Bez78829056Feb 3, 2023
Emeritus Prof Christopher May

The 'horror' expressed by #GrantShapps & the CEO of #Centrica, that people operating on their behalf are breaking into homes to install #prepaymeters is just yet more declaratory politics...

Of course they knew this was happening, but no doubt it was so masked in business gobbledygook that they were able to practice plausible deniability until a reporter (from the Times) went undercover & joined a crew doing the work...

There is no defence for their claimed 'ignorance' of what was being done!

Feb 3, 2023 at 7:28amWeb
Show threadJanPVFeb 3, 2023

@ChrisMayLA6 This story was in 'Private Eye' long before the Times published their investigation. Politicians claim not to have known, the boss of British Gas claims not to have known and OFGEM claims not to have known.

I would have thought that, given the better information available, weeks in advance of the other media, that a subscription to 'Private Eye' would be an acceptable and necessary office overhead for all of them!

Show threadEmeritus Prof Christopher MayFeb 3, 2023
@JanPV fair comment, although this is true of many stories; the Eye is often ahead of the wave, but speaking to a small(ish) audience; the Times story had much greater traction (even if it was not the first mover on the story)... might be time to think about getting PI sub myself
Show threadJanPVFeb 3, 2023
@ChrisMayLA6 It definitely is! I have a special, lit lectern in the kitchen so that I can work my way through it efficiently and in time for the next edition!
Show threadJPFeb 3, 2023
@JanPV @ChrisMayLA6 If it were true they didn’t know they should’ve all been fired.
Another facet about this prepayment crap: I have a friend who’s on one, his local bank now doesn’t allow him to withdraw in coins anymore, the reason they gave him was that businesses have to pay for it, so they stopped it for private people.
Show threadPhil Thane ✅Feb 3, 2023
@ChrisMayLA6 Prepay meters *could* be a way to help hard-up people budget. BUT they should be offered not compelled and the offer made attractive by a hefty discount on the standard tariff rather than a surcharge as at present. Customers get help with their budgeting and suppliers have fewer bad headlines and legal cases. #Centrica
Show threadPhil Thane ✅Feb 3, 2023
@ChrisMayLA6 Historically the surcharge was, possibly, justifiable because the supplier has the extra hassle of sending a chap to each property to check and empty the meter and carry the cash back to the office. But with prepay cards the consumer is doing all the work and paying in advance, so they deserve a discount.
Show threadBenoît JonesFeb 3, 2023
@ChrisMayLA6
We once moved into a house where the previous occupants had a prepayment meter and we had to use it for a while. It was soooo inconvenient. You had to take the plastic fob thingy to a shop and add money to it.
Show threadRatchmanFeb 3, 2023

@ChrisMayLA6 Doesn't matter if the crime was committed by a contractor: the parent company is still responsible for it.

You cannot delegate blame. Centrica simply could not be bothered to actually assess their own contractors.

The problem is the 'don't ask' attitude companies have. They know exactly what they're getting, but hide behind plausible deniability.

Their horror is just performance. They know how damaging this can be, but they also know they can bullshit their way out of it.

Show threadEmeritus Prof Christopher MayFeb 3, 2023
@Ratchman Yup, all of that!
Show threadDarfashFeb 3, 2023
@ChrisMayLA6 Lies upon lies upon lies. They take us for fools!