Michael Meacher MP

Today in the second reading of its Energy Bill the Government sought to put the private sector in charge of greening the nation’s energy supply, in the same way as Lansley has tried to privatise the NHS by making GPs as private contractors responsible for commissioning services and Foundation Tusts (self-standing businesses) responsible for providing health treatment.   In the energy case the private sector is being contracted to instal energy-saving measures across the whole nation on the basis of loans, with the costs recovered in future by higher charges for energy use.   However, as with the Government’s health plans, there are very serious caveats which make the scheme highly unlikely to work.   The key question is: what will be the rate of interest charged on the loan, and if it is not a very low rate, will anybody (other than a very few) at a time of deep austerity be able to afford it to take up the offer? (more…)