[theo_luddite]

Might have been but I seem to recall farmers and lorry drivers blocking roads and other protests some years ago. The increase then was far less.

[hibeejim21]

Funny hearing the BBC and SKY falling over themselves to provide excuses for the coming winter energy crisis yet not one person is asking why our prices are double the average of Europe. Must be another Brexit benefit.

Meanwhile the C02 shortage continues to roll on, with our suppliers in Norway and the Netherlands prioritising EU customers. Never mind the potential meat shortages if this doesn't get fixed, if it impacts on carling supplies BoJo is gubbed.

[theo_luddite]

The government has struck a deal with CF Industries that will lead to the resumption of carbon dioxide production at its two plants in the UK that have been closed, Sky News reports. That is vital for the food production industry because CO2 is used in packaging meat and dairy products to keep them fresh, as well as for for animal slaughter.

So that's alright then. No bungs for the energy companies, especially as one of the big one's is French, the one called BG is owned by Germany, it goes on, to keep our bills manageable when the annual price hike, er sorry, chance to look for a cheaper rate/supplier comes round.

After all, we don't want to be subsidising EU nationalised business with UK tax payers money do we? I guess the value of the bung will come out in the wash, eventually. Or failure of The Daily Fail and others to report it, PE.

CF Industries? American owned, so that again is alright then.

[spireitematt]

Funny hearing the BBC and SKY falling over themselves to provide excuses for the coming winter energy crisis yet not one person is asking why our prices are double the average of Europe. Must be another Brexit benefit.

Simple answer 'Privatisation'. The whole point of a free market economy is it's meant to add competition and lower prices but it does the exact opposite because when one company puts there prices then the rest will follow and the cost of living is rising while wages are stagnating.

Our energy companies are foreign owned as are the railway franchises as is a lot of public services in the UK. The right wing media want us to be in control of our own destiny and to 'take back control' but the minute publically owned energy or railway is mentioned they have a meltdown and start shouting 'Communism' or 'Marxism'. UK rail operators are owned by European companies and our ticket prices and tickets rises are subsidising cheap travel in Europe and to add insult to injury the European train operators are state owned meaning UK passengers are funding state owned systems. We as consumers and passengers are being mugged off.

[ritchiebaby]

Add in the fact that EDF and E-on are French and German companies and Scottish Power's parent company is Spanish and you'll get an idea of how little we are in control of. Much of our gas comes from the EU, but they get it from Russia, and even more comes from Norway. Much of our coal comes from USA and Russia - so much for cutting carbon emissions.

[theo_luddite]

But, but, but, Scotland has oil and gas reserves coming out of it's ears. The SNP has been at pains for years to tell us this.

Somewhere, apparently. 

But we've shut down or removed every gasometer we ever had in England, such as those by The Oval and our own on Leeds Road.





Hell, we've even closed the Gas Club now.

[hibeejim21]

Scotland is a net exporter of oil,gas and electricity. We'd be on a par with Norway on the league tables if we went it alone but i'm just about giving up hope that our people will ever wake up to getting away from the westminster shitehoose.

Turning over water and electricity to the private market is absolute insanity and both that and brexit are the reasons prices are so massive in the UK. The tories get to go on the news and spout off about 'global energy problems' and not one interviewer questions them on it. Yes its having an impact in europe too but the scale of the problem is incomparable.

I was up in the Highlands on Sunday and it was striking how many bars,restaurants and shops were advertising for staff and had signs up urging customers to be patient. Normally kids from Eastern Europe would plug the gap and now it's starting to have a real impact.

[hibeejim21]

Funny hearing the BBC and SKY falling over themselves to provide excuses for the coming winter energy crisis yet not one person is asking why our prices are double the average of Europe. Must be another Brexit benefit.

Simple answer 'Privatisation'. The whole point of a free market economy is it's meant to add competition and lower prices but it does the exact opposite because when one company puts there prices then the rest will follow and the cost of living is rising while wages are stagnating.

Our energy companies are foreign owned as are the railway franchises as is a lot of public services in the UK. The right wing media want us to be in control of our own destiny and to 'take back control' but the minute publically owned energy or railway is mentioned they have a meltdown and start shouting 'Communism' or 'Marxism'. UK rail operators are owned by European companies and our ticket prices and tickets rises are subsidising cheap travel in Europe and to add insult to injury the European train operators are state owned meaning UK passengers are funding state owned systems. We as consumers and passengers are being mugged off.

It's a more complicated answer.

We have left the European internal energy market and no longer take part in market coupling, which is intended to keep levels on the price of cross-border electricity within Europe. The tories wanted to keep the possibility open of benefiting from lower electricity prices (indeed several tory ministers boasted about it being an advantage of brexit). However it means we are also exposed to greater price jumps as a result - which with our lack of storage is currently driving prices up in Great Britain. . In the summer months, when gas is cheap, europe puts ten to 20 percent of their annual requirements in storage facilities. In the UK, it's less than two percent. This is one of the reasons why price fluctuations are hitting us hard.

Fragmentation of the market has meant ofgem have had to push up the cap with this crisis, and thats why a lot of the smaller outfits are going out of business. It's a complete racket being an energy provider in the UK.

As Theo points out we now have a situation where we are paying an American company millions to supply CO2 at a loss, so we can have bread,meat and fizzy drinks.

What a time for the UK food industry.

[theo_luddite]

Oh the joys of the 'just in time' theory of logistics. Make the supplier carry the inventory. Great when it all goes tits up isn't it and most of the gas is sitting in a Russian pipeline? Not noticed that old "Have I got News for You" intro on 'Dave' with the Ruski shutting the pipe down?

My 3rd so called energy supplier, full of green energy, in 2 years just went bust. So much for looking round for a good deal on that there t'interweb. I reckon I'll be paying 2x what I was paying 2 years ago in a very short time from now, to a supplier I'm gonna hate, but on this occasion, I likely will have to stick with as the other options will all go bust later this month.

In other news, Bodgit appears to have had his arse handed to him on a plate in a big house down Pennsylvania Avenue, we just need the fuckwits that vote for him in this country to wake up and smell the coffee. “Donnez-moi un break” ffs? Like he hasn't pissed off the lads and lasses over the Channel enough this week already?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/202...of-england

I think we should let the subs kick the ball around the Commons more often. Or at least kick Bodgit and Raab around the Commons more often, not to mention that racist bitch.

In other news, the village of Westminster has reported that it has lost it's idiot. Joe Biden has reported that he has put him up in a nice hotel and will send him home soon.

[hibeejim21]

Boris and his fellow travellers told us it would be a piece of piss getting a US trade deal. Biden making it clear today we aren't even in the queue yet. Can these tossers do anything right ?

That cringe interview he did with Laura K in the skyscraper would have been comical if it hadn't been the guy who is in charge of the country giving it.

I just cant get my head round that syphilitic burst sofa being in charge of anything.