Price Fixing Energy Prices

[interestrateripoff]

Labours big policy a price freeze.

Fecking genius.

Edited September 24, 2013 by interestrateripoff

[XswampyX]

Hmmm.. I wonder if prices would go up say 15% just before this goes into effect.

It's just throwing rocks around in the finely tuned machine that is the British economy.

[TheCountOfNowhere]

i heard on one of the government propaganda outlets how this would save me money....how can paying 2k a yeAr just to cook your dinner and keep ice off the windows be termed saving money.

these people are just making this up...these aren't the leaders the country need...

[RentingForever]

ARRRGGGGHHHH Angela Knight, the zombie's representative is back!!!!!.

Who on earth thinks it's worth employing this woman as their spokesman - do they want to be seen as arrogant, out of touch and be deeply, deeply unpopular?

She was entertainingly skewered by Cariline Flint on ch4 news tonight. "I'm not going to be lectured to by someone who a few years ago was an apologist for the banks and was telling us they weren't responsible for the financial mess".

[RentingForever]

ARRRGGGGHHHH Angela Knight, the zombie's representative is back!!!!!.

Who on earth thinks it's worth employing this woman as their spokesman - do they want to be seen as arrogant, out of touch and be deeply, deeply unpopular?

She was entertainingly skewered by Cariline Flint on ch4 news tonight. "I'm not going to be lectured to by someone who a few years ago was an apologist for the banks and was telling us they weren't responsible for the financial mess".

[RentingForever]

ARRRGGGGHHHH Angela Knight, the zombie's representative is back!!!!!.

Who on earth thinks it's worth employing this woman as their spokesman - do they want to be seen as arrogant, out of touch and be deeply, deeply unpopular?

She was entertainingly skewered by Cariline Flint on ch4 news tonight. "I'm not going to be lectured to by someone who a few years ago was an apologist for the banks and was telling us they weren't responsible for the financial mess".

[eightiesgirly]

Dearie me! I can't take this dude seriously at all, he looks like Babs from Chicken Run. Just as out of touch with reality too. Price fixing generally results in shortages.

Silly 'chicken run'

[RentingForever]

B*gger - somehow posted this thrice.

Still, chief banker apologist getting bitchslapped bears repeating.

[interestrateripoff]

Dearie me! I can't take this dude seriously at all, he looks like Babs from Chicken Run. Just as out of touch with reality too. Price fixing generally results in shortages.

Silly 'chicken run'

I wonder what odds you'd get for blackouts in the winter if this was introduced, just so the energy companies could make a point?

[South Lorne]

Labours big policy a price freeze.

Fecking genius.

...only a thicko would take a sledge hammer to such an issue ...and if we thought the 3 day working week was bad ..wait for the work by candle week ..and horse power will be delivered by horses...draconian methods will bring draconian days and a bankrupt nation...

[eightiesgirly]

I wonder what odds you'd get for blackouts in the winter if this was introduced, just so the energy companies could make a point?

I don't think they would need to do it to make a point, I think it may become a self fulfilling prophesy.

Was it the year before last we had about six hours of gas left? How bad would that become if we had price fixing that meant suppliers could only purchase spot at a significant loss ?

If you can't pass on the increase then you may chose not to participate in the market., bet the consumer would be happy to pay ANY increase after the first supply withdrawal.

I really fail to understand how he can come out with this stuff ??!! It's blatant interfering with the free market, also most of the power companies owned by foreign concerns, how does that work then?

But he has said it loud and clear now hasn't he?, it would be mighty difficult and embarrassing to have to 'think this through' a bit more.

[The Knimbies who say No]

It's all going a bit Venezuela. Look out for a chat show next.

Ed could stamp on energy and other asset prices in an instant if he was minded to use the straightforward tools already available. But he literally isn't interested.

[mfp123]

the UK has the lowest gas prices in Europe whilst electricity is below the EU average.

if hes wants to affect prices properly he should be championing shale gas or building more power stations.

its such a short sighted policy. if you want to bring down prices you need to do it in a structural way, increase supply. freezing prices merely kicks the can down the road for a bit.

[Dorkins]

...only a thicko would take a sledge hammer to such an issue ...and if we thought the 3 day working week was bad ..wait for the work by candle week ..and horse power will be delivered by horses...draconian methods will bring draconian days and a bankrupt nation...

This actually sounds like a good thing. The UK could do with slowing down and taking stock of the mess it has got itself into instead of trying to fix everything by carrying on exactly as before, but more frantically.

[Executive Sadman]

It was great to see Caroline Flint on TV again. Last time I saw her she was talking about the Euro as if its some country club, trying to exonerate her previous Europhilic behaviour.

Today she was remarking of how the evil energy companies didnt pass on a 45% fall in the cost between 2008 and 2009...er, wasnt that when her lot were in power?

Ignoring that, I remember quite well, because petrol pump prices fell by a similar amount...then rose just as quickly as her lot started debasing sterling through money printing. If cheap gas lasted about as long as cheap petrol, its no wonder they didnt pass on any savings, they were so short lived there wouldn't be much to pass on.

Its a pointless policy...i dont see how any government can, with a straight face, suggest national policies can control the price of internationally priced commodities like oil and gas.

[LiveinHope]

This actually sounds like a good thing. The UK could do with slowing down and taking stock of the mess it has got itself into instead of trying to fix everything by carrying on exactly as before, but more frantically.

I am sure I heard a Labour spokesperson say on R4 news tonight - "It's a winner - every focus group loves it"

[Dorkins]

I am sure I heard a Labour spokesperson say on R4 news tonight - "It's a winner - every focus group loves it"

I'd love a compulsory 3 day week due to power cuts. Whatever it takes to get ordinary people to snap out of their crazed hamster wheel sprinting and realise that the country is not OK in some pretty basic ways and they need to start paying attention.

[EmmaRoid #FBPE#JC4PM#GTTO]

I wonder what odds you'd get for blackouts in the winter if this was introduced, just so the energy companies could make a point?

The first time I saw Angela Knight fronting some energy industry lobbying group, I knew that blackouts were a racing certainty

This is not advice, DYOR.

Before Xmas '14 I believe I said.

Edited September 24, 2013 by 7 Year Itch

[Guest eight]

It's all going a bit Venezuela.

If only it actually was. At least he actually had the courage of his convictions. Still, see where it got him.

[The Knimbies who say No]

It was great to see Caroline Flint on TV again. Last time I saw her she was talking about the Euro as if its some country club, trying to exonerate her previous Europhilic behaviour.

Today she was remarking of how the evil energy companies didnt pass on a 45% fall in the cost between 2008 and 2009...er, wasnt that when her lot were in power?

Ignoring that, I remember quite well, because petrol pump prices fell by a similar amount...then rose just as quickly as her lot started debasing sterling through money printing. If cheap gas lasted about as long as cheap petrol, its no wonder they didnt pass on any savings, they were so short lived there wouldn't be much to pass on.

Its a pointless policy...i dont see how any government can, with a straight face, suggest national policies can control the price of internationally priced commodities like oil and gas.

Miliband is trying to play whac-a-mole with asset price bubbles which are the result of the ZIRP policies his party advocates. Which moles get whacked and when is purely down to political expedience. The QE funds sloshing around ensure a steady supply going above the parapet- fuel, energy, food, houses etc. Electoral gold for politicos.

[byron78]

Dearie me! I can't take this dude seriously at all, he looks like Babs from Chicken Run. Just as out of touch with reality too. Price fixing generally results in shortages.

Silly 'chicken run'

Have heard this mentioned elsewhere.

Based on what logic?

Is there a modern example of this as I don't know of one.

That and "it's green legislation wot's pushing up prices" (not energy company profits climbing way in excess of their costs, even though this appears to be what's happening).

[byron78]

the UK has the lowest gas prices in Europe whilst electricity is below the EU average.

if hes wants to affect prices properly he should be championing shale gas or building more power stations.

its such a short sighted policy. if you want to bring down prices you need to do it in a structural way, increase supply. freezing prices merely kicks the can down the road for a bit.

This is true, but largely the result of low taxation on energy in the UK compared to Europe. Factor that our and we're somewhere in the middle.

[Ulfar]

We are going to get blackouts anyway due to short sightedness when it comes to energy policy and lack of investment by privatised companies.

What Ed has done is give them an excuse for this, maybe I am being paranoid but he could actually be doing them a favour. It will also put some nimbys in place for when the next round of planning applications for windmills, power stations comes up. So win win for energy companies all for the price of a 1 or 2 year price freeze, prior to which they will have raised their prices to compensate anyway.

Gas/Electricity and Water should never have been privatised. I would also make the argument that British Rail, Royal Mail should also not be in private hands. Certain itmes of infrastructure are too important and too easy too abuse for profit to be in private hands.

BT on the other hand I support being privatised, I just wish they would stop getting all the government money when it comes to broadband provision.

Edited September 24, 2013 by Ulfar

[Ash4781]

...only a thicko would take a sledge hammer to such an issue ...and if we thought the 3 day working week was bad ..wait for the work by candle week ..and horse power will be delivered by horses...draconian methods will bring draconian days and a bankrupt nation...

They would not allow energy companies to control the rationing.

[mfp123]

We are going to get blackouts anyway due to short sightedness when it comes to energy policy and lack of investment by privatised companies.

What Ed has done is give them an excuse for this, maybe I am being paranoid but he could actually be doing them a favour. It will also put some nimbys in place for when the next round of planning applications for windmills, power stations comes up. So win win for energy companies all for the price of a 1 or 2 year price freeze, prior to which they will have raised their prices to compensate anyway.

Gas/Electricity and Water should never have been privatised. I would also make the argument that British Rail, Royal Mail should also not be in private hands. Certain itmes of infrastructure are too important and too easy too abuse for profit to be in private hands.

BT on the other hand I support being privatised, I just wish they would stop getting all the government money when it comes to broadband provision.

privatisation with effective regulation is the right way to go. the problem with public companies has always been the way they are run. lack of innovation, low risk taking, little incentive to adapt and change. its gets stuck in a rut.

privately run but properly regulated gives you the best of both worlds. it takes the day to day running of business out of poor public management, but you can still set the guidelines for the public benefit.

public ownership is about ideology whereas private ownership is about pragmatism. its possible to mix both.