| Product: |
General Comments |
| Date: |
10/08/07 (67 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: none
Disadvantages: too many
OF mice and GEM
Energy; and UK‘s energy watchdog
‘My energy treadmill could do with a good oiling – It squeaks on every rotation, then again, maybe it’s not suppose to have 3 mice running on it simultaneously to keep my laptop going’.
Last Friday an energy man came round to my house and said – “We are conducting a surveillance Sir, around your area; are you happy with your energy service Sir?
I looked at his badge – Southern Electricity Board --.
I piped up – “I’m not with Southern Electric”
He replied – “Yes you are, we supply everyone in the South of England”. He then eagerly showed me a very familiar map of the South of England. All of the South was marked red. Red was the area that Southern Electric is.
I explained to him that I was not with SEB. I’ve never been with SEB; so why was he saying different? After a confusing first 5 minutes of total disarray. The electric man said yes it is all confusing but it is true. I named 4 companies which I switched too and from over the years and every single time the tentacles were connected to SEB. After being initially baffled by this oddity and quite frankly thinking this electric man had escaped from a clinic somewhere; then, ‘the penny dropped’.
The consumer is in fact getting ripped off again. The average annual energy bills could be at least 40% cheaper. Energy companies are bidding and buying energy for a fraction of what the consumer pays, and that is not including Tax; and VAT. So what really is happening? The media machine is brainwashing everyone to actively improve their carbon footprint, due to the low fossil fuel energy reserves. Yet to date have not had an alternative form of energy sent to me in a manifesto style form. There is no alternative.
Consumers are forced to pay extra for the dwindling energy source. The fossil energy commodity has caused wars made countries very rich and now with the fossil fuel energy supplies in demise this alone will make ‘mega superpowers’.
It has been reported that there is only about twenty years left. The countries with the largest land mass ratio to population will prosper the most during this time. The biggest fossil energy supplier is Russia. In the last year alone Russia has started to make waves in political arenas and is not afraid to upset trade alliances. The reason is because they are holding two aces in the race to be an overnight ‘mega superpower’.
Those of you thinking it can’t be, surely. Well, it has been done over 40 years ago; accept it was intelligence propaganda linked with the Soviet Union in the 1960’s – 1980’s; when they were allegedly a super-power. Oddly enough Russian today is becoming more like its old self. Is it a co-incidence? For over twenty years Russian has been like a big bear in hibernation. In the last couple of years the bear has been stirring and has an appetite. The Russia’s KGB has been highly active running errands underground, slipping poisons to potential threats on UK soil; with a remarkable arrogance that beggars belief, and this nation supplies most of UK’s gas. Are you starting to get a little prickly around your neck? These guys make TV’s ‘Rogue Traders’ look like ‘Zippy and Bungal from ex- children’s TV Show Rainbow’. --- It is very evident now that UK’s gas and electricity guzzlers need all the help they can muster now that the big bear is stirring.
The bear is playful at the moment, what would happen if it cut’s the energy supply off to the UK? -- in fact we in the western world would not survive if energy supplies were cut overnight; within one week, everyone of us would be living tramps, homeless, and walking aimlessly without a clue what to do? Scary isn’t it? Our inability to survive shows our dependancy on our energy guzzling gas and electricity and it will go down to who has the biggest wallet; being the 6th world’s wealthiest nation it could be a blessing; it is not just the Russians you can’t trust, there is an organization much closer to home that you should not trust either, on this double edged energy sword.
Let me introduce you to ‘Ofgem’; the energy watchdog for the British Isles. On their website www.ofgem.com on the first paragraph they state that their first priority is with the consumer, not unusual for a watchdog governing body stance. Yet they have forgotten who they are? Below is the reason this is the case.
It is getting more apparent that all governing bodies are walking away from their pledges to the UK public. A watchdog is in place acting as a temperature gauge for public opinion. -- Yet this last week Ofgem agreed that companies can now insist that new customers (including those switching between energy suppliers) enter into long-term contracts. In other words, Ofgem has ditched the rule which ties customers to energy suppliers for just four weeks. Gone are the days when flirting to different suppliers would inevitably save you money – taking away the democratic right to every energy consumer. What next Ofgem? You will be charging for your fickle services next. It is vital that you re-word your opening statement on your website; otherwise, you could be subjected to legal activity against you instead. Oh yes – I forgot you’re a government organization—exempt from these mortal formalities.
There seems to be a trend enveloping other governing bodies in sectors of finance and banking. This could be the fall-out due excess number of claims from consumers; in other words the ‘compensation culture’ effect.
Energy companies will no doubt be able to cash in on the 4 week rule; insisting on providing 18 month contracts similar to mobile phone and broadband contracts. Penalties will be handed out if consumers don’t obey to their lengthy deals. One thing that these energy companies fail to see is that their whole business entity is subject to constant change determined through world market trends and behaviors; making the system ‘consumer unfriendly’ and potentially a more turbulent relationship between the energy companies and their customers. Sadly, there is no doubt consumers will lose sleep if these measures take place, especially those living on a shoestring and already paying for mortgages up to five times their salary.
Beyond the poor customer care Ofgem has illustrated recently; there is a possibility of a marketing war between all of the energy companies, similar to what has happened with mobile phone outlets and broadband services during the past two years. There could be a slight percentage chance that loyal customers could be given cash rewards; now I know I’m being optimistic, but it could occur. I also hope that this measure could make a more efficient energy service; for example installing energy meters and being more consumer friendly regarding to pay-outs due to overcharging. Energy companies should also payback the interest and allotted time-out fee (Phone-calls and letters) as well as the original payback fee. Plus, to really shake up energy company regulations is to introduce the much spoken about, yet not done about ‘Carbon Tax for companies’; enforcing them to become much more energy efficient themselves without passing the fees back to the consumer.
On a personal note on ‘Watchdog organizations’; I really don’t understand what the governing bodies for huge ‘blue chip’ companies actually do. I’ve dealt with many, and still yet not quite related to them. I experienced only ‘very poor’ feedback from them, and on average 5% of the actual proposed fees originally asked for, for major discrepancies. For a while now I believe they act mentally slow, incapable of resolving any issues; their slowness and inefficiencies costs money, but they can’t see this. They claim to try to influence, yet have no powers to actually change any regulations. If they were an established business – most of them would be closed down. These bodies are an equal opportunity employer; and it shows, oops! It may sound harsh but these organizations are pathetic putty in the hands of ‘blue-chip’ corporate giants. It is impossible to treat them as a proper entity; there is no way of claiming a law suit against them for any incompetence. It has happened to me and fees have to be waved, because no lawyer would take on my case, as it was classed as unethical. They are a complete waste of time and of human resources and this recent façade only outlined that fact.
I truly think it’s time for a re-vamp of energy regulations and alternative sources. I can think of three that does not involve nuclear, wind farms and Bio-energy. I will share them with you at a later date on another review. I, like you want the best form of energy supply. It is not good enough to be a committed environmentalist anymore. We need leaders in this field to take control and change ‘fossil brain’ opinions.
To clarify; what Ofgem has done by publishing these pro- energy company terms; has not only lost it’s credit worthiness but simultaneously allowed energy companies a ‘free reign’ an open invitation to abuse their fossil dependant consumers for years to come. In the world of easy information such as ‘the internet’ the number of energy tariffs will grow endlessly and change weekly; allowing the public no chance of exploring what is value for money? Now if you’re an energy person or have shares in energy firms, your ship has come in; for many of us, it could be a bumpy ride, and don’t bother contacting Ofgem – Now that would be a waste of energy.
For a more quick and responsive ‘energy surge’ in solving issues from poor services to extortionate billing, payback, etc – Write one letter – stating problem and your legal intentions – allow up to 14 -- 28 days for payback and receiving of fees or problem to be solved. –If, you have been ignored, on the 29th day go to your local court and pick up a claim form and file complaint and fees incurred. It will save you a lot of time and more importantly --- save you energy and your sanity.
*Please note >> no mice were exploited or hurt during writing this review.
Summary: An energy guide and OFGEM
|
|
