Arrogance and greed of the privatised energy companies
I have just had another
telephone conversation with EDF, (our supplier of electricity, who
who will soon be our FORMER supplier.). After the usual 20 minutes of
brain-dead “music”, interrupted at various times by a monotone
voice repeating a selection of options, I was eventually connected to
a human. The background to this latest “frank exchange of views”
revolves around the arrogance and greed of the privatised energy
companies and their treatment of their victims otherwise known as
customers. In early June, we received a demand for an increase in our
direct debit payment from £75.00 per month to £83.00, following
their “review” of our energy consumption. This arbitrary figure
was arrived at not withstanding a £400.00 credit from the previous
bill and a £70.00 credit on the current bill. This request prompted
a phone call to EDF and after the 20minute “music break” someone
at their offices picked up the phone, allowed me to listen to office
noises for a few seconds and then hung up. Another telephone call,
another 20 minutes, more music and then a human. There then followed
a rather one sided conversation with a customer services operative
who eventually agreed that the calculation was wrong and the new
monthly Direct Debit should in fact, be reduced to £65.00, and as
the bill was estimated again, she would arrange for a meter reader to
visit our box and take a reading. Needless to say, this did not
happen, hence today's call.
This morning's EDF human,
had no record of previous exchanges, and took great pleasure in
advising me that they, EDF, only arranged for meter readings when
their customers were “unable to take their own readings” and were
only obliged to carry out an “actual reading” once every two
years. (One wonders what the reaction would be if someone sent them
an “estimated payment”). Having listened to this patronising
little woman for another 4 seconds, I advised her that I was now
going to change suppliers, said goodbye and hung up. I am now logging
on to “U switch” to find another firm of extortionists to take my
payments. We need electricity.
We were sold the lie that
privatised industries drive costs down and increase customer service.
In fact, privatised industries provide a legalised extortion racket,
and we pay the price.
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