We have a problem with our utility companies. They’re not doing what we need them to do.

The energy companies have to provide us with energy. Electricity and gas. And as electricity can’t be grown on trees, but needs to be made, normally with gas, they are in fact supplying us with gas and more gas. And the price of gas has definitely gone up recently. We’re currently blaming Russia, but any nation will do. We buy it from Norway, we buy it from anyone. And it has definitely risen in price. Probably doubled.

But that does not mean our household energy costs need to double. Think of petrol. The price went up massively. Because ‘of the cost of crude oil’. But only about 10% of the cost of a litre of petrol (possible more in a gallon, cos its bigger?) is the oil. The rest is taxes, duty, surcharges, vat and profit for the oil companies and petrol stations. So when the price of oil rises, everyone else (including the fucking Chancellor) rubs their hands in glee. It’s pay-time. Whereas really, none of those other 90% of charges needs to rise at all. It explains why the oil giants all announced massive increases in profits. And I know they need to ‘explore green areas’ which costs a lot, and I hate the idea of a ‘windfall tax’ to claw the money back, but the whole thing is so cynically opaque that I might be prepared to accept a few bill. Just as a one off.

So should the energy companies announce immense profits next year, that will simply show what a fucking farce the whole business is. Gas prices rise, its a boom time for Bombay call centres.

Yet the water companies are the worst of all. They lose 25% of our water through leaks they can’t fix and dodgy old reservoirs that aren’t sealed properly and they moan like fuck when it hasn’t rained for 3 days and ban hosepipes if the ‘drought’ goes on for 6 days. Then as soon as it does rain, they empty the sewers into the sea. Well they have to open the ‘storm drains’ or heaven knows what might happen!! Because the empty reservoirs and dried up rivers will all burst!! Thus they ‘have no choice’ but to empty a few thousand tons of shit into the coastal regions where we swim. Even the French were complaining about it and you know what a generally filthy bunch they are.

Nationalise everything. Whatever it takes to stop ‘Mike’ from Delhi phoning me up 16 times a day trying to flog me gas.

Happy Saturday

A xxxx