£100-a-month bills? Then ditch the energy giants

I MANAGED a wry smile at the headline ‘£100 a month energy bills’ (Mail).

I have been paying more than £120 per month to my electricity supplier SSE for many years now.

I have tried to change provider a number of times – and was delighted when EON took me on about two years ago. However, less than a week later, they abruptly informed me by letter that they could not accept my custom after all, as we have night storage heaters.

Even though we have done everything possible to ensure that our house is insulated, we still have these massive electricity bills to contend with. Surely two people cannot use so much electricity in one month?

Despite our efforts, the average temperature in our house over this past winter has been below 12C on most days. Sometimes we have to use portable plug-in heaters if we don’t want to freeze to death. The miserable winter fuel payment is a drop in the ocean. Why can’t the Government intervene? ELIZABETH MACKINNoN,

Flesherin, Isle of Lewis THE Big Six power giants have hiked their tariffs, resulting in millions of households paying £100 a month for heating, cooking and lighting (Mail).

It is difficult to believe that consumers are too lazy to shop around for the most competitive gas and electricity prices.

Two-and-a-half years ago, I signed up with Co-operative Energy and paid £71.50 a month for an online, dual-fuel tariff.

In February, the deal was coming to a close and I was notified that, based on my usage, it would be reduced to less than £56 a month and this price would be guaran- teed until May 2020. I no longer dread fuel bills.

PAuL GILLIGAN, Doncaster. I WOULD be delighted to pay £100 a month for my energy bills. Living in a Victorian country cottage, my electricity bill is £226 a month.

M. DAVIES, Warwick. HOW shocking: energy bills are £100 a month. That’s just over £3 a day — about the same as a beer or a frothy takeaway coffee.

The reviled energy companies have to explore for gas and then pipe it into millions of homes. So £100 sounds like a bargain to me.

JAMES ALLAN, Hartlepool, Co. Durham.

Complacent on crime

THERE is a great danger when politicians become out of touch with the public.

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson (Essay) has crossed that line with his nonsense suggestion that crime is something only an unlucky handful experience. Low- grade crime is all around and just because we don’t bother reporting it because we know police resources are so thin doesn’t mean its effects aren’t real.

EDDIE BAXTER, Glasgow. THE complacency of the Justice Secretary (Essay) is jaw-dropping.Does Mr Matheson think that because most of us never see a full-on bank robbery or gangland shoot-out that crime is not a daily problem?

There can’t be a Scot in the country who’s not had something stolen or vandalised, who has not had journeys blighted by neds or felt afraid on the streets at night. S. BuTLER, Edinburgh.

Don’t bank on service

MONEY Mail editor Dan Hyde hit the target fair and square about the betrayal by the banks (Mail). As a former bank employee, I always took pride in the relationships fostered with my customers. It was service first and foremost.

The behaviour highlighted by Dan is alien to the ‘do it right and do it honest’ approach adopted when the bank manager was an important member of the community. My, how things have changed.

STEVE DERBY, Shepton Mallet, Somerset. I WAS having difficulty logging in to my internet banking account, so decided to phone customer services. I had to enter various numbers on my phone to select different options. I explained the problem, answered security questions and was put on hold — cue irritating music. I was transferred in turn to three people, none of whom could help me. After 56 minutes, I ended the call.

I remember when you could go into your local bank branch, conduct your transactions and even talk to the manager.

Why do we appear to be going backwards when we were informed computers would make everything quicker and simpler? JANE WENSLEY, oving, W. Sussex. IN THEIR ignorance, banks can’t see that their loss leaders, the local branches, are, in fact, their greatest assets. J. WALMSLEY, Bury, Gtr Manchester.

House of wise Lords

I AM concerned at the vitriolic attacks on the House of Lords. These experienced people have given up their valuable time to review legislation and advise the country on critical matters.

As for the will of the people on Brexit, the people should never have been entrusted to make such a momentous decision.

Most were ill-informed and did not think through the disastrous consequences of their foolish, cavalier vote. I hope the wise House of Lords can come up with some way to reverse the vote to save the country from the abyss. GREG JoRDAN, Yeovil, Somerset.

First-class rip-off

HOW lovely to read a defence of the lost art of letter-writing (Weekender). What a pity the outrageous cost of a stamp – 67p for first class and 58p for second class – put so many off picking up pen and paper. Had prices risen in line with inflation, stamps would be 41p and 31p respectively.

AILEEN RoBERTSoN, Glasgow.

Glorious blackbirds

JOHN HUMPHRYS writes with affection about the joy of the blackbird’s song (Mail). Every evening, I am treated to the most glorious song from a blackbird sitting at the top of a tree.

He sounds so happy and looks down at me as he performs — it makes me feel quite emotional. CHRISTINE PIERCE, Rustington, W. Sussex.