Miliband was appointed in October 2008, I'd hazard a guess that there were other, far more pressing matters requiring government attention at the time. The energy companies have had plenty of time to offer more transparency in how they conduct their business, they have chosen to ignore them. Only now do they bleat about how unfair it all is

I'm still making my mind up about it all.
But I do recall reading some months back that, whilst the companies who sell us the energy aren't making huge profits, the companies they buy from (and largely own, IIRC) are really coining it in.
I need to read up on that.

not sure what you mean by that?

If you look on the price comparison sites, the smaller competitors in the market are regularly cheaper than the Big 6. Ecotricity (a 100% green/renewables energy supplier) have this week announced that they will shortly reduce their prices.

These companies need to be encouraged to be innovative and introduce new ideas, not restricted by more regulation and legislation.

Cross purposes I thought you meant increase competition for supply and distribution, not just the retail bit.

That has long been one of my bones of contention.

The only 'choice' we have with utilities is who to pay to.

We cannot, for instance, choose to buy soft water when in London. And when you see how energy companies have, in recent years, all put up prices at approximately the same time, by the same amount, you also see how little meaningful choice there is.

Also, as I've mentioned before, I dislike this business whereby it's the consumer's responsibility to be an expert in everything they buy – not least because you can no longer rely on customer service to be honest.

I've yet to be convinced that there is anything wrong with the idea that essentials such as power should be available to all at a fair rate that acknowledges the importance to the whole country of that product/service, and where any profit is then ploughed back into that product/service. Remarkably, in the last couple of years, even posters on the [iTelegraph[/i forums have started saying that privatisation of utilities 'hasn't worked'.

As has been said, part of the reason prices are high is the folly (largely under Labour) of building wind turbines via huge subsidy in order to prop up German (and Danish) manufacturers. Another example of Germany using the EU to its domestic advantage and an easy government sop to the deluded elements of the green lobby who seem to seriously believe that wind power is the answer to our energy needs. The whole thing is a bizarre joke at the expense of taxpayers and the countryside / seascape. Urban trendies f**king the country up - just as they do in every field.

rlGood piece on the energy companies etc here.rl

So we don't need greener and alternative energy?

I'd have thought that the more energy we can develop (more) cleanly the better.

I'm no expert, but there's some interesting stuff here

Quote: Mintball "I'd have thought that the more energy we can develop (more) cleanly the better. I'm no expert, but there's some interesting stuff here That's all well and good until you look at electricity prices in the retail sector. May 2013's average market prices for the domestic consumer... Denmark 0.29525 € per kWh UK 0.17078 € per kWh www.energy.eu/ So yes the Danes may be producing more cleaner energy but they are paying 73% more than us for it. Which kind of defeats the object of Ed's policy really. Actually, looking at that data our electricity prices are pretty average for Europe, being 12th highest out of 28. For gas we are the 2nd lowest price in the whole of Europe with only Romania being cheaper.

Quote: Mintball "I'd have thought that the more energy we can develop (more) cleanly the better. I'm no expert, but there's some interesting stuff here That's all well and good until you look at electricity prices in the retail sector. May 2013's average market prices for the domestic consumer... Denmark 0.29525 € per kWh UK 0.17078 € per kWh www.energy.eu/ So yes the Danes may be producing more cleaner energy but they are paying 73% more than us for it. Which kind of defeats the object of Ed's policy really. Actually, looking at that data our electricity prices are pretty average for Europe, being 12th highest out of 28. For gas we are the 2nd lowest price in the whole of Europe with only Romania being cheaper.

I'm bemused as to why renewable, clean energy should cost more?

AdditionallyWhich?[/irl.

Some of it (not all) will be down to the fact that the infrastructure for delivering conventional energy is largely fully depreciated and has long since made a return on investment, where as the price of clean energy will incorporate a cost of the fairly recent substantial investments made to generate it.

Fair enough. But surely that means that the cost should fall over the coming years?

He must be doing something right given the foaming at the mouth front page of the Daily mail today