To think it's time the state took back control of the utility companies

[onetoomanytoo]

i am in no way a communist, i really am not, but when your electric costs will now take over 14% of your joint income, something has to be done.

edf has joined the ever growing number of greedy companies and have just announced a 10.8% increase in charges as from december, that will add over £120 to the average bill per year.

how can the government allow these companies to continue to charge what ever they like for comodities that we need simply to exist.

YANBU but it s not going to happen under a Tory/Labour government.

Yanbu.for me making huge profits out of human necessities is immoral...

and just what is so wrong with being a communist? ...

YANBU

and they should also stop landlords charging crazy amounts of rent!

YANBU!

A 10% increase earlier on in the year and now another 10% increase. Seriously, when will they stop?

YANBU in any way.
I have been saying this for years.

YANBU

I agree with you. The situation is completely out of control.

If they can't be nationalised, then their prices must be capped by law.

It would be a good move for everyone, the Tories would see it as money in the bank for the next time any fuckers vote for them so they end up back in power and then they could sell them.

The whole world has gone fucking mad and we need to get ANGRY about it.

Pft, like the Tories are in favour of the nationalisation of anything.

They'd privatise their kids if they thought it would make them money.

Yanbu.

yes, another yanbu. The situation is impossible. The utilty companies are greedy indeed.

Yanbu

YANBU. At the very least they need much more regulation and a cap on profit margins (as they do in Northern Ireland, apparently).

The railways should be re-nationalised as well. It is all a complete mess. So much for the free market sorting everything out! (Thanks Maggie Thatcher!)

I'm not sure if they can now though because the utility companies are internationals- EDF is 'electricite de France' etc. You can't nationalise a company that isn't British. I guess you could nationalise the assets. Should never have sold them off. I think gas, electricity, water and rail transport should be government owned and run.

YANBU

YANBU. We shouldn't be paying private companies for necessities like water.

In the floods of 2007, we lost all water supply for many weeks, and some homes lost power as well. It was awful. This happened because Severn Trent had not spent the necessary money on maintaining the infrastructure of their system. They had been giving the profits to shareholders instead. None of us got any compensation, but they still paid their shareholders £millions that year

Not sure how re-nationalisation could be managed though... is there any going back at this point?

YANBU... the level of profits they are making at the same as making utilities so expensive that they are unaffordable to use by many is disgusting.

gas, electricity, water and rail transport should be government owned and run.

Yes.

Yup. I agree.

Heat, light, water - not things to make a profit out of.

Although you could then also argue that food is a basic human need and therefore not something to make a profit out of

Hark. Is that the sound of the bosses of Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury etc letting out a panicked scream?

PMSL at tescos being nationalised.

Although it would probably end up like Lloyds/RBScwhere we own shit loads of the bank but let the fuckers keep the profits. Then Osborne sells it off for 50p to his mates.

YANBU

YANBU.

YANBU. What I would like to see happen is for everyone in the UK to stop paying their bills simultaneously in protest or any kind of mass protest. Well we're all allowed to dream.