we don't need 2 Tory parties but that's what we have got.

I wrote to my Labour MP a few times in this regard but they still insist on replicating Blair & Brown's policies which were more privatisation and less Government control making the Tory policies.

[nightrider 13]

19 hours ago, speleo1 said:

Smart meters don't save you money you know if you are using to much energy,

Ours lost its signal to the meter so I called the energy company which replied move it nearer to the meter, then said just put it in a draw and don't use it it's only a Gimmick for customers to use.

I wish I'd never had it installed. Worked fo 6 months or so and has been broken ever since - can't even take a manual reading because the reading has stopped incrementing entirely. At some point we are going to get a huge backdated gas bill since we are not being charged. Company has zero interest in fixing the meter.

16 hours ago, Anna B said:

When was that? Did it happen? 

In my experience the Conservatives are very good at saying all the right things, making promises etc, but very poor when it comes to actually delivering.

There is a price cap and it was introduced by the conservatives.

[Organgrinder 1,946]

27 minutes ago, nightrider said:

There is a price cap and it was introduced by the conservatives.

Which they have just raised, so they may well have not bothered.

[iansheff 86]

I am waiting to see what my tariff is from EDF as I was with GreenNetwork Energy when they went under and I was moved to them. I always shop around and last year noticed that some of the company's stipulated that certain tariffs were only available if you had a smart meter.  How can there be such a difference in  prices for the standing charges, when I looked last year the cheapest electricity SC was just over 8p and the dearest just under 25p.

Edited March 3, 2021 by iansheff

[catmiss 12]

Had a Smart meter with previous supplier which worked well and meant I could evaluate and regulate my usage. Changed supplier and, despite assurances at switch, nearly a year on they have not been able to reactivate existing or install new Smart metering. All the ads advocating Smart meters are useless if companies aren’t committed 

[El Cid 214]

8 hours ago, catmiss said:

Had a Smart meter with previous supplier which worked well and meant I could evaluate and regulate my usage. Changed supplier and, despite assurances at switch, nearly a year on they have not been able to reactivate existing or install new Smart metering. All the ads advocating Smart meters are useless if companies aren’t committed 

I had a smart meter and then change supplier, it works fine. Its pot luck.