Wednesday, 1st October 2008 - 18:03CET
Impact of new power tariffs explained - Bills may rise by €5 per week for most households
Enemalta saves $62.5m through hedging
Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt said this evening that a proposal being made by the government for a revision of the power and water tariffs would see the bills of 70 percent of households rise by between €1.5 and €5 per week before a new eco-reduction.
He said the proposal was one of five presented to the social partners at an MCESD meeting this morning, and the one which was most likely to be accepted.(see separate story)
In terms of the proposal, 39,000 of the 42,000 commercial clients would see an increase to their bills of €10 to €46 per week before the new eco-reduction.
He said that the new eco-reduction mechanism would apply for clients who did not exceed a certain threshold of consumption. They would enjoy reductions of between 15% and 20% on their bills. The benchmark would be 1,300 units per person per year.
Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said 30,000 families who currently do not pay the surcharge would remain protected through a government subsidy.
The ministers explained that the new tariffs structure would replace the current system, including the fuel surcharge and the capping mechanism.
The new system would be backdated to today.
Enemalta chairman Alex Tranter said hedging on oil purchases had saved Enemalta $62.5m between October 2007 and September 2008.
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Comments
Of course, if I go to a shop with just €30000, I don`t expect the shopowner to give me the Ferrari I want at that price instead of the €100000 it costs. HOWEVER, if something SHOULD COST €5 to produce, I expect to pay €6 for it BUT NOT €12 DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT IS COSTING HIM €10 TO PRODUCE, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A NECESSITY FROM THE SOLE MARKET SUPPLIER.
Why weren`t KPMG for example asked to compare the cost-efficiencies of the power station and the corporation itself with other similar entities worldwide, instead of just take the Enemalta figures blindly and do a mark up on them?
Why do I have to pay for the Smart-City-related infrastructure costs?
Why am I expected to pay for Gonzi`s blind promise to invest in a 45MWh windfarm, when at the same time the SAME CAPACITY must be built at the power station because any wind/solar energy production must be 100% backed up ?
But then as you said, if the shopwoner is rude, he will tell us to get lost: it seems the perfect comparison with your "favourite ones" !! James Sultana (Rabat)
Was that a misprint? "Quo Vadis PN?" I would have thought that you would ask "Qua vadis MLP?"
Was it not the MLP who promised to cut the surcharge in half? Do you hear them begging the government to lower the surcharge, soon to be replaced by new tariffs? The answer is NO because as much as they knew they could never deliver the election promise, now, after they got a dose of reality they are completely convinced that since subsidies are out, the consumer has to pay for what it consumes. Period.
The alternative are twofold. 1. Reduce the cost of oil and other fuels used to generate energy or 2. Reduce consumption.
We use the term 'generating energy' as if we mean that spending e100.00 for fuel will yield e100 worth of energy. Not so. We convert oil or gas into electric energy but even the most efficient method rarely yields close to 65% efficiency. After generation comes transmission line attenuation which further lowers the power delivered to distribution points.
With regards to the immigrants, I was under the impression that the EU is providing direct funds to partially compensate for the expenses you quoted.
But the government 's primary duty is to safeguard the interests of his people and the sooner all MP's, MEP,s come to their senses the better. It seems that we are losing the social conscience, failing to see the obvious writing on the wall and steering well off course. We expect more accountability from the people we elected, whatever colour they may be as otherwise we shall soon be losing faith in our politicians.
This is because KPMG, who were appointed by the Govt to design these tarrifs acted on the guidelines that the tarrifs should recover ALL THE COSTS PLUS THE STANDARD PROFIT MARK-UP.
Hence, since profit mark up is usually a percentage of the cost, it means that the higher the running costs, the higher the profit will be. KPMG made it clear in their report that they didn`t verify the costs but acted on the figures provided to it by Enemalta and WSC.
So the government had no reason at all to reduce inefficiencies because whatever they account for, WE ARE GOING TO COVER THEM. Not just that, the higher the inefficiencies, the more profit will these two entities (hence the Govt since they are state-owned) make !! James Sultana (Rabat)
For all those, and there are plenty of them, who keep moaning about the new tariffs, which I believe are only at a planning stage, may I pose a few questions?
If you go to any store to purchase something costing 10 euros but you only have 8, would the shopkeeper be obliged to sell you the 10 euro item for less? If he is courteous enough he will tell you to come back when you have the 10 euros. If he is a bit rude, he will tell you to get lost.
If you are in the market for a new car and your savings plus any bank loans are enough to buy you a Zoyota would you not waste your time and the salesman's if you go to a BNW showroom hoping to buy the more expensive car?
If a 'unit' equals 1kWh then I can share these numbers which I verified last night by visiting an appliance store. Here all appliances are Energy Rated, in other words they display their energy consumption over one year period of normal use.
19 c.u.ft. refrigerator = 489 kWh per year
Electric stove - 4 burners plus oven = 638 kWh per year
Dishwasher with heater elements = 530 kWh per year.
Clothes dryer = 585 kWh per year.
Automatic clothes washer = 452 kWh per year.
Air Conditioners cannot be rated for 'normal use' since there is a wide range of consumer preference, temperature variances etc.
Television sets, especially plasma and LCD consume much less than the CRT type and even the latter consume less than an average home appliance such as those described above.
Energy ratings vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and the numbers quoted above are from random appliances currently displayed at the particular store I visited.
In a household using all five appliances mentioned above the total usage comes to 2694 kWh for the year. It is assumed that one person will use most appliances less often except for the fridge.
So, unless a 'unit' is something different than 1 kWh, then many numbers quoted below are way off. That is not to say that 1300 units per person is overly generous and maybe this number can be adjusted before the final rate is set.
come on Karl, are you serious.You must be one of the few who earn €25000+, who are not effected by this.
Well done, par idejn sodi !!!
this is certainly an incorrect sweeping statement.
I would prefer not to have had this increase. But for the past two years I received two massive consecutive tax cuts (and practically do not pay more than 25% more income tax nowadays, when I used to pay up to 65% under Labour - that's no joke.
Moreover...I remember the increases in 96-98 had doubled the price of electricity at a time oil cost 14-15USD ...not 100 USD as today!
EU member states are free to deposit added income from VAT on fuel to a special treasury that can be used to support more vulnerable sectors of the population.
This was the essence of a response to Cypriot MEP Ioannis Kasoulides by the European Tax Commissioner. Kasoulides made the enquiry as part of his efforts to see how the spiralling increase in oil prices can be handled.
The MEP asked the Commissioner whether member states could use the added income from fuel VAT to create a special fund that can help those sectors of the public that have been most affected by the increases.
Commissioner László Kovács responded that “The VAT directive does not include regulations regarding how member states can use their income from VAT. Therefore based on current community law, member states are free to use any added income from VAT due to the high prices of oil, aimed at funding a special treasury for the sectors of the population that have been especially affected by the high cost of fuel.”
We are a family of three and have used over 11,000 units over the last 12 months. We have no electrical heating but use air conditioners at night in two bedrooms and heat our water by electric immersion heater.
How can we reduce our usage to less than 3,900?
By pitching a tent in the back yard?
It is now being baptised under the guise of a new name: Tariff.....and it will be there to stay.
A very shrewd way to sneak it in...but... as Abe Lincoln said:
You can fool some people all the time,
You can fool all people for some time,
But, you can't fool ALL people ALL the time!!
Im not trying to be in competition with you or anyone else here, I thought I would just share with you the views of someone from a different counrty. And make comparisions.
It's a bad time for almost everybody around the world.
Malta, or England - there are high earners and low earners. Some things are cheaper in Malta, some things are cheaper in UK.
I speak as someone that does not rely on the state for any "perks". You'll find that most of the people that "live off the state" are those that cannot be bothered finding jobs, or are immigrants.
I receive no benefits and have a low income. You are lucky in the fact that you do not have to pay any kind of council rates. For my humble 3 bedroom property - I have to pay £140 each month to my local council. The only privileges I have from this payment is having my rubbish collected "ONCE" per week, and not every day like in Malta.
And, for the record, I do intend to move to Malta within the next 2 years.
I know plenty of people in Malta, including a couple that spread their time equally between a house in England and a house in Malta. Their utility bills are a fraction of the price than that of their UK house.
Cost of Living cheaper in the UK? Debatable! An example would be bread and milk. A loaf of bread in the UK is over £1.30. Bread from a bakery in the UK is even more.
No ENVY at all! I earn what i earn! But i work hard for what i earn! I have to be responsable and accountable for my actions and decisions in running my business! I pay taxes as anybody else! But its not fair neither on businessmen, nor on the low end earners that there is a class of people out there, who are not accountable for their "responsabilities", and WE have to pay for their MISTAKES and MISMANAGEMENT!
Don't know whether you are one of THEM! Hope that if so, you happen to be one of the minority who are RESPONSABLE!
Read this:
"Just received our electricity Bill for the period Jan to March, nearly had a Heart attack, over 360 Euros (2011 units used)!!!!!! What is making it more difficult to believe is that our Bill for Nov 07 to Jan 08 is almost exactly the same (2088 units used)(5.2 more units used) during this time we had Family staying with us for over 3 weeks, so tonnes more Electric was being used. We don't have a pool and don't use the Air con units, we have been using 2 oil filled Radiators but only for an hour in the mornings and a couple of hours at night to warm the Bedrooms. I have examined both bills and everything seems to be in order but i still think something is not quiet right ?
Has anyone else noticed a dramatic rise in their bills (in Cyprus)?"
That was in April : http://cyprus.angloinfo.com/forum/topic.asp?topic_id=10648.
My consumption of a family of five is around 10 units per day .
I don't want to pay for other people's luxuries.
Only illegal residents have the right and priviledge to get this service completly free.
Another way to ease this burden (electricity tariffs) is to change your household ordinary bulbs to energy savers and switch off your airconditioners, and instead use our beloved fans......
I find it very strange if someone tells me that he consumes less than 1000 units per annum.
Another problem is with the subisdies Government gives to around 20,000 households. I hope that enough checks are being carried out on these families to verify that they REALLY need a subsidy. It is the middle class who earn a salary that usually end up paying for these "imsieken".
Why so quick with this change after the bombastic increase on the surcharge.
Never a dull moment in this country since we joined the EU.
Be realistic and see what the average person(apart of the university lecturers) has to put up with nowadays.
Wage are not on the increase.Ther's so much one can do with circa 800 - 1,500 euros a month.
Whatever next !!!!
Because at least the electricity tariffs should come into effect after we ae given the promised energy saving bulbs
Mr Gonzi... If you forgot the bulbs WE HAVE NOT
Do I smell envy ? Haha.
It's incredible. I dont blame you - but I never cease to be surprise that we Maltese are so envious to successful people
What is best time to declare an increase, and a new method of calculating the energy costs,
When the surcharge is at the highest! With the new method in place, the surcharge will be enbedded for ever at today's rate.
Dear S King, please be reminded that even after your complaints about UK tariffs, ours are higher then those in the UK.
If you paid £360 for Gas and Electricity in UK then the same amount of units used would go up to £499 in Malta, which would be equivalent to Euros 672.
Then again, one wonders why you still live in UK and not come over to Malta and see how far you can go on a Maltese average wage, let alone someone on a minimum wage without all the perks provided in UK, like massive Council Tax reduction for low earners, Housing benefits for people paying rent, Income Support, Tax Credit, Child Tax Credits, £400 help with fuel bills for the elderly, £20 a week children's allowance etc.
If King needs to warm up his house, we have to have air-conditioning for 8 months of the year, especially with global warming which is making our summers longer and hotter.
But, Its about time things are done in a proper manner. Subsidies are there to help the people that need it, and they exist. But there are families getting help from the government and make lots of money at the same time.
Men registering as unemployed and living the really good life.
When is something going to be done about these people still working and getting paid by the government also.
And what about people doing two or three jobs, and not paying a cent?
And what about hedging?? Under PN it's not anymore gambling??
It seems to me all this is a whole trick cause oil prices are getting down and government funds need to keep going up!!
Fairness has a long way to go in this country.
One great achievement by this hopeless government is that they managed to NUMB the whole population, and the more the government beats the people, the more numb they become. What a shame!!!
Lets expalain the possible scenario to the citizens. Most probably these persons:
MAY have an annual income of more than Euro23,000, when most of us barely have their halves;
MAY have a departemental/company car, together with fuel, when we have to buy our own cars, pay so many taxes, running costs, maintenance, fuels, and CONTRAVENTIONS;
MAY have their mobile phones bills paid by the government/company:
MAY have their private home phone bill paid the government/company:
MAY visit Brussels at least 6 times anually, costing the Government at least about Euro850 on each occassion:
MAY have bonuses to buy their personal clothes/suits:
MAY live in an average family of 4 persons (why do we care about couples??):
MAY not need to tip the car park keeper/ or pay parking fees daily, because they have their reserved car port:
MAY not use energy as much as i use, since they may work EXTRA OVERTIME HOURS in SUMMER, and make use of their office a/c.
and lots more:
WAKE UP PEOPLE!!
THANKS
We are not whining, but having our say against the vast increases in tariffs without adequate wages and wage increases. Can you give us your wage or salary Mr Martinelli?
It appears that you are well off in Canada, but here in Malta we aren't.
It also seems that you yourself confirm that the 1300kwH per year per person is an extremely low figure as your consumption for just one month was1137.97 units.
And yes, it is partly the fault of the eu since it orders the minimum tax on energy and VAT. If the eu really want to help the people it would have done away with the minimum tax and VAT, but its leaders are heartless and only promote free trade at all costs.
Bite the bullet eh, just like our PM said.
@all
30,000 households on subsidies means that those are living below the poverty line. So much for our Government in eradicating poverty.
11 years later, in 2008, we have JPO who can topple the Government and save Malta.
They say history repeats itself ........ lets wait and (hopefully) see!!
If we want to save on our deficit, we need to have a Government who monitors that PUBLIC SPENDING is being effective and efficient!! Otherwise citizens have to make good for inefficencies!!
take care of inefficiencies: Mater Dei car park was left with lights on during day time for days! Who is responsable? He who is responsable for inefficiencies within the Public Sector has to pay and make good for the inefficiencies personally!
reduce cost of travelling abroad: take care that certain departments/ministries do not abuse of this system. And how come that budgeted figures are mostly spent by the 3rd quarter of the year, and requests to the Ministry of Finance to increase budgets are mostly requested?
cut off on the use of mobile phones from certain ministries/govt departments. How come that one can hear an officer calling his relatives/family on a mobile to ask about his cat or dog????
if we can start with only these, we can reduce the costs of energy for consumers, and cut off on our Budget Deficit.
What we need is ACCOUNTABILITY within the Public Service, first and foremost!! YOu are saying he who pollutes, pays! We have to add to this: He who is not accountable has to pay! Responsability and accountability means that an officer is due to account for his responsabilities!
Do you want a solution on how to cut on deficits without increasing the burden on the citizens??
1. firstly save some money from buying miniserial/departemental cars. Ministers go around in cars worthing thousands, which we are paying for. Directors, of whom there are thousands, are given a car FREE, and they can change it every now and then! Can we have an answer on how many Directors there are appointed in ONLY these 2 ministries: HEALTH and EDUCATION??? (about 30 in my humble opinion)!!! Do people know this, and the benefits all these privileged persons get?
2. Make sure that Govt Department vechiles are used for the right purpose, and not for the driver to make his errands, to use as his private car and to take out his family on a Sunday! We citizens are paying for these cars and their fuels!! Directors and Head of Departments shall be made responsable, and a HOTLINE to report such abuses shall be offered to the Public!!
3. Reduce the costs of energy consumption in Ministries/Government Departments. Why is it that some schools and other dept are left with all lights on during nights??
If your bills have gone up ours have exploded.
You also have to compare like with like, so your argument may be applicable only if we had wages and salaries that you have in England.
+ that every day needs are much cheaper in UK - this leave more cash in your pockets in UK.
Most of the times, purchasing from UK + shipping expenses is much cheaper than buying locally - You may check yourself on E-Bay !
I just now remember of a Maltese saying - ' PARAGUNI ODJUZI "
But you little brains, voted for a stable government ! A government that can treat all of us like idiots, even though he has just a wafer thin majority of 1500votes.
And you haven't seen the end of this. Every average minded ourang outang knows that when you increase the utility bills, the cost of living goes up ! Do you think that the increase of electricity bills on businesses will not bounce back on the consumer ?
Rest assured that they will still afford their villas with luxuries; you will still be looking at monthly magazines showing businessmen bluffing in their luxuries. You Mr. middle class carcading idiot, will be paying for it.
You deserve it.
Pity that I have to suffer with you....but at least I can put my hand on my heart and honestly state that it was not my fault. I voted for an unstable government; a government that would never be premitted to run over me.
In england our energy prices have already gone up at staggering 40% this year, and our Gas will be increasing AGAIN by another 30% this winter.
Being as England is cold, wet and windy at the best of times; I'm not looking forward to seeing my energy bills arriving this winter.
Combining my gas and electricity costs for the last quarter, it was £360 (450Euro approx)
Yet we use energy efficient lightbulbs, turn appliances off when not using them.
Because our winters are very cold, we have to use heating - which really pushes up the bills.
I wish our increase this year was only 5euro a week!
http://www.foemalta.org/home/index.php/solutions
Now, before some smart aleck tells me to shut up because I live in Ontario, permit me to say my two Canadian cents.
My home is of average size, and we have one fridge, one freezer (separate), electric range, three computers, three television sets. central air conditioning, dishwasher and a zillion other small gadgets permanently plugged in.
For the period of July 18 to August 20, my consumption was 1137.97 units. I assume that your unit is equal to our kWh. The first 600 units was at a certain rate but the next 537.97 units were at a higher rate. If that is not enough, there is a delivery charge (!), Regulatory charges, a debt retirement charge plus GST (VAT).
On the same bill I find the water charges, plus Storm Drainage Charge, a Sanitary Sewer Charge and a small Water Meter charge. Now one has to remember that water here is abundant and piped from one of the world's larger fresh water lakes. Continued...
So, reverse osmosis is not required.
Our electricity is generated via hydro power (Niagara Falls), nuclear power , gas fired turbines and filthy coal fired generators which have been scheduled for decommissioning for the last ten years.
Each major city has its own utility company responsible for buying electricity from a central source. Then it has to pay for delivery (via transmission lines) and on top of it all they charge the consumer a debt retirement charge for debts incurred by the central company itself !
And how about having to pay a Storm Sewer Charge? This means that we pay for rain water to be disposed of.
My point is that the price of oil - hence energy cost is a headache and the oil producers do not care. They charge the same price the rest of the world.
The government made two errors for which they may rue for a long time. 1. That they created something called 'surcharge' instead of increasing the rates, and 2. If their calculation was right and the surcharge should have been at 140%, then they should have bitten the bullet and fixed the rate at 140%.
We are a family of 3 and have a big house. We rarely reach 10 units a day in fact we consume from 5-7 units a day and we switch on TV and computer etc.
So I think that there are people within the 1300 units per year, per person.
Ah forgot to say that the wage they earn is twice if not triple what we do.
30 000 households are subsidized by the State. Isn't it a very high figure? Does it mean that so many Maltese families are "poor"? I am very surprised... Please advise.
@ Mr. P. camilleri
Dear Sir, many thanks for your prompt answer. I will do as you say then. You know it is not always easy to understand what are the local rules when you come from abroad (France). BRG, Loïc
I live on my own and altough I use an AC in summer, I dont leave everywhere lighted and even have energy savers...
My current usage is 10.6 units a day totalling 3869 units a year
That is 3 times as much.... Can please other people tell me if it is possible to go down to 1,300 units?
Hon Minister, is that really possible?
How where the calculations made?
its very simple, just ask for the electricity & water bill from the owner....If you live in a rented legal flat, you must have separate meters for both water & electricity. You then pay the landlord the exact amount indicated on invoice.....That's practically it....
Much worse will be the situation of the companies who will now have no preferential rates... so the high-tech or high-volume manufacturing will see their costs spiral by a lot making them uncompetitive ( and this without any wage compensation !)
What Mr. Gatt should have done was to ask KPMG to FIRST REDUCE THE COSTS AT ENEMALTA AND WSC ..... AND THEN MAKE US PAY FOR THE COST..... but no :that would have exposed too many shortcomings..... so the easiest way was to do CALCULATE THE RATES TO RECOVER ALL THE COSTS OF ENEMALTA AND WSC WITHOUT LOOKING WHY THEY COST SO MUCH !!!!
30000 households qualifying for 'fuel poverty' subsidisation is, to put it mildly, a tragic commedy ... it is a travesity. i, for one, am tired of having others, living better than i do, off my back.
the time has come to say: enough. the traditional political parties are morally corrupt: time to seek a new order, a new beginning.
Thank you, what next.
Like unmarried mothers (who chose to live that way). Accidents happen but having children from 3 - 4 different fathers should not make one entitled to any special treatment.
What about the water tarriffs?
I spent over Lm 1500 (20 years ago) to dig a well. We take full benefit of that water from September to April May each year. We have saved to government (i.e. Maltese tax payers) thousands of pounds. Why shouldn't people like us be compensated for our expenses?
Others like myself who work and try to improve my life have to face more expenses.
Welcome to Malta we have 3 socialists parties.
The message is clear. Do not try to improve your standard of living, because the government will pay from taxes of hard working people.
Shame
Besides this I think that the goverment is taking us for a very long ride when he says that he has to make up for all the costs related to providing energy. Is it being effeciently produced or are we all paying up for the ineffecincies Enemalta has?
It is about time Dr.Austin Gatt steps down from his high pedestal and shed off this accountant attitude. Rising the prices of energy further more will continue to lower the standard of living of many middle class families who always carry on their shoulder the country's burdens. It is always like this in the first two years of a Nationalist goverment.
The only sad thing is that after five years you still have to vote for Dr.Austin Gatt because on the other side of the bench you always end seeing the personification of incopetence. Lets hope Dr.Muscat stris his party from this frame of mind so that maybe one day we can really vote Labour.
Oh for goodness sake, I remember Gonzi explaining this before the last election.
Hang on a minute! No he didn't, he only promised a fee light-bulbs which have not yet been delivered.
Come on guys. The BOV loan has to be paid in one way or another, and that loan was required because Enemalta is bankrupt, and does not have the dosh for future development.
Enjoy is-SWAT, cause that is what we like best - SWAT!
Are we honest tax payers being forced to pay for other unsettled utility bills - mostly commercial / industrial? Because that's what I am suspecting.
Meditate gente, meditate!
A medium sized fridge rated AAA as energy consumption consumes circa 1000 units on its own per annum. I'm not inventing this, just look up and fridge manual. Are you still sure you consume only 1000 units per annum ?
What about the rest:
1) Lighting - she must have night vision!
2) TV - who needs it ?
3) Computer - yeah she must have used one to write this comment, it consumes 0.5 units/hour!
4) Mobile - she still uses pigeons, they comfy
5) Cooking - she eats everything raw
6) Water heaters - Michelle must shower once a month in winter using only frozen water. And she never turns a heater on... she never shaves in winter so that she does not feel cold. And in summer she shaves a lot so that she does not feel hot. A/Cs are too much of a luxury for her. And she lives a comfortable life!
Now do you still hear my whining dear Michelle ? "1300 units is a lot" Flint stoner
After the new rise will be announced everyone will live happy since it will be cheaper than the 5 Euro mentioned today.
SAME OLD STORY !!!!!!
A medium sized A class medium sized fridge freezer consume approx 3.5 to 4 units per day - equivalent to 24 euro cents or 10.5c of old lira.
4 units a day for 365 days (1 whole year ) = 1460 units - wich means that you get out of bound for a reduction in price.
Solution = just switch the fridge for days out of a 7 day week + do not switch anything else ( no lights, no fans , no geyser etc etc and you will get a reduction.
Dear Tonio - the only to get a reduction will be car garages and not residential homes.
BTW - Are you really serious or you're just pulling our legs.
This decleration is an insult to our intelligence!!
We have reduced our consumption to a minimum, no electric heating or cooking, energy saving lamps and no power hungry appliances - still my consumption is an average of 1390 per person per year!
My only solution is switch on to handwashing of clothes, remove my TV and introduce oil burning lamps!
If each family has an average of 4 members it is the equivalent of 120.000 people (more than a quarter of our population) in the poverty line. IF this is true i can comfortably say that the PN and EU have failed miserably in improving our standard of living.
A short while back they used to talk about 27,000 families, Where have the extra 3,000 cropped up from?? Maybe ILLEGAL immigrants?? Our government seems to have everything under the sun available for these people but not for the locals.
Wake up Dr. Gonzi you and your cabinet are not delivering anything you promised.
2 dehumidifiers
1 electric oven
1 laptop
1 plasma panel 40" (these people don't need glasses)
2 CRT TVs (how can we live without a TV in every room)
2 cordless phones
3 mobile phones
1 airconditioner
2 heated blankets etc etc etc..............................
1 Hi-Fi system (how can we live without music ?)
IS THIS WHAT I CALL POVERTY ??????? Is this fair Mr Tonio ?
I know of another person who got an eye infection from his swimming pool. He told me he'll get the medicines for free because he has the pink form. This person must be obviosly very very poor. He is obviously also entitled to subsidies to heat his pool. Is this fair Mr. Tonio ?????????????
That amount is practically taken by a Fridge, a Freezer and a washing machine ! Why didn`t he tell us that he wants to recover the deficit and inefficiences from us ??
Also, has he heard of economies of scale ? So a family made up of two adults and two children is allowed 14 units per day ..... while just two adults means 7 units: Can the minister tell us whether there are options on refridgerators and freezers that consume according to the number of people in the home ?
Can he tell us how he came up with this nice round figure of 1300 units per person per year ???
Of course, the usual band of apologists, spin-doctors and act-to-puppet-master from all over the world will find a way to justify this !
Or maybe our revenue will be used to make up for the fines payable on Smart-City-related CO2 emissions?
I really don't get your whining! 1300units is a lot! I myself barely use 1000units per year. And I live comfortably. Then again, if you expect to live a luxurious life, you have to expect to pay for it!
Oh, and yes, air conditioners ARE a luxury.
And why blame the EU bogeyman on subsidies when it's just a case of a bankrupt government shirking all its social responsibilities and lumping consumers with the fruits of its decades of inaction in terms of alternative energy sources? And where have all the savings made from the removal of many subsidies in recent years gone? Government's deficit is worse than ever, so the savings made at our disposable income's expense are nowhere to be seen.
But then, perhaps, Dr Gonzi's six light bulbs per annum promise will make all the difference!
What's next: water, health, education, private cars, a tax on life itself? It is simply not acceptable that we continue to finance a bankrupt institution which is fast losing the last vestiges of a social conscience.
p.s. I thought that gone are the days of subsidies! I was wrong apparently.
1,300 units benchmark is simply ridiculous!
Does this mean that these 30,000 families are not going to be benchmarked ? Does this imply that they can waste as much energy as they want ? This simply doesn't make sense.
REVISE THE MEANS TEST AND PUT A BENCHMARKS ON THESE SUBSIDIES AS WELL. I've had enough already.