Do you think the large Energy companies have put up the price of Gas and Electricity?

Question

To restrict our consumer usage,the Government, want us to use less ,do you think this could be part of their plan to save energy .

I have searched for low energy friendly bulbs but they don't have the sizes that fit our chandeliers.

Answer 1

Forgive me if I sound cynical but I believe the primary concern of the energy companies is the financial well-being of their shareholders and to this end they will sell gas and electricity at the 'optimum price'. Not necessarily the highest price but the one that generates most profits.

I can't comment on the US but here in the UK there are many competing energy companies which leads to competitive (but still high) pricing. There are also regulatory bodies that can limit prices, impose price cuts etc.

Governments imposing high prices and taxation is, to my mind, a revenue raising exercise. The UK has just about the highest petrol (gas) prices in the world, they increase year on year but so too does the number of miles being driven. Time after time successive governments over the last 30 years have stated that the reason for high prices is to reduce demand - it hasn't.

Answer 2

I don't think this happens with the US government. But it very well may in the future.

Countries in Europe for example keep the price of gasoline very high (~$6-8 a gallon) to prevent people from using large amounts. Also Canada is considering a huge tax on large vehicles that use a lot of gas. Common ones such as the Nissan Armada or Ford Expedition.

Answer 3

No, the recent price increases are just a function of supply and demand. Some governments have artificially increased the cost of fuels by adding a carbon tax, but not in the U.S. yet.

Answer 4

No. It's us. We use too much. When you want too much of anything the price goes up.

We waste a huge amount of energy. If we conserved more (compact fluorescent light bulbs, programmable thermostats, etc.) the price would go down.

Answer 5

are you asking if they have artificially inflated gas and electricity? if that is your question, then no. they have to compete. there are too many players to collaborate. all it would take is one supplier to lower the price, and all of the profits would go to that one supplier. oversimplified, but it makes the point. energy companies are not evil. only monkeys are evil.

Answer 6

Yep. It's pretty obvious to everybody.
It wouldn't surprize me that politicians get a chunk of the extreme profits they make on us.

Answer 7

i dont know about that, but i do know that saudi arabia basically can put whatever price on oil that they want. They have sooooo much oil, that they can raise and lower the price of oil and nobody can do anything about it

Answer 8

Consider it as a hidden tax.