[jambutty]

The whole structure of paying for energy is wrong and favours those with larger houses at the expense of us down here.

Gas and electricity prices are tiered. Meaning that a fixed number of kWh used is at one price and the remainder is at a lower price. Once upon a time many years ago there were three tiers, with each one less than the previous one.

So the more energy people used the cheaper it got thus favouring those who use a lot of energy. And who is that? People with larger houses. Surely it should be the other way around?

A letter on ITV’s Teletext Letters pages (page 328) yesterday reminded me of what I have been arguing for years. The writer suggested that the tier system be reversed. A cheaper tariff to begin with and an increased tariff for the remainder. Sadly this does not work at the current rates. To make a reversal anywhere near effective, the primary total would have to be doubled.

As an exercise I used my Energy Spreadsheet to double the primary total and reversed the two tariffs. My bill became 23% cheaper.

Sadly a reversal is not going to happen.

There is only way to curb the greed of the energy companies and that is to cap increases to the rate of inflation, the same rate of inflation that the government uses for calculating pension increases.

And that is not going to happen either.

This government is so deep in the pocket of industry and commerce that their lily livered attempts at governing the country for the benefit of all is nullified before it even starts.