Fuel Poverty.

[john sutton]

I think you will find that the shareholders are pension funds,unit trusts,banks and unions.The days of private individuals controlling public companies is long gone.
On the subject of electicity charges.I live in spain and last year my electriciy cost me 1503 euros and in addition i spent 500 euros on firewood in the winter.thats on the costa del sol.I would think that the cost in northern spain would be higher
john sutton

[Jim Brady]

I know many of you complain about utilities being privatised, but i do not agree.
No gov of any persuasion should be involved in the ownership, management or conttol of any business be it a corporation or a utility. Gov makes the rules under which a country operates, to be in business creates a conflict of interst.
Had gov of the past gone down this path the country may well not find it in the current situation.
Business is there to run business not goernments.

John,it should be run by the people for the people.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[cappy]

but jim that's wot they call communism and the people as a whole cant run anything its like saying let the crew run the ship regards cappy from shields who doesn't like jellied eels

[j.sabourn]

The only thing that maybe different is perhaps what you call super, mine is in a pension form and comes from the uk. I have the old age from the uk and the pension from super, also receive the Australian pension which is about 2/3 rds. of the full one. All declared to government. Paid tax every year from 2002 until 2012. The last one was smaller as seemed to decrease over the years was about 300 dollars in 2011, and nil last year. Cheers John Sabourn PS about 3000 dollars when first retired in 2002 JS

[happy daze john in oz]

John,it should be run by the people for the people.
Regards.
Jim.B.

Jim, I can understand your sentiment there, but sadly if the people attempted to run it the gov would take it off them.
Here in Oz nearly all the states have privatised, rail, bus and tram, gas, electricity. Water is still privately owned by various water authorites but they come under certain gov restricitions.

[happy daze john in oz]

The only thing that maybe different is perhaps what you call super, mine is in a pension form and comes from the uk. I have the old age from the uk and the pension from super, also receive the Australian pension which is about 2/3 rds. of the full one. All declared to government. Paid tax every year from 2002 until 2012. The last one was smaller as seemed to decrease over the years was about 300 dollars in 2011, and nil last year. Cheers John Sabourn PS about 3000 dollars when first retired in 2002 JS

John from what you are telling me I fail to see why you have to pay tax. Pension from UK plus OAP from UK are treated as income and set against the amount you can get from Oz OAP. 2/3 of Oz OAP would account for the amount you recieve from UK. You are allowed $240 per fortnight before your Oz OAP is affected, then for ecah dollar over that you loose 50 cents from Oz OAP.
You have to have a joint income from pensions of over $60,000 per annum before tax is even a consideration.

[j.sabourn]

Has never been over 60,000 dollars, my income is slightly over 30,000. Wife is taxed as an individual and myself as an individual. If income was joined and divided by 2 we would both be under 30,000. This part does not work like the uk where you get allowances for a wife. I will have to tell her that after 51 years she is no good for tax purposes and will have to go. According to accountant is something to do with a few share holdings that some of the Australian super was put into. However as said no tax last year and hope this year the same. Have this feeling though of being diddled somewhere over the past 10 years or so. Best Regards John Sabourn

[Rocky]

As stated in previous posts by a few its the banks and investment companies that now own the power companies people like the RBS who paid out millions in bonuses for work well done when they made losses of billions over the year yep that's right they give bonuses to those that lose money what do they give to those that make it

British gas are the fist to put the prices up this year and have just made record profits so everyone else will hiking up the prices to keep up with them and claiming they have to put prices up or lose money

[John Cassels]

Not related to fuel poverty but vehicle related.

Another area where the UK is a lot cheaper than thje rest of Europe - road tax.

My brother has just been over for a few days visit. He has one of these large Range rovers and pays 220 pounds a year
in road tax as he told me.
Over here , a similar car would be € 1680 ( about 1500 pounds) per year.

Another area where you guys in the UK have it good.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates. Poverty Life on the breadline 2013 TODAY 130,000 people fed by charity foodbanks This number will double again !!! 13 million familys live below the poverty line in the U.K. 1 in 5 working mothers skip meals to feed they children Who is to blame??? Fair and squarely the governments austerity policies, cuts and job lost in the public sector replaced by private companys who pay low wages or partime working with no rights in low payed jobs High fuel bills and high household bills door step/payday loans.