Dipping their hands in my pockets

It is very strange, but I have recently read both my gas and electricity bills. Laing and I never really felt comfortable getting our energy supplied by any old Tom, Dick or Harry, plc, especially as there are enough spivs about in boardrooms looking for the next money making opportunity.

That reminds me, the government has told us that all these premium phone numbers for customer help lines must no longer be acceptable and they will legislate to ensure this happens, apart from (and here you need a huge magnifying glass to read the smallest of print) apart from (a menacing drum roll adds to the tension, who can it be? Interflora? The RSPB?) GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS! Yes, we are all in this together, we are in the position of the government of the day doing the dirty on us. Thank heavens I didn’t vote for either of them. But I digress, I digress.

As I was saying, I had read both my gas and electricity meters only days apart. British Gas wanted to raise my monthly Direct Debit by nearly 36% and Electricité de France (EDF sounds so less foreign and doesn’t suggest profits leeching out of this country, don’t you think?) wanted to increase my monthly payments by 109%. Call me selfish and unreasonable, but I did question the increases. I mean, let’s bear in mind:

1. 2012 was cold and miserable at the best of times apart from Easter
2. 2012 Laing was at home most of the time and unwell for bits on and off
3. We were heating the house all day for two and now there is only one.
4. 2013 wasn’t exactly roastingly hot early on and I had the heating on all day most days.

I hope I don’t sound tight fisted to you, dear reader, but I can’t quite get my head around such rises. The lady at EDF did agree that the increase did seem a teensy weensy ickle bickle exorbitant and we agreed to have a lower increase. Also I didn’t add the fact that in each case they increased the monthly payment after Laing died. If they think I didn’t notice it then and they could get away with it a second time in just over six months, well, they are leading slightly less than the charmed life they believe they have.

All resolved with humour and good grace and a curse on IT departments and computer programming. I don’t mind finding out that I should cough up a little extra, but are they telling me something about future energy price rises by a subtle means?

Watch out, there’s a thieving utility about!