The Lights are On

You'll remember the collapse of my electricity supplier, Utility Point. I am supposedly in the semi-automated process of transferring back to the regulator-selected supplier of last resort, EDF. Which possibly stands for Electricitique de la France, it being French-owned. After an initial flurry of emails from the two companies, silence. Or, as we say in France

I have no idea who is receiving my monthly direct debit and no idea, at the moment, where my electricity comes from. I have ceased to care, as long as The Lights Are On.

According to the BBC "Two more firms collapsed on Wednesday, but EDF's Philippe Commaret said it was already working on moving customers from failed company Utility Point." Yep that's me, we got in first. "Mr Commaret said the issue of whether Ofgem can force larger energy firms to step into that role is 'the big question at the moment across the industry'".

Why does life have to be so complicated? If you were starting a country from scratch (which I frequently do in computer games), you'd set up an electricity company to supply the needs of all your citizens and businesses. A company for gas. One for water. And so on. These utilities are too important to be subject to 'the market'. I understand the theory that promoting competition is the best way to keep prices low for consumers but not if it's at the expense of supply interruptions.

Get this, according to weownit.org.uk:

1. Scotland

Scottish Water was never privatised, it’s publicly owned and is the most trusted utility in the UK, delivering cleaner rivers, lower bills and more investment per head.

2. Ireland

Mail, rail, buses and water are all publicly owned in the republic of Ireland.

3. Switzerland

The railway in Switzerland is publicly owned - and it’s been named the best train company in Europe. 

4. Denmark

Denmark has the highest proportion of wind power in the world. Its transmission grid (like our National Grid) is fully publicly owned and most wind farms are cooperatively or community owned. 

5. The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, water, electricity and gas networks are all publicly owned - and it's illegal to privatise any of them.

6. Slovakia

Slovakia’s publicly owned railway provides free rail transport for children, students and pensioners.😇

7. Germany

The city of Munich in Germany is developing 100% municipal and 100% renewable energy by 2025 - they got tired of waiting for the private providers so they’re doing it directly.

In Germany too, 88% of all trips on local public transport (bus, tram and local trains) are provided by publicly-owned operators.

8. Greece

The Greek government is installing free wifi in 3000 public spaces including public squares, pedestrian zones, playgrounds, municipal libraries and museums.

9. France

The post office in France (La Poste) is publicly owned. Its services include banking, insurance, driving tests, fresh food delivery and home visits for older people.

10... and France again!

Water is also publicly owned in hundreds of French cities! One of these is Paris, where L’Eau de Paris (the publicly owned company) has cut bills and introduced still and sparkling water fountains throughout the city.

Now there's a thing; I'll be asking my local councillor for sparkling water fountains in St Austell.

And while we're on it, why do we give our utility supply to foreign owners? Especially the perfidious French. Get this:

• Malaysian company YTL Corporation Berhad owns all of Wessex Water
• Cheung Kong Group, a multinational registered in the Cayman Islands run by family of Li Ka Shing (Hong Kong’s richest person) owns 80% of Northumbrian Water
• Between Germany’s Deutsche Asset Management and US private equity company Corsair Capital, they own half of Yorkshire Water
• MTR, a Hong Kong company, holds a 30 per cent stake in South Western Railway, and has been awarded the London Crossrail franchise.

Since you ask, my French electricity is still on. And someone is taking my money.