Nationalise, regulate or laissez-faire?

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BoldonLad

Old man on a bike. Not a member of a clique.
Location
South Tyneside
The French are in the process of buying the remaining shares in EDF so it's fully nationalised.
EDF customers in Britain paying £1,971 a year for energy. People in France pay £803.
Uk energy prices meant to be rising 80% France 4%
How can we be paying that much more to the same company ?

Don't ask me, ask Mr Macron.

You clearly do not understand much about how prices are set. Do you think every product costs exactly the same in every market (Country)?
 
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EDF customers in Britain paying £1,971 a year for energy. People in France pay £803.
Uk energy prices meant to be rising 80% France 4%
How can we be paying that much more to the same company ?

The French spent decades becoming far more self sufficient than us. The UK spent the same decades selling the family silver and dashing for gas. We also tie the wholesale price of energy to fossil fuel costs despite around half of our electricity coming from renewables.
 
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No-one here own shares in anything then?

Why the big downer on 'shareholders ' having said that my BT shares are doing pretty w*nk at the moment.

I don't have a problem with shareholders getting their slice, so long as the public (through taxation and regulation) get quality and service at a good price first.
 
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Deleted member 49

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In the '90s I worked for an organisation that would offer to take on loss-making parts of nationalised industries. Think the catering in a police HQ.

The police were delighted to give away a free ten year catering lease and lose, say, £250k per year of losses. They were not so happy to see our organisation then making £500k a year profit for 10 years!

What should have happened in those circumstances?
 

Ian H

Guru
As I said, more than once, I believe, it depends on the scope and effectiveness of regulation.

Yes, you might, but, you might not.

Is there any evidence that Political meddling is helpful in just about any endeavour?
The French example of EDF seems to be okay. Apart, of course, from the fact that we're now subsidising French consumers.

But anyway, am I supposed to assume that you would prefer to continue the current system where shareholders of public utilities cream off the profits?
 
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Deleted member 49

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They're selling different products.

French generation is 75% nuclear with a goodly chunk of onshore wind. Thus, it's largely unaffected by the price of gas.

The UK has let nuclear wither and replaced coal with gas. Thus the price of our leccy is driven by the price of gas.
So you think our EDF bills here are subsidising the 4% cap over in France.I hear politicians talking about the cost but they don't really have any ideas how to solve it or even seem like they want to.
I was under the impression that they could cut fuel duty if they wanted....the same way they could cap electric and gas ?
I'd prefer to look at the bigger picture and nationalisation but you knew that right 😁
 

Ian H

Guru
In the '90s I worked for an organisation that would offer to take on loss-making parts of nationalised industries. Think the catering in a police HQ.

The police were delighted to give away a free ten year catering lease and lose, say, £250k per year of losses. They were not so happy to see our organisation then making £500k a year profit for 10 years!

What should have happened in those circumstances?

What kind of entity was your organisation?
 

BoldonLad

Old man on a bike. Not a member of a clique.
Location
South Tyneside
In the '90s I worked for an organisation that would offer to take on loss-making parts of nationalised industries. Think the catering in a police HQ.

The police were delighted to give away a free ten year catering lease and lose, say, £250k per year of losses. They were not so happy to see our organisation then making £500k a year profit for 10 years!

What should have happened in those circumstances?

I would need to know more, before commenting. Did the private catering service provide as good and comprehensive service as the previous in-house one?, at the same price to the consumer? For example.
 
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BoldonLad

Old man on a bike. Not a member of a clique.
Location
South Tyneside
The French example of EDF seems to be okay. Apart, of course, from the fact that we're now subsidising French consumers.

But anyway, am I supposed to assume that you would prefer to continue the current system where shareholders of public utilities cream off the profits?

No, I am not totally happy with the current system. I am in favour of change. But, my life experience suggests that NCB type structures are not the way forward.
 

Craig the cyclist

Über Member
In the '90s I worked for an organisation that would offer to take on loss-making parts of nationalised industries. Think the catering in a police HQ.

The police were delighted to give away a free ten year catering lease and lose, say, £250k per year of losses. They were not so happy to see our organisation then making £500k a year profit for 10 years!

What should have happened in those circumstances?
What should happen to who?

The Police were getting decent catering and no-longer had to deal with the ball-ache of sorting it through their HR etc.
The company made a tidy profit.
You had a decent job.

I am failing to see where the losers are here.
 

Ian H

Guru
WTE="BoldonLad, post: 33747, member: 61"]
No, I am not totally happy with the current system. I am in favour of change. But, my life experience suggests that NCB type structures are not the way forward.
[/QUOTE]
No, I am not totally happy with the current system. I am in favour of change. But, my life experience suggests that NCB type structures are not the way forward.

Well yes, that's why I'm suggesting alternatives.
 
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What should happen to who?

The Police were getting decent catering and no-longer had to deal with the ball-ache of sorting it through their HR etc.
The company made a tidy profit.
You had a decent job.

I am failing to see where the losers are here.

Exactly my point @Craig the cyclist

But there were people saying that we were creaming off the profits, exploiting the staff members, the profits should go back to the police etc etc
 
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