HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1996-04-10, Page 20Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, April 10, 1996 — Page 19
LISTS 4 TO WHAT BRITONS ARE TELLING US:
Seven years ago, the U.K. electridty system was privatized.
The British Conservative government said it mode SenSe•
iireliability.
•
promised t would lead to lower prices and improved reliability.
"A Few: people made forturtes'on the (privatization)
deal, at the expense of the rest of usyOur electricity
bills are high andService has declined', We were -taken
. to the cleaners, pure and simple?' MARK HEILILENS - • ••• •
,.„ , • Store Owner
• "There are more and more interruptions in electricity,.
service lately, and they're lasting longer. It's .because the
system isn't being as well-maintained as it used to be:"
• • TIM CRADDOCK'
• • Persenne1 Officer
") don't know what the government was smoking or
drinking when they "Sold off our whole system,,but
we've all had one helluva long hangover since then.
And it's not getting' any better. What a disesterl" =
11 JEFFRIES
I.E.' Ale
,"My advice. to people of Ontario?. Don t make the
same mistake we did here. Don't sell your electricity
system. Fix it up if you have to, but don't sell it. You'll
regret it if you do. It's more valuable`then you think.' .,
DAISY BERNARD
• '‘, • Pensioner.
-,'"When I visited my sister in Toronto last year, I coUld-
• nit believe howlow her electricity bill was, compared
to ours. You -have a much better system in ,Ontorio,f.' •
-SALLY DANIELS
Teacher
Notsto
union Website '
• U.K. electricity system
assets were sold far $10 bit-
... lion,:they Were actually
worth S24billion. Huge for-
tuneswere made by the .pri-
vate sector, at public •
,,.•
expense.
,High profits from` electricity
continue to be the rule in the
U.K. The Times' of London
calls private utilities "the
purest,moneY,,,Inachines on
the market'
An Oxford University study
concludes that U.K, electric=
• It)/ prices are 20% *higher
than they woOld be under
• public ownership.
• U.K. electricity rates are
CO about twice as high as
Ontario's non-profit rates.
Nition
'There was sapposechobecompetition, but doesn't
seem• to apply ,to most people. There's no real choice.
,
We rakewhat we're given and we pay what we're
• told. The profit's go elsewhere' TERESA TOMAH'
,
10(11 Geieremief Officer
1.There-was a dip in prices' for a while after privatiza-
tion, but we found out later it was because they got
fid, of thousands of staff and fuel.costs crashed. Then
prices started going up again and again, to keep '-
• those high profits coming in. All in all, it's been bad .
* news for
consumers."
•-• 11111KRETetiricil
••
"NoW-the'Americans are'buying, up shares in our-
• . electrical system and everybody is bracing for another
• round, 01 rate increases. The companies will ,blerne the,
cold weather, the hot Weather, the fact that people
are using too much, or too' me:, They've always got
On excuse to raise 'rates." • HEATHER HURLEY
, • Cleric
it Palmer Workers' union Website Fatififfem)riliiPMAi
httri:1611 ,vnidairAini? " :
:":•Nti,:a.44:t1"1.41;eitallkakizameA,'
etste (*.War iortmoan weasiteN,:
British House of Commons Trade and Industry
Committee study on privatization in the U.K.
, •
"In practice, while there has certainly been greater
efficiency ,and downward pressure on costs, these sav-
ings have not found their, way through to electricity
customers. The beneficiaries of greater efficiency have
been shareholdersrathr than customers."
A ,messa8e firm
.'`John,jklurphy.
President,,rower Workers' Union -
'Tor 90 years; the people of Ontario have Owned
their electricity system, it used to be that way in the
U.K„ 'before privatization, Now Britons will be
paying for their government's big mistake forever.
et's not make the same mistake here,
the Ontario Hydro 'sell -Off, keep rates low?"
1041VER
0WORKERS'
• liti1014
• CANADIAN UNION OF PlJBLIC EMPLOYE ES, LOCAL 1000.
Power Workers Turning a little light on Hydro.
For more Information i 800 9584PINU (1 800 958•8798)
or fax us at: 1 800 343*I083
or look us op on oor Web page at: http://WWW.PVVILAI/PtiMi