The great privatised industry racket.

 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.