Being robbed again (Page 3): I don’t think we are being robbed when the alternatives are likely to be far more punishing. Here’s what can happen now The missed payments can be marked...

Canonuser Loc: UK and South Africa

I don’t think we are being robbed when the alternatives are likely to be far more punishing.
Here’s what can happen now
The missed payments can be marked as defaults on an individuals credit report
Any debt can be passed onto a debt collection agency
The energy company can apply to a court to get a county court judgement (CCJ) against you.
However this still leaves massive unrecoverable debts for energy companies, with Putin to blame.
The record level of debt in the system means action must be taken to make sure suppliers can recover their reasonable costs, so the market remains resilient, and suppliers are offering consumers support in managing their debts.”
Ofgem, the energy regulator for Great Britain, said this one-off move would be less costly to consumers than if suppliers were forced out of business.
When wholesale energy prices began to rise in 2021, and soared dramatically after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, about 30 energy companies went out of business.

richardsaccount

Correct me if I'm wrong, but at one time didn't utility customers in the U.K. have to buy tokens to put in a meter in their homes like a parking meter for gas and electricity?

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

chrissybabe wrote:

At the risk of this heading towards the attic the USA has the most bizarre system of government and voting of anything I have seen. You guys have no right to criticize another system of government when yours is so bad (leaving aside a few communist types). Although I too would like to see their rationalisation for a decision like this.

I more or less agree with you. And I am an USA American. Fascist Dictators are the worst.

FrumCA

allan catt wrote:

Next year the British Goverment are allowing Gas &Electricity company’s to charge every household in the Uk £16 to cover the debt of non payment by people who have not paid their utility bills,surely it’s the responsibility of the utility co.to recoupe the debt not pass it on to the rest of the country,they are making millions of pounds a year let them take it out of their profit.

Sounds like the idiotic student debt relief Joe Biden has unleashed on us. Our tax payers are going to end up covering that debt all in the name of buying votes!!

Effate Loc: El Dorado Hills, Ca.

allan catt wrote:

Next year the British Goverment are allowing Gas &Electricity company’s to charge every household in the Uk £16 to cover the debt of non payment by people who have not paid their utility bills,surely it’s the responsibility of the utility co.to recoupe the debt not pass it on to the rest of the country,they are making millions of pounds a year let them take it out of their profit.

Well guess what, it’s already here! Welcome to California. Our socialist legislature already passed a bill that will allow different rates based on income so those that have can support those that allegedly don’t. We already have the highest rates in the country. In my neighborhood people pay $600-$1000 per month for energy.
https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/02/utility-bills-reform-income-based/

“California is coming to a State near you” Gavin Newsom 2024!

clint f. Loc: Priest Lake Idaho, Spokane Wa

Effate wrote:

Well guess what, it’s already here! Welcome to California. Our socialist legislature already passed a bill that will allow different rates based on income so those that have can support those that allegedly don’t. We already have the highest rates in the country. In my neighborhood people pay $600-$1000 per month for energy.
https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/02/utility-bills-reform-income-based/

“California is coming to a State near you” Gavin Newsom 2024!

Ouch!! I had the largest gas & electric bill ever for the house in town. Nearly $200.00.

clint f. Loc: Priest Lake Idaho, Spokane Wa

chrissybabe wrote:

There is some truth in that I guess. BUT your syst... (show quote)

How is our voting system weird? How can a dictator emerge? Going against the majority is going on right now and has resulted in a border crisis because the current administration refuses to follow laws already in existence going against the majority. Larkin Riley died because of that. What tweaks do you propose for the constitution? The age of the constitution is irrelevant. The way the current administration defies the constitution and the Supreme Court to buy votes by making taxpayers pay off the loans of students who won’t. New Zealand is about the size of California. Even the latitude coincide, with Mexico as the terminus toward the equator and Oregon on the end closest to the pole. We have 49 more states. Several larger than California. As to international reputation how much has NZ paid to help Ukraine?

FrumCA

Effate wrote:

Well guess what, it’s already here! Welcome to California. Our socialist legislature already passed a bill that will allow different rates based on income so those that have can support those that allegedly don’t. We already have the highest rates in the country. In my neighborhood people pay $600-$1000 per month for energy.
https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/02/utility-bills-reform-income-based/

“California is coming to a State near you” Gavin Newsom 2024!

Shouldn’t that be Kalifornia?

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

clint f. wrote:

How is our voting system weird? How can a dictator... (show quote)

I can't answer most of what you ask because it would be straight for the attic. You have got ONE man stopping further aid to Ukraine with ridiculous reasons (and reasons that are so stupid as to be verging on blackmail for another SINGLE man). An American politician who claims religious beliefs and pushes those is the biggest hypocrite of them all. You are already 1/4 the way to a dictatorship in effect at the moment.
New Zealand does not have the resources to help Ukraine. We may well be the same size as California but only have a fraction of the income. And California is struggling anyway as are we.

clint f. Loc: Priest Lake Idaho, Spokane Wa

chrissybabe wrote:

I can't answer most of what you ask because it wou... (show quote)

The average American has no problem demanding we mind our border before sending money to Ukraine to mind their border. You can only imagine how New Zealanders would react to an invasion of un-veted aliens by the thousands per day. The beauty of the United States is that you can have a religious position and share it. I’m not religious but respect those that are. The same amendment, the First also prevents the establishment of a state religion. Two for the price of one. If you believe you must not hold religious conviction the issue is yours, not the constitution.

Vladimir200 Loc: Beaumont, Ca.

chrissybabe wrote:

At the risk of this heading towards the attic the USA has the most bizarre system of government and voting of anything I have seen. You guys have no right to criticize another system of government when yours is so bad (leaving aside a few communist types). Although I too would like to see their rationalisation for a decision like this.

Actually, we can be critical of anything we want and mostly that that does not make sense. I will agree with you, however on our bizarre way of electing a President using the Electoral College instead of the popular vote. In fact, I think I read somewhere that we (USA) are the only first-world country that does not elect their chief executive by popular vote.

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

clint f. wrote:

The average American has no problem demanding we m... (show quote)

I did read somewhere that that ONE man said whatever was proposed to help at the border he wouldn't vote for it. But he also won't suggest what he considers is an acceptable solution for the border problem. The problem with having a religious position is that it should not give you the right to force 350m other people to take your view. How you stop religion from creeping into your politics I don't know.
That is what happens in Iran and you Americans hate it. I think I know who you would vote for. God help America because you need it.

clint f. Loc: Priest Lake Idaho, Spokane Wa

chrissybabe wrote:

I did read somewhere that that ONE man said whatev... (show quote)

The border issue exploded when the executive orders from the previous administrations stay in Mexico policy along with following the laws in existence created the lowest number of illegal entries. Presidents Clinton and Obama both spoke out against illegal entry and promoting securing the border.
I wouldn’t expect you to read our entire constitution but the bill of rights (the first 10 amendments) are important reading if you want to consider the difference between establishment of religion and religious freedom. I don’t see any evidence that anybody wants to create a theocracy like Iran. Yes we do not believe a religious view should be forced down our throat. It’s in our DNA as they say. It was so important that when they wrote the bill of rights they put it first, along with freedom of speech. They learned from England what a corrosive effect that had on a country. What is your source of information about our country? It’s almost like MSNBC talking points with a twist of leftist ideology mixed in.

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

Old Coot wrote:

Wait. Is’nt the Party in power the Tories (Conservatives). ?

Yes, the merry-brexit-genius-men.

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

Vladimir200 wrote:

Actually, we can be critical of anything we want and mostly that that does not make sense. I will agree with you, however on our bizarre way of electing a President using the Electoral College instead of the popular vote. In fact, I think I read somewhere that we (USA) are the only first-world country that does not elect their chief executive by popular vote.

... and the US primaries for candidate selection are a massive waste of time and money. In the parliamentary systems, you vote for a party and it's platform. The party picks the leaders/candidates and can change leader at any time. Every vote counts, minor parties can take their votes to the party most sympathetic to their wishes. And ... an election can be held in 8-12 weeks. Constantly getting ready for an election every two years out is mind-numbingly tedious.