Once upon a time around 40 years ago.....

[Pipkins]

Our power stations ran on coal, mined in the UK
The mines paid well for the hard work undertaken by the employees
Then someone said lets close those down & switch to gas instead to power our stations
Its cheap to buy from Europe 
How about for every coal station closed down we replace it with an alternative method?
No need. Lets blow them up & build lovely new houses on those sites
We can buy the gas from abroad its cheaper 
Better still, lets sell off the utility companies owned by every tax paying UK citizen
The Sales Pitch will be, more choice & cheaper bills 
Then as 100's of smaller providers closed or we taken over by bigger ones
We ended up with around 6 big ones
They increase prices yearly & forget to reduce when wholesale prices fall
Still shareholders are happy 
In Europe utility companies are regulated unlike the useless UK one
The first war since 1939 breaks out in Europe 
Countries involved supply gas to many neighbouring countries
The supply chain is reduced & due to demand, price increases
Poor British users are faced with the highest bills in Europe 
With the possibility of a further 80% increase announcement next week

So again the UK is guilty of not making long terms plans
Several Gov'ts have come & gone since 1979 
All had opportunities to plan for the unthinkable 

Instead we are heading back to living in the 1970's
Not because of industrial action but due to sky high prices & fuel rations  
4 Day working weeks & citizens being offered electric blankets by some caring energy suppliers

Still that's progress

[Borin' Baggie]

You also missed off closing down the Magnox reactors built in the 50s and 60s and replacing them with nothing.

[Protheroe]

I don't lament the loss of an industry that led to thousands of horrible and premature deaths annually personally.

[Ossian]

But the coals were murmuring of their mine,
And moans down there
Of boys that slept wry sleep, and men
Writhing for air.

I saw white bones in the cinder-shard,
Bones without number.
For many hearts with coal are charred,
And few remember...

Miners - Wilfred Owen

---

You also missed off closing down the Magnox reactors built in the 50s and 60s and replacing them with nothing.

If my recollection is correct, the bill for the decommissioning of the Magnox reactors was picked up by the state as part of a package of privatisation sweeteners.

[Borin' Baggie]

---

You also missed off closing down the Magnox reactors built in the 50s and 60s and replacing them with nothing.

If my recollection is correct, the bill for the decommissioning of the Magnox reactors was picked up by the state as part of a package of privatisation sweeteners.

They also sold off the AGRs and when they needed replacing they weren't as the private sector didn't have the capacity to raise funds because nuclear power stations require a lot up front capital to build.

Thank you Nigel Lawson you short termist Tory fuckwit.

[Pipkins]

Earlier on this year

We had issues with petrol suppliers

The fuel storage depot facility in East Anglia was one of them