'Basic use' of water, electricity should not be penalised

J Martinelli

Dec 20th 2009, 22:15

@ Galea. L

Some IQs seem to dip several points and there is no stopping them dropping into negative territory!

Electricity tariffs have nothing to do with oil prices? How do you figure that one out? How come my electricity bill has doubled, yes DOUBLED in the last ten months? You no doubt know that I live in Ontario which has, oil, gas, coal and nuclear powered power stations and has enough power to sell. Ontario Hydro has the best experts and services millions of customers, domestic and commercial day in day out. But, by sheer coincidence, the price doubled when the price of oil doubled!?
So, according to you there is no correlation? I think it's more of a lack of coordination between your heart and your mind!

For your information the government CANNOT lower standards since it does not set them, the EU does. So, as long as the new plant performs within EU standards, it is permissible. I know, we would not have this problem had Labour been governing because it would have been the exact repeat of the 80s when Malta/Gozo were operating on one power station at Marsa and blackouts were daily.

Galea. L

Dec 20th 2009, 18:27

J Martinelli
This has got absolutely nothing to do with high oil prices Martinelli, but about the incompetence, inefficiency and arrogance of Gonzi and the EneMalta management.
For your information, the Government changed the law for the Delimara extension to lower the standards because otherwise it would not even have been considered. This is to use HFO which is the dirtiest of all fuels when it could have used diesel or gas and we still have to spend some €30,000,000 and more commissions to change it to gas operation in four years time because it will not conform with eu regulations Martinelli. So when you come and live here and feel the pinch like the rest of us do then maybe your comments will no longer be taken with more than a pinch of salt. Go on Martinlli, come and live here if we are having it so good.

C. Farrugia

Dec 20th 2009, 15:57

This is not about rising/falling oil prices. It is about stealthily *generating* poverty through means of rip-offs on essentials.

J Martinelli

Dec 20th 2009, 14:34

"AD chairman Michael Briguglio said the government was imposing an unfair and unsustainable system which will add to the burden carried by families, workers and businesses".

How about, instead of making inane statements, the AD would present a solution to high oil prices? I know it is an outright impossibility for the next five lifetimes, but if AD were ever in government, would they go back to subsidies? And if so, where would the subsidies come from? Not the taxpayer I suppose!

In the rest of the world USER PAYS, the more he uses, the more he pays. Why does it have to be so different in Malta?

Then AD contradicts itself, "While the international price of oil cannot be ignored, a fixed tariff rate should be introduced for basic and sustainable consumption of energy," he said, adding, however, that wasteful practices should be penalised".

Aren't 'wasteful practices' not already penalized by higher bills?

Of course, all the nonsense was just a buildup for the last sentence saying, "The government's choice of dirty energy at the Delimara power station". Inaccurate, since the addition complies with EU standards and besides how else can the Marsa station closing deadline be met?