In reply to Jon Stewart:
> .....We all hate the utilities companies..>
I don't hate them, I'm totally ambivalent towards them
> .. because they rip us off, provide appalling customer service.. >
Really? I get the gas and electricity I pay for. What service do you need? The gas comes through the pipes and the electricity through the wires, as much as I want and when I want it. The last time I remeber it didn't was in the 70's when they were state owned monopolies.
> .. and unlike the retail sector they sell us something that we get no joy out of consuming. >
Don't you enjoy being warm when you put the heating on and having hot showers instead of cold ones? I also quite like being able to see after its gone dark and this computer wouldn't be much use without electricity.
> ..And when I say rip us off, what I mean is that they give a choice of tariffs which provides an opportunity to gamble ..........>
Now I'll grant you the tariffs are confusing and that's something the government could usefully sort out but if you get a dual fuel and pay by direct debit you're probably getting as reasonable a deal as anyone.
If you're bills are too much, the answer's simple, use less. As others have pointed out, we don't pay over the odds compared with other countries.
We seem to have developed a strange attitude in recent years that the most important things in life, energy, food, water etc should be very cheap so we can fritter the rest of our income on all the shit we don't need like Sky TV, ipods/pads/phones, flatscreen/widescreen/HD things to watch the crap on Sky with.
We are just about the first generation in history to have the luxury of not having to spend most of our income on essentials and we've chosen to squander it on filling our homes with energy hungry devices. With the rise in global population and the rise in living standards in many formerly very poor countries the demand for energy is only going to increase and whilst the sources of most of that energy remain finite that can only mean one thing for prices.
Enjoy the party while it lasts.