By Matt Rodda
We all rely on our utilities. Our water, our gas and electricity, broadband and internet and our mobile phone coverage.
Each of them is necessities without which are lives become more difficult.
Yet, something is desperately wrong with the provision of these basic serves.
Last week, Shell, reported an eye-watering £38 billion in annual profits.
It’s the largest profit reported by an oil and gas company ever. Shell is a UK headquartered company but paid just £111 million through the Government’s windfall tax.
We also heard last week that British Gas has been using private firms to force entry into the homes of British Gas customers and install expensive-pre pay meters. These meters cost more per unit of gas and electricity than a regular meter and as soon as any credit on the meter runs out, the gas and electricity is essentially cut off.
The reports shared last week were off families in financial stress with young children and vulnerable elderly people suddenly left with a stark choice of sitting on the cold and dark or having money left for food.
British Gas reported a operating profits of £1.3 billon for the first half of 2022.
But it is not just energy companies. Thames Water has been named as one of the worst offenders for the discharge of raw sewage into our rivers. Real-time reporting has shown that raw sewage was pumped into Rivers in the South East for thousands of hours – including in and around Reading.
In September 2022, Thames Water published a profit of £400 million.
And across Reading and Woodley, we are seeing the huge expansion of mobile phone masts being dropped into communities with little consultation with local residents and City Fibre is digging up great swathes of the Town, causing considerable delays and disruption.
Without Gas, Electricity, Water, Broadband or phone coverage, our day-to-day lives would be very different and much more difficult but I believe that this need that we have for their services does not give them the right to treat consumers the way they do.
The next Labour Government has been clear that we’ll reform these markets, giving a greater role for consumers and tackling the worst excesses from companies who are all to often quick t bank a profit and slow to consider the people they are here to serve.
Matt Rodda is the MP for Reading East
