There's a lot of disquiet here at the moment at our rising utility costs -- Gas, water, and electricity.

For example, I happened to spot this on Teletext last night:

That doesn't suprise me at all Paul.
It seems to be a world-wide trend.
I was talking to a guy in the Chatroom and he said that his Utility was looking at a (and I am not making this up) 72% (Seventy-Two percent) increase in rates this year!.
Bugger me!.
What gives these people a licence to print money??.
How can folks on wages like ours afford this?.
Merry Christmas.

I understand there are already petitions from groups representing pensioners being drawn up here. Given the derisory rises in their state pensions, coupled with soaring heating bills and the extortionate rises in council tax (property taxes) recently, they just can't cope.

Just got an e-mail from my mate in Aussie. He pays half as much as I do for : Petrol, gas/elect, council fees & water!
He's on the beach with a "cold tinnie" (A beer...not his missis!!)
I've been digging cars out of snow all day!!

Hmmm.

Did he mention the red-back spiders and other cuddly wildlife, like venomous snakes, hordes of biting flies or hungry crocodiles with "gently smiling jaws"? He's probably digging cars out of a sand dune!

Alan

It doesn't seem long ago that I was commenting on how electricity prices hadn't changed much here in recent years, despite the cost of almost everything else rising quite steeply in the same time.

I guess we're catching up now. I just received a letter from PowerGen this morning setting out new rates from this month:

Day rate:
16.18 pence per kw/h for first 225 units per qtr.
9.98 pence after that
Night rate:
4.22 pence per kw/h.

Prices include 5% VAT.

Just did an accurate but very complex calculation of our French electricity prices per kwh including all the add-ons.
Complicated by 2 rates of TVA [VAT] of 19.6%and 5%, local tax, special temporary, [ha! ha!], tax for the infrastructure, 2 band rates [standard or cheap night], a standing charge of 17 euro per monrth, TVA on the bloody local tax [ which I think is a monumental cheek, tax on a tax! ] etc. etc.. All of which makes it virtually impossible to see the true price through the smoke and mirrors.
For my normal use of 6486kwh/annum, it comes out to a gross price of 6.6 centimes/kwh for cheap rate 8 hours a night and 10.7 centimes/kwh standard rate for the other 16. That's £ 4.6p and £ 7.5p, or 7.85 cents US and 12.7 cents US
Of course, price rises may be in the offing, but since France produces over 75% of its electricity by nuclear and renewables like Hydro, gas and oil prices are not an issue. In fact, a new Nuclear Station is already just coming up to commission in Brittany, but there is a huge upswell of protest about the new transmission line running through Central France to Italy by the PIPA's ( Pas Ici, Pas Ailleurs = Not Here Not Anywhere ). It will be 400,000vac. They are going to flog most of this juice to the nitwits like Britain and Italy who tear-arsed into gas a decade ago.
Keeps my energy cheap though!

Oop La!

Alan

faute d'orthographie

[This message has been edited by Alan Belson (edited 03-13-2006).]

Like British income tax, introduced as a "temporary" measure -- Two hundred years ago!

I pay about £75/month for gas & Elect combined. I've just run down to the Post box to pay an extra £4/month to cap the cost for 12months. I was going to work it out but just seen the news, about prices trippling & bolted...before the capping cost goes up!!

Alan I was in Aussie for 20years. Drove a Holden 202. & towing a 16ft Caravan all around the country....Perth . Gold Fields > Adelaide > Snowies > Canberra > Sydney > Gold Coast > Whitsundays > Barrier Reef > Darwin > Kimberlies > Derby > Perth. Tons of close calls with "Mother Nature" but well worth it!

Aussie nature versus the inhabitants of Downing Street, Westminster, and Whitehall......

I think I'd rather take my chances with the spiders!

Forgot to mention...I now get my Gas/Elect. through the AEEU (work's Union).
The Company is called ,"UNION energy". I save about £30 a year. May pay you Guys to check it out!

[This message has been edited by Uppeydog (edited 04-01-2006).]

Paul,
I reckon, at least the spiders only bite you once before they get squashed!.