Exposed: How scheming power firms rig prices to con families out of £400 every year

[Sweetpea]

Households are being overcharged by more than £400 a year for gas and electricity because power companies are fixing prices, it is claimed.


The official consumer body Energywatch says the power supply industry in Britain and Europe is rigged against consumers.
It also accuses the Government of being docile and complacent while millions struggle to pay their bills.
Householders have already been hit with a 15 per cent increase this year, and the industry is suggesting another 25 per cent rise.
The giant power suppliers claim they are simply passing on increases in the wholesale cost of gas, which has been driven up by a record leap in the price of oil to more than 120 dollars a barrel. However, Energywatch says this link between the gas price and oil is unjustified, artificial and outdated. The watchdog says the link amounts to a form of price-fixing.

Exposed: How scheming power firms rig prices to con families out of £400 every year | the Daily Mail


This I can totally believe.

Anther case for the "la la la I'm not listening" brigade in Westminster. I anticipate thousands of poorer to lower middle income families are going to start having more exprensive pre-payment meters installed. 1970's all over again.

[Sweetpea]

There just seems to be no legislation in place to check this type of thing.

There is a regulator. But alas, like the FSA and so many others like it, a slumbering toothless monster that over-employs migrant workers from the Antipodeans, SA, Africa and other places where they have no grasp of British law.

I remember contacting the FSA about 6 years ago about unfair bank charges. All I ever got was Aussies, Kiwis and South Africans on the phone. They did bugger all. It was only when some bright spark won a Court ruling after taking on a big feckin bank (10/10 btw!) that they started making noises like 'we've been monitoring the situation' and 'we feel the banks must do something about this'.

Sling em on the feckin dole queue where they belong, it's cheaper for us taxpayers. Useless slimy bastard civil servants.