A heated debate
When was the last time the Brown government announced a policy that wasn’t immediately shredded like a small, stupid child lost in the woods and surrounded by wolves? Less than 24 hours after Gordon Brown declared his ’sea change in energy efficiency’ (by which I mean I think it’s going to make us all feel queasy), it’s already hanging in tatters.
The government has admitted that it is powerless to stop energy firms passing on the cost on its fuel assistance package onto customers.
Business Secretary John Hutton said he could not stop firms increasing bills in response but said there would be “no justification” for them doing so.
In other words, there is absolutely nothing New Labour can do to stop it happening and when it does they’ll try their best to feign being jolly disappointed while still grabbing its ankles for the men with the fat cigars.
I like the offer that we can all get 50 per cent off insulating our homes as well. It’s a clever move - a lot of people, struggling financially as they are, will find it difficult to find that 50 per cent outlay and so will not take up the offer. ‘No one will be able to say they do not know how to reduce their energy bill,’ the government says. How? I’m not so sure. I’d like to bet there’ll be a lot of people asking ‘how the hell do I find 50 per cent of this insulation bill?’
Still, when the figures come in and show a poor uptake the government can blame the swinish masses. Well, we offered a solution but some people just won’t help themselves, you can hear them saying. Genius. To heap insult upon insult, around nine million houses in the UK aren’t suitable for cavity wall insulation either. Cheers.
Meanwhile, outside, the wind howled. Or was it wolves?
Posted on September 12th, 2008 at 9:47 am
| See also • Matthew Norman: Gordon has shown who’s really in charge • The Labour Voters Who Walk Into Doors • Polls, damn polls and statistics |
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All true enough - although if the government imposed a windfall tax on energy companies, I’m not sure it could prevent them from passing that on to consumers as higher prices either.
The thing is, isn’t this £910 billion a windfall tax by any other name? If the government weren’t taking money off the energy companies why are there dark hints being dropped about having to pass the costs on to consumers? It’s New Labour’s inability to call a spade a spade that gets it into trouble half the time.
Having been to Russia a few times and visited villages, that were in October freeezing….., I have to say that whilst we might be chinese later, a bit of Russian gas/blood in the veins might help us.
there would be “no justification” for them doing so
The justification is to keep their profits up. *rolls eyes*
Sim-O’s latest blog post… Lembit on CIF
Meanwhile, outside, the wind howled. Or was it wolves?
Depends. Were two riders approaching?
ejh’s latest blog post… But not today the struggle
Yes. One is Digby Jones whose chosen steed is a part time call centre worker. The other is the chairman of British Gas who is being borne aloft by a group of cabinet ministers.
I’m constantly perplexed by this issue at the moment. The energy companies are publicly traded corporations. Their sole purpose in existence is to make as much profit as (in)humanly possible. They have a legal duty to their shareholders, and none to their customers. This was the whole fracking point of privatisation. Why is anybody surprised?
A few weeks back I saw a Metro headline to the effect that these companies should be ashamed of returning their highest ever shareholder dividends! WTF? They’re supposed to be ashamed of doing their jobs well?
If we want them to operate in the “public interest”, we’re going to have to re-nationalise them. Simple as that.
Why is anybody surprised?
I’m not. I’m misanthropically weary.
The Labor Government in Australia did a clever trick like this. They means tested their solar rebate for houses so that the people who cannot afford the investment can qualify.
The State Government did the same thing with solar hot water rebates, making it eligible to low income earners and pensioners. Pay back about 5 years, but a big chunk for people struggling as it is.
Colin Campbell’s latest blog post… Man Uses Hedgehog as Weapon Faces Jail
Why does the PM feel the need to announce every little thing? this pathetic measure should have been announced by a minister or even a junior.This is gordons problem no big ideas just tinkering no broad strokes about wasting energy just fiddly details and no real money.
Can anybody explain to me why energy companies are expected to promote energy efficiency? It is not just this government but other parties and other countries too. But surely the incentives are all wrong? Surely energy companies are the only agency that shouldn’t be promoting energy efficiency.
Joe Otten’s latest blog post… The perils of genetics
“Yes. One is Digby Jones whose chosen steed is a part time call centre worker.”
What does the part time call centre worker do with the rest of his time? Train to be Britain’s Strongest Man? Jones fits the mould of the fat capitalist. It’s a big mould, but he fits it.