h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A water bills expert called today. An ex water company engineer. Now he makes a living giving advice on water bills and sharing any savings found. He can find the savings because he knows the industry inside out – all the small print behind the charges, and the detail of local drainage systems. He will save us over £3000 a year. ‘Us’ being the work us. There’s another consultancy business fishing for the same business. The same thing happens with gas and electricity in negotiating supply contracts. It’s not just frustrating, it’s wrong. Just plain wrong that the way we pay for basics like energy and water is too complex, too opaque for the ordinary man. These aren’t savings by reducing consumption, they’re savings through knowing pricing structures and exemptions. These guys deserve their cut, they save us money but I’m royally miffed that with reasonable numeracy skills I cannot work out when we’re being overcharged. That without them we’re at the mercy of a small group of companies hiding behind voluminous small print.

I suppose the utility companies think that overcharging Joe makes up for giving exemptions to Jack. The absolute worst offenders here are the telephone companies. Talk about a hive of bandits.

I wholeheartedly agree with you LL Waz. Fleecing the 'Hoi Polloi' seems to be the favourite pastime of Govt. and big business. As for the banking bigwigs words fail me and I couldn't possibly print what I think and feel here.

Glad someone is saving 'you/us' some money. Pity they aren't in Govt. as I am sure these cuts could be accomplished without making our pips squeak, there is so much wasted money.

Websailor

Don't get me started on banks .

Had a letter from our work one saying they were closing the branch we used. However our records etc would be sent to another branch in town where they assured us there'd be just as good a service! Seeing we haven't used the branch they're closing in several years, that shouldn't be difficult. Absolutely zilch should be achievable.

Ask your assessor chappie if he's checked the local council's water bills, too. Saving them money will save the ratepayer money (well, in theory, anyway)

Never heard from that water bill expert again. Good in that that means we hadn't been overpaying. Annoying in that he didn't listen when told we'd already had our rating band checked. Annoying that his disregard meant we wasted our time on him. Consultant service industries like that with no real product are a parasite on society.

The actual guy seemed a nice guy at the time. Oh well. There was another company also wanting the business but that involved our using them to actually pay our bills through their company, having sent their company money up front... Nice try! I think not. The actual guy in that case was a right circus-ringmaster Colonel Blimp type. I only spoke to him via phone and email, which is a pity because I bet he had the most tremendously impressive handlebar moustache. An all year round moustache, not a don't-look-at-me-my-girlfriend-twisted-my-arm November type moustache.

The latest utility annoyance is the number of meters that are apparently inaccurate. There seems to be an epidemic of wrong meters round here all of a sudden. If the electricity meter doesn't give the right readings, you are powerless. Or you might be if you refuse to accept the recalculated bills.

What is happening to our world? Solicitors ambulance chase by third part text, bankers gamble and fix the market, journalists would give Mills & Boon (the raunchier Mills & Boon) a run for its money, accountants become tax dodging consultants, nurses leave patients to drink out of flower vases... and meters can't be trusted! I thought that kind of society went out with Dickens.

You sound awfully like me on my high horse. The whole country is going to pot yet I still think I would rather live here than anywhere else.

The level of dishonesty in all walks of life seems worse than ever, unless it is just that we get to know about it more, thanks to a free (if allegedly corrupt) press.

Websailor