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#132667 09/05/01 05:32 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
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pauluk Offline OP
Member
Just to let all of you complaining about the effects of deregulation know that we're having problems with it here as well.

Fortunately, we've avoided blackouts etc., but trying to figure out just who is responsible for what anymore is getting harder all the time.

In my part of England, electricity was always provided by the Eastern Electricity Board. It had been that way for decades. Sure there were different depts. for accounts, engineering, etc., but no problems getting through to the right person.

A few years ago they started selling off sections. We now have 24-Seven who look after all outside lines, both HV and LV. Meter moves, replacements, and reading are handled by a separate company - Siemens. The billing and accounts side become Eastern Energy, as they are now selling gas in the area as well.

Just to make things even, people can now pay British Gas for their electricity. It's all delivered via the same network, though.

To cap it all, I just got a letter a couple of days ago, complete with no-expense-spared glossy leaflets, telling me that Eastern Energy is now changing to a new company called TXU Energi (sic).

It used to be so simple.....

#132668 09/05/01 06:23 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,392
S
Member
an international conspiracy, i knew it....and those siemens people too! weren't they the ones using slave labor during WW2 ?

#132669 09/06/01 07:09 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
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pauluk Offline OP
Member
A problem from a practical point of view is that they keep changing phone numbers & who you need to call for different things. I ran into difficulty about 4 weeks ago after the latest batch of changes.

I traced a fault at a house to an intermittent on the incoming supply. As the meter & service entrance are sealed, & I'm not allowed to open any of it up to test, I couldn't determine if t was the meter, service fuse/connections, or incoming line. Either way, it was the utility's problem so I set about calling them.

I tried the current "Customer services & Faults" number, a local call to Norwich, about 20 miles away, and got through to their computerized system. You know the sort of thing: "Press 1 for billing inquiries, press 2 for moving house," etc.

When I eventually spoke to a human being, it seemed to be someone who didn't have the slightest idea what I was talking about. I finally explained the problem in the least technical terminology possible and was told that the Eastern Energy offices in Norwich now don't handle fault reports. I would have to call another number.

I recognized the area code of the number - Bedford, about 100 miles & two counties away! I called, and explained the fault again. As yet I wasn't sure which people I was talking to, so I asked who & where they were. I was talking to Siemens depot, but not in Bedford. My call had been diverted to Rayleigh, also about 100 miles & two counties from here but in a different direction and at least 80 miles away from the number I dialed.

"Not our department," they said. You need to call the toll-free faults line now. So I called the 0800 number they gave me - and promptly got connected back to the computerized answering system!

Went through the menus again and waited to speak to an operator (sorry, "customer service representative"). I got someone else this time and had to explain all over again. I was expecting to be given that Bedford number again and was ready to adopt my "For crying out loud" voice, but this time I was connected directly to an engineer at 24-Seven.

I have no idea where the guy was, but I'd finally gotten someone who at least knew the difference between a volt and an amp!

This seems very much a case of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing.

The outcome? A 24-Seven line crew turned up about 4 hours later and found a bad splice on the overhead drop at the pole.

#132670 09/06/01 07:34 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 142
B
Member
Quote
Originally posted by pauluk:
Just to let all of you complaining about the effects of deregulation know that we're having problems with it here as well.

Fortunately, we've avoided blackouts etc., but trying to figure out just who is responsible for what anymore is getting harder all the time.

In my part of England, electricity was always provided by the Eastern Electricity Board. It had been that way for decades. Sure there were different depts. for accounts, engineering, etc., but no problems getting through to the right person.

A few years ago they started selling off sections. We now have 24-Seven who look after all outside lines, both HV and LV. Meter moves, replacements, and reading are handled by a separate company - Siemens. The billing and accounts side become Eastern Energy, as they are now selling gas in the area as well.

Just to make things even, people can now pay British Gas for their electricity. It's all delivered via the same network, though.

To cap it all, I just got a letter a couple of days ago, complete with no-expense-spared glossy leaflets, telling me that Eastern Energy is now changing to a new company called TXU Energi (sic).

It used to be so simple.....


...And now they've imported that wonder system, to the States(Colonies). Everybody is talking about but no one has owned up to being responsible. As I said in another post, I called Ohio Edison, to find out who was responsible for this wonder gift granted to us by our benevolent, ever present government, she told me that Big business, was more than partly responsible, it seems they were complaining about exorbatant rates, and that really got the ball rolling, but to the average consumer OE promised according to Ohio PUCO that rates would stay unchanged until 2004, So now we Shell Oil trying to sell me electricity, I sent thier form back and told them, ' When you know the difference between a Volt and a Bowling ball Then come back and we will talk'.

#132671 09/06/01 08:17 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
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pauluk Offline OP
Member
Quote
Originally posted by bordew:
. So now we Shell Oil trying to sell me electricity, I sent thier form back and told them, ' When you know the difference between a Volt and a Bowling ball Then come back and we will talk'.

We've got telemarketers trying to get poeple to switch to other companies now as well. It just seems crazy to me that we've got all these different people selling power which is all distrbuted along the same lines, maintained by the same people, etc.

By the way, I'd be interested in the current U.S. price per kWh for your various utility companies. Does anyone also know if ConEd in NYC is still much more expensive than the national average? I know it was last time I heard the prices some years ago.

#132672 09/06/01 08:57 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,294
Member
Paul,
Maybe you should have found out the guy's name & # for your future use.
We fortunately pay our electric bills to one company.
The same is not true of the phone, which was deregulated years ago.
I expect to have to write a number of checks for the electrical bills sometime in the future.

#132673 09/07/01 01:54 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
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pauluk Offline OP
Member
Quote
Originally posted by electure:

We fortunately pay our electric bills to one company.
The same is not true of the phone, which was deregulated years ago.

I found out the effects of the Bell breakup when I arrived in Nebraska to work in 1995. Had to call information for the INS inquiry number and got stung for $4 for a 555-1212 call to Omaha from Kearney (central Neb.).

Don't get me started about the similar effects of telephone dereg. here. Our once excellent phone system is now a complete mess.

#132674 09/20/01 08:02 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 142
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Member
Quote
Originally posted by pauluk:
We've got telemarketers trying to get poeple to switch to other companies now as well. It just seems crazy to me that we've got all these different people selling power which is all distrbuted along the same lines, maintained by the same people, etc.
Exactly, this is what OE told me on the phone, the reason for the extra charges is that they long longer have control over Marketing and will have to pass to the customer any additional cost, ie revamp reconnections, setting a pole etc. I guess it goes with the territory, only trouble is everyone will have to soaked with high bills before they finally wake up and realize Deregulation does not work, but you know the old saying as far as beaureucrats goes, if it aint broke we can always make it worse.
By the way, I'd be interested in the current U.S. price per kWh for your various utility companies. Does anyone also know if ConEd in NYC is still much more expensive than the national average? I know it was last time I heard the prices some years ago.

#132675 09/20/01 08:21 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 4,294
Member
Sometimes, the quotes can get mixed up with the replies. (Quotes really aren't necessary in each post) [Linked Image]

[This message has been edited by electure (edited 09-20-2001).]

#132676 09/20/01 11:04 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,236
Likes: 1
Member
I'd call it a design flaw... the "Reply w/ quote" option should just be ignored and use the "Post Reply" Button near the bottom of the page.

Just makes it easier to read...



[This message has been edited by sparky66wv (edited 09-20-2001).]


-Virgil
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