RE Nationalisation and the railways too!

MR W Jones, Liverpool, England

Direct Debit is a licence for these utility companies to raid your bank account. They put you in credit with them, they get YOUR interest. I have been paying monthly for two years and give them no more than they require.

Water is the best, I can leave my tap on all day and pay no more (no meter).

Dave Kinsley, Derby, UK

How much of the fall of the dollar over the past year affect the uk oil price increase.?

These utility costs + council tax should be included when calculating the CPi.

Then more people would demand higher wages.
making the government control Unfair costs more.
Is this not what economics is about

Peter Turner, Barnstaple, Devon

No-one is complaining about lack of competition in the retail petroleum industry where prices vary so little. As James says, I would expect little variation in prices for a basic commodity. If there were large differences, high cost suppliers would go out of business leading to redundancies.

Paul, Wimborne,

'Tacit Collusion'. That's the phrase I've been looking for to describe the activities of the high street banks. Many thanks.

Tony Jones, Grantham, Lincs

I like the comment that gas bill sin britain are apparently the cheapest in Europe. Last time I checked, Ukraine was in Europe, so was Russia and gas bills are definitely lower there. The solution whihc everyone seems to miss is to conserve energy - how else will you mitigate global warming?

John, Knutsford, UK

All credit to Mr Asher, but he is still understating the case. The fact is that, wherever you live, you can get gas from only one source: the pipe that enters your house. Having dozens of accounting organisations - each with its own expensive staff and facilities - does not alter that stark fact.

Tom Welsh, Basingstoke,

Power suppliers, railways, buses, telecomms... Any company with shareholders worries only about their shareholders and overpaid directors, not the customer. We are simply cash-cows for government as well as for businesses that lack the wit or will to boost profits through open competition.

Barry Lane, Eastbourne, UK

If those in government had both feet on the deck and both oars in the water, they would be amongst the first to learn of such things instead of the last. They would also have understood why the separate ownership caveat attached to the original Privatisation Bill, was not put there to be removed.

Richard Crow, Warsaw, Poland

Nationalisation would create a complete monopoly. Given this Government's track record on tax increases, and their need to borrow more, wouldn't this give them the opportunity to solve the problem by milking the middle classes even more?

Phil, London,

And this is a surprise?

Sarah, London,

Well, Mr Asher has an agenda - what to do when Energywatch disappears later this year. And here is a suggestion: if you really believe what you say, then why not set up your own company and supply energy more cheaply than anyone else. Professional whingers should get off the pot and act!

Stepan, Glasgow, Scotland

Wholesale electricity has risen 50% since the beginning of April 2008 - jus six weeks! So those prices are going to keep increasing I'm afraid...

Lauren, Oxford,

I would love to be supplied by British Gas as I was in my previous house. I now live in a flat in a large house in the country and our supply is LPG by Calor whose prices are drastic. For a 4 bed house I was paying £35 per month , now it is nearer £100 for a 2 bed flat.

Jim Aylward, Sevenoaks, UK

Gee I didn't see that coming. I thought the UK energy companies would be so proud to have the opportunity and responsibility to provide this great nation with its energy needs that they would go out of their way to be fair.

Miss Dee, Tayside, UK

You cannot have competition in a captive market only profiteering. When prices again double this year you will see even bigger profits declared next year. Utility profits should be capped by a windfall tax that is extremely harsh. The money should be returned to the consumer not the government.

David Thijm, Stourbridge, UK

Paul in Coventry is dead right - it is the separation of generation and supply that is key and that has failed - Ofgem are supposed to be doing a review but when I submitted this comment I was told it hadn't started!

Richard, Newton Abbot,

Every customer who is able should switch supplier every year just as a sign of protest at their lying and profiteering. Innundate them with paperwork.

David Thijm, Stourbridge, UK

The general public have always, and will always, be taken to the cleaners by the current crop of power suppliers but this slack government will not have the will, energy or pluck to change this situation by re-introducing a government/state run system; if they did it would cut-out the fat-cat profit

Derek Clifton, Andover, Hampshire, Merry England

welcome back to RIP-OFF Britain.

Lee CHav

Lee, Lancaster, England

Three words: Nationalisation, Nationalisation & Nationalisation. These 'cartels' need to be broken up immediately!

Noel McLaughlin, Chester,

When the Tories privatised the electricity industry they placed a caveat that generation and supply should be under separate ownership. When New Labour overturned that ten years ago, then consolidation was bound to happen, leading to the cartel that now exists today and which should be broken up.

Paul, Coventry,

Frankly I would not expect a huge range of prics for a basic commodity. The producers of power are in a competitive market and raw material costs have risen fast. It is the ususal political game of finding a scape goat for increased consumer costs. Get nuclear on the road!

James, LOndon, UK

People rant on about Gordon Brown selling gold for euros. The Tories sold our gas companies, electricity boards, water companies, council houses, BR, etc all in the name of creating a share/property-owning democracy. These shareholders sold out for a quick profit and we are all paying the price.

Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain

When governments run essential services, like gas, electricity, trains and so on, it was considered a service to the public. Selling these things off to private companies, it becomes profit that matters above all else.We have seem that well and truly here in Victoria.

margie , victoria, australia

Since I moved to France six years ago, the price of my electricity from monopoly supplier EDF has remained unchanged at 3.85p per unit off-peak and 6.3p per unit full-rate - putting UK power prices around 2.5 times those of France.

Denis, Bordeaux, France

You are not alone. Whether it is your liberalised market or the Us's deregulated market, the systems are flawed and have not delivered the intended competition nor fair and reasonable rates for the individual consumer. In states that did not deregulate, rates are lower.

Ann Reed, Baltimore, United States

I have a small cottage I use maybe 5 days in the year. No one comes to read the meter but I have been give estimated readings and charged 250 pounds. I queried this and asked for a person to come and read the meter as I live abroad. Result in credit for 250 pounds!!! ALl because I pay by direct debt

fenny, norfolk,

So what else is new?

Andrew Milner, Karuizawa, Japan