Re-nationalise now!

[cromwell]

The power company responsible for leaving thousands of people without electricity over Christmas made nearly one BILLION pounds profit last year, paid a £135 million dividend to it's billionaire Asian owners - and cut it's workforce by 300 in 2012.
You can see how communism and socialisism get started, that's all I'll say!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/

[Kaz]

Too right! We need to take back control of such companies, and fast!!!

[Workingman]

No re-nationalisation needed.

I read an interesting proposal the other week. The government borrows money to build its own power stations, rather than borrowing it to support the energy companies to build them, then it sells the energy at cost. The big six then either reduce their costs to match the govt's price per kW/h or lose custom.

[cromwell]

That would be a good idea Frank, but I can't see any of our mainstream parties doing such a thing because it would make them responsible for something! It's too convenient for them atm to hide behind the fact that these are private businesses.
I suppose what I'm trying to get at is that there is a moral dimension to all this, however naive that may sound. Screwing the last penny out of people, making billions whilst sacking your workers - these things are just plain wrong.
All our MP's do is the equivalent of saying "I know - isn't it awful?" and it's getting to the point where people have had enough of that attitude.

[Workingman]

There is a moral dimension.

In these climes, and in today's world, people rely on on others to deliver the means to heat and cook - they should be provided at a price people can afford.

The days when we could chop down an oak and burn it to cook and get heat, are long gone. Not only is it not practical because there are so many of us, but the rules would not allow it.

The present situation is little better than in feudal times when the Laird allowed the collection of kindling, but only so much, except that we are not allowed access the the kindling because it hurts the profits and dividends.

[KateLMead]

Our country and it's assets have been given away.

[cruiser2]

Couldn't get the share price for Royal Mail correct. I wonder how many shares the consultants who advised on the price bought so that they could make a profit. Started with Gordon Brown seling gold at rock bottom price.
The big energy companies are generating electricity at a low price and then selling it to the consumers a an inflated price. The energy companies do not want this information to be shown in their annual reports.