Author Topic: Greedy energy companies  (Read 434 times)

Mups

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Greedy energy companies
« on: Jan 26, 2023, 11:50:43 AM »
What a disgrace British Gas are.

No wonder they have been pushing non-stop to get people onto Smart Meters.All this talk about how it will save us money, and we can see what we are spending etc,  what a load of rubbish. Now we can see the true reason they want to foist these meters on us - Control!   


Have a read of this report on how they can control the way you pay, and it's not to help us, it is the make sure  they  get their money.

Have a look at the woman who was in hospital recovering from a bad fall, and the buggers changed her tariff onto Pre-payment while she was away.
   
How will people like this manage when some can't even walk to a corner shop to get a top-up?  -  That is if they even have a corner shop to start with!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64331449

At some point,  I don't doubt for a minute that people with electric cars will be penalised in some crafty, money-grabbing way too.

Sciatico

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Re: Greedy energy companies
« Reply #1 on: Jan 26, 2023, 11:56:09 AM »
All the more incentive to put solar panels on your roof.

Jacqueline

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Re: Greedy energy companies
« Reply #2 on: Jan 26, 2023, 01:03:07 PM »
My son who sees ulterior motives in everything wouldn't have a smart meter, I told him it would make life easier than reading the meter an submitting numbers every month.  Now I think he is right and I am wrong having one of these cursed things, Mups you are right, it's Big Brother trying to control your energy use and forcing the poor onto prepayment meters so they pay even more.

Them at the top are trying to turn anything you hold dear upside down, we are living in a sinister world where they are getting more and more control over your everyday lives.

Mups

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Re: Greedy energy companies
« Reply #3 on: Jan 26, 2023, 01:38:56 PM »
My son who sees ulterior motives in everything wouldn't have a smart meter, I told him it would make life easier than reading the meter an submitting numbers every month.  Now I think he is right and I am wrong having one of these cursed things, Mups you are right, it's Big Brother trying to control your energy use and forcing the poor onto prepayment meters so they pay even more.

Them at the top are trying to turn anything you hold dear upside down, we are living in a sinister world where they are getting more and more control over your everyday lives.


Yes,  I have thought just the same as you, Jacqueline.   

I've heard that we can be spied on through the little camera thing on laptops, and they track where we go through our mobile phones  -  and God knows what else these Smart Meters can do that we have not been made told about yet!

That woman on my first post,  said they now make her pay £200 per month for using next to nothing.

Where do the wealthy ones think ordinary people like us can get this sort of money from,  without going without other necessities?   
 Heat, light, and water are hardly what I would call frivolous luxuries,   like those have who only wear the latest fashion,   and have their private jets to take them on numerous exotic  holidays while working out more ways to dodge paying tax!   

All the majority of 'normal'  honest folk want is a warm home, food in their bellies, and not be a fraid to turn the cooker or light switch on.

Judd

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Re: Greedy energy companies
« Reply #4 on: Jan 26, 2023, 04:21:49 PM »
Giving my meter readings once a quarter is no hardship, and I can keep an eye on my own usage thank you very much by taking readings about once or twice a week.
Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Bruce

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Re: Greedy energy companies
« Reply #5 on: Jan 26, 2023, 10:18:11 PM »
Have a look at the woman who was in hospital recovering from a bad fall, and the buggers changed her tariff onto Pre-payment while she was away.

I must admit I still don't understand how they can do this. Surely all someone has to do is just tell them to send a bill, cancel any direct debits and instead of putting money into the company account just save it themselves to pay when the bill arrives.

As for taking readings myself, the day they stop sending a meter reader round each quarter is the day I stop paying them. Unless they install a smart meter which they have failed to do.

In fact I recently had an argument with them over their reader mis-reading my meter - so they sent him/her out again and corrected it
"Australia [is] the greatest country on Earth" - Dextrous63

Mups

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Re: Greedy energy companies
« Reply #6 on: Jan 26, 2023, 10:32:21 PM »
I read my own meters too,  always have done.
I will not pay an estimated bill,  so I read my Gas, Electric, and Water meters.
In fact, it's just as well I do,  because no one had been round this area to read our water meters since April 2019!!

I used to read my Mum's  gas/electric for her too,  as hers was in such a stupid place,  she could never reach it.
It's only takes a couple of minutes, and is no hassle at all.

Northman

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Re: Greedy energy companies
« Reply #7 on: Jun 07, 2024, 04:04:19 PM »
For many years I have been on a standard Quarterly gas tariff with Scottish Power, but more recently through numerous texts, e-mails and estimated bills, they have been attempting to coerce me into paying on a monthly basis, which allows for less obvious charge increases and a more reliable cash flow for the company
After complaining through a letter and my M. P., I received a response from their directors support team who assured me I could remain on a Quarterly basis, which I prefer.
How ever it seems my account has now been returned to the normal support team and once again I am being subjected to further harrowing behaviour through texts and e-mails.


Can anyone identify with this situation and if so how to respond, apart from accepting, switching or suing for breach of contract!!


I have also had my electricity account moved to another tariff, without any reference to my wishes - I did get a smart meter in this respect but it often does not connect so I get estimated bills - unless you regard the meter reader as an inconvenient aspect, there is no benefit to the customer.


Northman




tomer

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Re: Greedy energy companies
« Reply #8 on: Jun 07, 2024, 06:40:27 PM »
Prepayment meters were once put in to repay a debt so obviously they were calibrated to do so-does the same apply today? DDs used to spread the cost throughout the year but now the energy companies simply seem to want us to pay in advance. Their computers are programmed to churn out increases no matter how well a customer manages their account.