Hit for six

Published on 13/10/2012 00:00

Here we go again, heading into the winter with a significant number of energy suppliers gearing up to raise prices and improve their profit margins (your report, 12 October). When are we going to get some action from the government and associated agencies to rein in these energy highway robbers?

With Messrs Cameron and Osborne clearly fitted with blinkers on their economic policy, is it unreasonable to expect some form of enlightenment to realise the overall effect of high energy prices on consumers’ budgets?

With a greater proportion of family budgets being spent on energy costs how does the government expect the country to break out of its spiralling decline if people have to direct larger proportions of their spending power to a few companies.

No doubt energy companies will have the usual run of reasons for why the prices must rise.

But until Ofgem gets some teeth, we will never successfully get through the miasma of 
spin presented by the energy companies. Perhaps it’s time to seriously look at nationalising this market again.

Ian Brown

Murieston West

Livingston

IT IS alleged and believed by many observers that the energy Big Six are operating as a cartel.

Like many ordinary people, I am relatively uniformed on this matter and cannot give an expert opinion. One’s only recourse it to try to ask the right questions. So, here goes.

Firstly, what would happen if the government said: “OK guys. You want a cartel? We are going to give you one. Our appointed regulator will cap the price you can charge six months from now and continue to do so on an annual basis”?

They would probably cry “foul”, claiming: “We all have different costs and internal infrastructures.”

Secondly, would such a move mean that the government had effectively nationalised the Big Six at virtually no cost to the taxpayer?

Thirdly, would it be an effective means of protecting the general public from what appears to be the avarice of the Big Six?

For the curious uninformed, are there any answers out there? Times are getting hard.

GEORGE MOSSMAN

Letham

Fife