Big Six energy companies should be ashamed of their attempts to hide profits and rip-off prices
Energy Secretary Greg Clarke needs to act now and make firms behave responsibly
IT’S difficult to know what the Big Six energy companies should be more ashamed of. Their rip-off prices — or their attempts to hide them.
Accountants PwC found that the firms are making around seven times more profit on their tariffs than they claim.
That’s a rip-off, pure and simple.
They spout a load of guff about having no choice but to charge their current rates so they can make a basic 3.3 per cent profit.
But the bombshell truth they’ve been hiding is that they’re creaming off huge amounts from hard-working customers so they can really bank profits of up to 24 per cent.
That’s bad enough. But what makes it even more shoddy is that when their own report — commissioned by industry group Energy UK — exposed their greed, they tried to cover it up by asking for a new report that didn’t mention profit.
Energy Secretary Greg Clark talks a good game about taking tough action if they don’t change their ways.
Now he needs to deliver on his promise to act for energy consumers — and make sure that if the Big Six won’t start behaving responsibly, the Government will give them no choice.
Off to a T
TO judge from early reports of her speech tonight, Theresa May understands that it’s no longer business as usual for politicians.
She could hardly have failed to grasp that after the Brexit vote in June.
Donald Trump’s election rams the lesson home even harder.
British voters sent out a clear message five months ago that they’ve had enough of being patronised and ignored by the Establishment.
Mrs May knows she has to respond to voters’ concerns — not least over immigration.
If she doesn’t, then her career will be just one casualty.
The Conservative Party itself will be toast.
As for Labour — under Jeremy Corbyn it isn’t even up to responding to voters in its own heartlands, let alone anywhere else.
Donald Trump’s win shows that if existing politicians can’t deliver what voters want, they’ll look elsewhere.
Happy ending
YOU can’t beat a good love story.
And you certainly can’t beat the 63- year wait for Davy Moakes and Helen Andre to tie the knot.
Forced apart by Helen’s parents, they’re finally together.
Which just goes to show that love’s young dream never fades, even if it sometimes manages to hide away.