Speaking today (Wednesday) after his question to Boris Johnson at Prime Ministers Questions ALBA Depute Leader and MP for East Lothian Kenny MacAskill said::-
“It is estimated that one in four Scots households have a pre payment meter (PPM) which results in them paying the highest energy costs, with higher standing charges than those on credit meters
“Today I challenged Boris Johnson to introduced a social tariff so as to protect some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society, who rely on pre payment meters.
“It is only by introducing a social tariff that we can end these punitive charges against the poor and the scandal of self-disconnection that we are seeing in ever increasing numbers across Scotland and in the rest of the UK.
“Energy rich Scotland should not have one in three of its households living in fuel poverty and we should not be penalising the poor for simply being poor by charging them more than anyone else for the basic necessity of heating their homes.”
It is obscene that the people who pay in advance, thereby giving the energy companies the opportunity to use that money to make even more money, are charged more than those who are allowed to have their energy on credit. In banking systems those who have money in the system get interest but energy companies punish avance payers and give benefits to those who “borrow” thier energy, What a perverse system. As for the £400 – how is that in any way anything other than giving the energy companies their “windfall tax” back again? Meanwhile our compliant Scottish Govt sit back and join WM in the exploitation of ordinary people while claiming that middle class, middle aged autogynophiles are “the most marginalised people in sociery”. What an absoulte clusterf**k of a govt we have.
Surely the fact that an energy-rich country, ie Scotland, actually has members too poor to access electricity is a reason for ALL SCOTS to insist we TAKE BACK our INDEPENDENCE.
Scottish Gaelic describes JOHNSON PM as “truilleach”:
1. useless person
2. filthy food
3. baggage
For various reasons , i looked at Pre_Payment meters well over 20 years ago ,what drew me to pay attention was an article in Private Eye where they looked at the just how much British Gas were overcharging via Direct Debits.
The figure I can’t recall I inquired a long while ago, but PE had no record ,
Call it £6m per day, the overcharging was increasing the working capital at zero cost.
Later it became the desire method of payment,for other providers of various services.,
The DD Is a method of pre-payment, don’t let it fool anyone.
It compounds when applied to the Pre-Payment Cards , simply by the terms of those cards and rates charged,.
There is no reason whatsoever NOT to cut energy prices !
Six years ago I put together an idea for reducing Fuel Poverty for a Hustings ,Personally I thought it was a “blinder”, Labour hadn’t a clue (still don’t )and SNP(well they didn’t appear)
Scotland CAN utilise renewables to reduce costs, Unfortunately there is an attitude that prevents the Parties doing so,…. Greed
Having seen a SNP minute where one advocates nuclear power, that is never going to be cost effective long term or even short term come to that.
I suppose , if one thinks enough about it the SNP and Tories have the similar ideas , they want to empty the leas well off so they can become wealthy,
One thing , there is no reason why there are variable tariffs, the sale price should be level,throughout Why pay more up-front ? That has zero logic, save for greed again
Can all tariffs not be fixed? Can that not be across the board company-wise ?
There are no reasons why not
Why do we pay Foreign Government companies for our energy?
Should Energy be Nationalised? Well not under Sturgeon, it concept would got to hell in a handbag
Three points.
Prepayment meters are the preferred payment option for the corporate raiders.
Gets payment up front. Is an expensive tarrif. Meter continues to accrue standing charge even when household has run out or as the industry describes it the household ‘ has voluntarily disconnected’
Moreover cards are secretly set when topping up to recover previous debt which includes standing charge when self disconnected. Incredibly computer when topping up sets meter to deduct previous debts often a accrued by a previous tennant. Of course consumers have no idea that their top up is being set up to deduct, or should one say ‘ skim off’ ‘ a proportion of the top up to pay for previous debt.
In fact I know of one individual who took over his eldey mother’s house months after his mother had died.
The block of flats had insulation, gas supply and gs central heating installed. But due to his mother’s terminal condition, no gas central heating was installed at the time. Thereafter taking his mother’s house over some 8 months later and getting gas central heating installed the son put a £100 on the British Gas meter and switched on the new heating. The next day the meter was empty – the hundred pound top up gone. With no idea how the meter had malfunctioned after a number of calls to British Gas he was advised that he had been charged for eight months of standing charge.
The fact that his flat had not been connected to the gas, was neither here or there, British Gas were back charging the eight months till when the 24 flat block had been gassed up ( but not his mother’s)
But there a worse stories than that and the reality is that these corporate entities are just corporate. thugs.
Of course people need to take a stand against these thugs. No good writing to your MP or MSP. The corporate thugs are above the law, above decency.
This country is in truth a corporate gangster riddled shit hole with no rule of law. Its a jungle, absolute jungle.