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SHOULD USWITCH, AND JUSTIN BIEBER ARRESTED

PUSHING UP ENERGY BILLS?

Price comparison websites push up energy bills because they charge energy suppliers commission, the boss of Co-operative Energy has claimed.

Group general manager Ramsay Dunning argued that instead of improving competition in the energy market, switching websites have a negative influence.

‘Lots of money goes on advertising comparison websites and that goes through to the commissions that the energy companies – such as ourselves and all the others – pay the comparison website.

'If that money wasn’t going on TV advertising, on radio advertising, national newspaper advertising and it stayed in the system, it could go towards reducing bills,’ he alleged.

Dunning called on switching websites such as uSwitch, Go Compare, MoneySupermarket.com and Energy Helpline to disclose how much they charge in commission each time a business or household moves supplier.

uSwitch hit back, saying that it is ‘upfront and open’ about the fact that it is funded by the fees it receives from suppliers when somebody switches.

It said the claim that it is helping to push up the cost of energy is ‘simply ridiculous’, and added that it always shows somebody the cheapest deal for their needs, regardless of whether it has a commercial agreement in place with the supplier or not.

This is really depressing as price comparison services such as our own have been doing all we can to champion small suppliers and to help consumers in the face of higher energy prices,’ a spokesperson said. ‘The fact is that Ofgem accredited comparison services such as our own are part of the solution and to suggest otherwise is an absolute nonsense.

Our service is free for consumers to use and over 90 per cent of our visitors simply gather information and advice - they don't go on to switch.’

Energy watchdog Ofgem said price comparison websites play an ‘important role’ in helping consumers compare energy deals.

‘Ofgem has taken over the running of the code of practice for such sites and we are reviewing it to ensure that its objectives are in line with our reforms for a simpler, clearer, fairer energy market. We will be consulting on this in Spring,’ a spokesperson said.

‘The code of practice is there to protect consumers in a number of ways. For example, switching sites have to state which suppliers they earn commission from. They also have to make sure that they do not rank tariffs in accordance with the suppliers from which they are earning commission’.

The number of households switching energy supplier more than doubled to one million in the last two months of 2013 amid public fury over price rises.

A quarter of the households that switched opted for smaller firms over the heavily criticised Big Six.

The wave of switching came after leading suppliers announced price rises, which led to a political storm over the cost of electricity and gas.



The switching surge in November and December compares with a total of 3.5million customers who switched in the whole of 2013. Energy UK, the energy industry’s association, estimates that in 2012 2.5million households switched.

Some 230,000 of recent switchers went to small firms, which are often free of green levies meaning they can undercut bigger rivals.

Campaigners have previously expressed concerns about comparison websites, which four in five people use generating around £1billion a year.

For example, insurers are able to climb site rankings on price, while adding in exclusions and excesses elsewhere, and critics say comparison websites are more concerned about earning commission than giving out good advice.

There are also big differences in results depending on the website used, according to research from consumer group Which? back in July.

It found a £1,500 variation in the cheapest car insurance quote after entering identical details pretending to be a motorist to ten websites.

SOURCE: THE DAILY MAIL

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/bills/article-2545182/Price-comparison-websites-push-energy-bills-claims-Co-operative-Energy-boss.html#ixzz2rJgR8iKa 

PRISON WIFE JUSTINE

Justin Bieber got himself arrested and stands accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs. Bit of an idiot then because everyone knows that you don’t operate any machinery after taking prescription drugs. Didn’t he read the warning leaflet that came with his bottle of Calpol?

It was reported that he was drag racing which is assumed to mean that he was wearing women’s clothing when he was caught doing 54 in a 30 zone.

Well there have been rumours. In his mug shot he looked like he didn’t have a care in the world, so obviously it hasn’t quite occurred to him that he could end up in jail spending six months as Justine Bieber some big tattooed guys prison wife. That’s his worst case scenario; the best he can hope for is his fellow prisoners taking turns to use him as a bar of soap in the prison showers.

He was also charged with resisting arrest. Basically he refused to be taken into custody on the grounds that he’s Justin Bieber. Not that the cops recognised him. They took one look at him and assumed they were arresting a teenage lesbian. I think it’s the hair that does it.

Miami’s police chief Raymond Martinez said “Bieber initially refused to cooperate with officers and was a little belligerent, using some choice words”, and when that didn’t work he threatened to hold his breath until his face turned blue. And when that didn’t work he tried crying. That didn’t work either and he was arrested.

During the investigation Bieber made statements that he had consumed some alcohol, smoked marijuana and taken prescription drugs. That’s going to make it difficult for his lawyers, unless of course his lawyers argue that his statement be inadmissible because there client didn’t know what he was saying because he’d consumed alcohol, smoked marijuana and taken prescription drugs.

The arrest reported said “the singer had slow deliberate movements and a look of stupor”. That made it sound like they had arrested Ozzy Osbourne.

I don’t think that arrest report is accurate because for a start they described Bieber as a singer.

The BBC reported that he built his career on his clean cut image and his lightweight pop songs, but now he is trying to appeal to an older audience.

Seems he now wants to appeal to ten year olds as opposed to his five year olds fan base.

He’s just trying too hard to be a wild man of music and it’s just not working for him because he’s no Keith Moon or Jim Morrison. He’s more like one the St Winifred’s School Choir who was so naughty that she didn’t do her homework, once.

Plus he got himself a monkey and a pop star having a monkey didn’t really work out all that well for Michael Jackson did it.

Bieber who is a Canadian citizen is allowed to work in the States under an 0-1 visa which is issued to anyone who displays “extraordinary ability or achievement”. The US Immigration Departments words, not mine. While his arrest on what’s classed as misdemeanour charges won’t directly affect his status, renewing his visa according to sources will be a slow process and he’ll be subjected to long checks at the immigration desks. They’ll probably quiz him just long enough for him to throw a spoilt brat strop which they’ll video and post on Youtube.

BIEBER FAN BASE

Bieber is the highest paid teenager in the world, like who knew that four year olds had that much disposable income.

CHRISTMAS CARDS.

Millions of households that relied on credit to pay for Christmas don’t expect to pay off their debts for months, new research reveals. 

As many as a quarter of adults (13million) could only afford to pay for Christmas by borrowing, the survey by consumer watchdog Which? found.

As many as 2.5million say it will take more than six months to pay off December’s debts. And despite an upturn in the economy over the last few months, half of households expect their budgets to be tighter in 2014 than this year.

Three-quarters of those who borrowed money over Christmas said they spent it on presents, while four in ten borrowers said they used credit to pay for food.

Meanwhile a second study revealed that Britons will start 2014 with an average of £2,875 on their credit cards.

More than four in ten will take over a year to pay off their credit card, while as many as three in 20 are still paying off debts from Christmas 2012.

The same number also think it may take as long as three years to settle their credit card balance – and one in 30 can’t imagine clearing it at all. 

For some months now economic studies appear to point to a pick up in the UK economy throughout 2014. 

By the final quarter of 2014 it is tipped to rise above its prerecession levels for the first time, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

The leading accountancy firm also forecast the deficit will fall below £100billion in 2014/15 for the first time since before the downturn. 

However this is yet to translate into greater spending power for millions of British households, as wage growth fails to keep up with inflation. 

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: ‘Despite continuing signs of an improving economy, it seems families are still really feeling the squeeze, with millions of households pessimistic about their finances in 2014 after relying on savings or debt to fund Christmas spending.

‘We want a New Year resolution from the Government to do more to help hard-pressed consumers in 2014 by getting a grip on the cost of essential bills and a resolution from firms to make sure they are giving customers the best possible value for money.'

SOURCE:THE DAILY MAIL.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/cardsloans/article-2528877/A-nation-debt-2-5m-wont-pay-December-debt-June-says-Which.html#ixzz2rJhQTj3K 

For debt advice log on to  www.consumerkings.co.uk

POOR ED.

You have to feel a bit sorry for Ed Miliband because every claim he made regarding how the Tories would ruin the economy and how we’d have a treble dip recession and how NO ONE would have a job have turned out to not be the best claims ever made a by a politician.

But that’s what happens when you have an economic adviser who used to run a BetaMax video player and Sinclair C5 Superstore.

Instead of giving credit where credit is due the Labour Party chose to ignore the encouraging economic forecasts and unemployment dropping to 7.1% preferring to change the subject to the “cost of living crisis”,again.

At PMQ’s Miliband said “Yes the economy might be doing well and there are more people in work than ever before, but milk has gone up by 1p a litre and that’s causing hardship for millions of poor people. Mr Speaker this proves that the Tories don’t care about all the poor people who can longer afford to take milk in their tea”. And while he was doing so his cohort Balls was doing his usual nodding dog act alongside him.

And behind them every Labour MP was sitting there still trying to work out how they somehow managed to end up with the wrong brother.

Come the next Labour conference Ed Miliband will be as welcome as a Lord Rennard at a Feminist Rally.