On 25/03/2021 23:43, Theo wrote:
Tim Streater wrote:
On 25 Mar 2021 at 20:43:43 GMT, Chris Green wrote:
Tim Streater wrote:
I quite agree that paying efficiently by DD makes sense but that isn't
a reason for the extra 'layer' of paper pushers (or DD pushers)
between me and the actual producers of electricity.
Don't be silly. If these middlemen didn't do it, then the actual power
companies would have to do it. As it is, they just sell a few large chunks of
power to the middlemen, who set up tarriffs which they offer to us. The
middlemen also insulate us from risk due to changes in the price *they* have
to pay to get power. It's a form of forward buying, similar to forward selling
by coffee growers or other such producers, but I imagine you don't approve of
that either.
Just like banks are simply middlemen between you and the money markets.
You're free to cut out the middlemen and go directly to the markets, but you
might find they can't be bothered with your puny transactions.
So how did it work before it was all done this way? It's not been
like this for all that long has it?
Before that AFAIK there was only one supplier of volts which was your local
electricity board. Which was nationalised and had no incentive to cut costs.
and was connected to a nationalised power station with coal delivered by
nationalised trains from nationalised coal mines. No middlemen there.
... and anyway, why can't the suppliers do what the 'middlemen' do and
cut out their profit margin?
Well some, like EDF, do.
Some own their own generation plant (like EDF's nukes), and some don't.
It generally doesn't work to own many smaller generators, like all that
rooftop solar.
Theo
Err, are you confusing EDF the state-owned operator of some of Britains
Nukes, and EDF *Energy* which was sold (by EDF) in 2012 to a Hong Kong
based zillionaire (but still uses the EDF moniker for the retail
operations) ?. This company is actually called UK Power networks or
something similar. It is nothing to do with the French government. quite
why they are allowed to trade as 'EDF' is a mystery.
Before EDF Energy, it was known as SEEBoard and after privatisation
was bought by EDF (France).