[BITList] Extortion

[HUGH]

An envelope arrived this morning from Scottish Power - we get gas and electricity from them, prices presently capped till March this year.  The envelope says "look inside for your great new offer", so that's what I did. I read my meters in November last, when the meter reader did likewise, so I know my consumption over the past severe winter.  So I know where I lie in the great new offer.  They offer two schemes - another capped period till September, 2012, or an uncapped one, but these are not the great new offer - it's much greater than these.  There are two sets of rates for each scheme, a high rate for the first X kWh, and a low rate thereafter. Our consumption is low enough to be always within the high rate, which seems to have been set for people living in 24 bedroom mansions, so we pay at the high rate.  Now we come to the great new offer. If I compare this with the (presumably) not so great old offer, a quick calculation shows that I have the choice of capped electricity at a cost 20.5% higher, gas at 96% (ie, 96%) higher, or else uncapped electricity and gas at 2.7% and 68% higher, respectively. Do I take comfort from the fact I'm not alone? No.

Hugh.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.bcn.mythic-beasts.com/pipermail/bitlist/attachments/20110212/c6c54926/attachment.shtml