What is Digg?172 Comments
- kd420, on 07/20/2008, -7/+81This guy is probably a douchebag, but I think it actually is a good idea. If people wore thicker clothing in the winter and less in the summer they could save on AC/Heating.
Now, this is all well and good for saving a few bucks, but when a rich bastard like this says it, it is just an excuse to cover his ass. "His firm warned yesterday that gas bills could rise to more than £1,000 a year by 2010." Yeah, unless you're wearing the hide of a woolly mammoth, good luck saving that much. - Seldon2639, on 07/20/2008, -8/+76I'm not usually a strong proponent of the free market, but we're ostensibly all about freedom and free market capitalism on Digg (most of the time), so this executive is expressing exactly the right sentiment. A company has no obligations toward its consumers except those which exist either in contract, or in regulation. To imply that this company needs to be in touch with "the daily struggle for their vulnerable customers to stay warm" repudiates the very free-market message we ostensibly believe in. The company has no more obligation to protect the "vulnerable" than any other individual or group of individuals.
I have sympathy for people who have difficulty making ends meet, believe me, but either we're for free markets, and allowing some people to make a boatload of money while other people have trouble paying the bills, or we need to redistribute income. We can't be for "freedom", and then be angry with a CEO reiterates that there is absolutely *no* reason for his company to care about the consumers themselves (except as part of PR), and that there is nothing which compels them into noblesse oblige - madetosink, on 07/19/2008, -45/+67I wanna kick this guy in the nuts...and then smack him in the face.
- tim04, on 07/20/2008, -2/+22The advice that this guy gives:
"I hate to go back to the Jimmy Carter days in the U.S., but maybe it's "two jumpers instead of one". I think that people will change the temperature at which they keep their homes, they will be more cognisant of energy waste and will buy better appliances."
doesn't seem all that unreasonable. He's the head of a private firm, and therefore has no responsibility to personally subsidize fuel prices for the poor (that's the government's job). His statements don't seem that mean spirited, and being rich doesn't require one to be a philanthropist as well. It's a well known fact, when times get tough, you gotta tighten your belt. - giania, on 07/20/2008, -3/+20If enough people get angry, alternatives will come into the picture and then perhaps this man won't be quite so smug. "Necessity is the mother of invention." If companies like this are creating the need for alternative means of keeping a home warm through the winter, then people will figure out those alternatives and the heating fuel providers will reap what they have sown. Simple as that.
- stanleyford, on 07/20/2008, -0/+15Years ago, a student asked Milton Friedman about a similar situation, in which a man died because he wasn't able to pay his bills and the electric company shut off his power. Part of Friedman's response:
"...I want to show you that what you have to ask about, is the costs imposed on different individuals. The electric company is neither. The electric company is a non-human institution. The electric company—what you must talk about are either the stockholders of the electric company, the employees of the electric company, or the customers of the electric company. Those are the people involved. As you go to the other extreme and adopt the policy that the electric company will never turn anything off, then you’ve effectively instituted a system under which the only people who pay for electricity will be those who pay for it voluntarily....The responsibility really lies not on the electric company for turning it off, but on those of this man's neighbors, and friends, and associates who are not charitable enough to enable him as an individual to meet the electric bill. You’re blaming the wrong person for what happened." - dzw120, on 07/20/2008, -0/+14This would be true most of the time, but this is natural gas where you've got massive infrastructure required to supply to customers. I'm not sure about Britain, but we in the US have (regionally) regulated monopolies for our natural gas companies. For example, if you live in Chicago, IL, you probably only have Nicor as a choice.
- Andrew7, on 07/20/2008, -2/+16What did he say that was so outrageous?
He acknowledged that things were going to get worse and kind of used an example to get his point across. It didn't sound at all mean spirited to me.
And for all of you that are complaining that he doesn't do more to help people, please tell me about the last time that YOU bought heating fuel for someone in need? - DuffyDirect, on 07/20/2008, -1/+14if you redistribute wealth, people don't work.
- sk11, on 07/20/2008, -2/+14The taxpayer should then have absolutely no obligation to bail out a private bank (northern rock) to the tune of billions of pounds, but here we are. Socialism for the mega rich and lassie faire capitalism for the poor, so much for consistency.
I completely agree that he's a ***** *****. Some poor elderly people die because their heating gets cut off during the winter. - cam0man, on 07/20/2008, -1/+12British gas services MILLIONS of customers. Even if the dude gave up his entire annual salary and used it to dilute the rising costs, each customer would save less than a dollar for the whole year. What do you want the man to do?
- AbsurdParadox, on 07/20/2008, -0/+11Now, I'm not 100% sure how it works in the UK but here in the US, gas companies are given a government-granted monopoly. Judging by the actions of this man/company, I would say it functions in the same way.
This is what happens when there's no market competition. Without competitors, there is no incentive to provide good customer service or reasonably priced product/services. - DivisibleByZero, on 07/20/2008, -0/+10That bastard! If he decreased his salary to something reasonable like $20k a year and used the savings to decrease gas prices, Britain's 60 million citizens would save an average of 3 cents per year!
- ifellonmyfork, on 07/20/2008, -5/+15Let them eat cake.
- erhanaltay, on 07/20/2008, -1/+10This hatred of the oil industry is sad. If you live in a liberal democracy and can't afford to heat your home, its YOUR fault - not some oil exec's. You have the freedom to go out there and earn a living. Millions of people in totalitarian states whine less than some of you spoiled idiots.
- Andrew7, on 07/20/2008, -8/+17Why the heck should he have to cover his ass?
Fuel is getting more expensive to produce, so its going to cost more.
If his company is overcharging people, then somebody else will undercut him. - rock774, on 07/20/2008, -3/+11Well said !!!
- canuck10101, on 07/20/2008, -1/+9Yes, everyone except the ones that have their money "redistributed".
- inactive, on 07/20/2008, -0/+8Those people need to get jobs.
You have no entitlement to warmth and comfort. It's something you have to earn. By working. - Seldon2639, on 07/20/2008, -2/+10Yeah, but the fact that he makes a lot of money doesn't make him any more culpable to other people. He has no more reason to care for and help the "vulnerable" than any of us. We can argue that we *all* have that obligation, but then it's not about him making a lot of money, it's about everyone needing to do so. How would you answer the question?
Who here steps up and actually gives more to the needy than the cursory "if we no longer need it, I suppose I can part with it" kind of donation? The only people who get to complain about him "spit[ting] on their troubles" are those who do something about it. If we don't then we're all just as guilty, and people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones - Logrusmage, on 07/20/2008, -1/+9Err... he's charging the market price. It isn't like he has a monopoly. Stop being pissed off at people trying to maximize their profit. If they gave it away for free they'd be broke, the biz would go under and they'd all get nothing. If he gave it away for less, he'd leave the biz because he'd be paying a large opportunity cost to stay in it.
Learn basic economics, *****. - covertbadger, on 07/20/2008, -0/+7There's no monopoly - I can spend a couple of minutes on a comparison site like uswitch and change my gas supplier to one of a wide range of competing companies at the click of a button.
Not that this guy said anything wrong, anyway. He's absolutely right - if you're struggling to heat your house, turn down the thermostat and put on another jumper. Previous generations had no difficulty with this, it's only the current spoiled expect-everything-for-free generation that whines so much. - SleepParalysis, on 07/20/2008, -0/+7He runs a business, not a charity.
- WhiskeyLemur, on 06/30/2009, -1/+7I think what pissed people of is the smugness, not the price increase in and of itself. If the guy had said "sorry folks, our prices are going up, so yours will too," I have a feeling he would have offended far fewer people.
- charlie55, on 07/20/2008, -0/+5you people act like you are entitled to cheap oil. yunno burning oil ruins the environment. insulate your house better and use your fireplace. or bundle up. or move to somewhere warm.
- NikkiA, on 07/20/2008, -1/+6I'd just like to point out that this is talking about the recent hike in British Gas prices, ie natural gas, NOT gasoline as some people seem to be assuming.
While the two (natural gas and oil) are related, there is a great deal more supply of gas than oil, and the prices haven't surged quite so much for the raw material. - TheWhiteOtter, on 07/20/2008, -0/+5For the benefit of the people who keep submitting stories from the mail; I bury them all as inaccurate becuase if its in there theres a decent chance that at least something in it is wrong or at least misleading.
- RadiatedAnt, on 07/20/2008, -0/+5and start a fire while we're at it. ohh and its called a solar heater (1960s)
- Calcularius, on 07/20/2008, -5/+10Douchebag.
- inactive, on 07/20/2008, -2/+7Die commie!!!
- Calcularius, on 07/20/2008, -2/+7If I made millions a year, I would. Furthermore, if making a bit less would take the burden off of someone, I would do that, too. Making profit off of a necessity while people go without that necessity is EVIL.
- pak314, on 07/20/2008, -0/+4They are taking about the UK here. Unless you meant that as a joke on the typical US bashing.
- inactive, on 07/20/2008, -1/+5It would seem to me that it's more his responsibility because he's more in a position to directly do something about it, but I would argue that we all have the responsibility to look after each other. Granted, we are all pretty much guilty of shirking that responsibility, but I also disagree with the sentiment that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I feel that that attitude only causes us to further ignore the problem. I mean, it's easy to turn a blind eye to the indiscretions of others when one is concerned that one's own faults will be pointed out, but then maybe all of us could do with a little ego-bruising. I'll admit up front that I'm no shining example of altruism myself, but this story has got me to thinking, and I'm starting to think that maybe I should work on that.
- URnotheonly1, on 07/20/2008, -1/+5I travel to the bay area a lot. most of the time I take my H3, recently with gas hitting 4.50 a gallon the roads have been pretty nice, no traffic, I have not hit a traffic jam in a month. The H3 is getting great gas mileage now that I don't have to stop and go all the time. I'm beginning to like these prices, I mean hell no traffic, I could get used to that.
I live 140 miles from silicon valley. With no traffic, the hummer getting about 23 mpg - domokunt, on 07/20/2008, -0/+4Exactly, I buried the (Daily Fail) article for taking the quote out of context.
It galls me how a paper that was an avid supporter of Facism and Hitler in the 30s (true) can got making up horses**t like this. - Mothrog, on 07/20/2008, -3/+7He's British, idiot.
- crapmatic, on 07/20/2008, -3/+7The real question is why Centrica is paying this guy millions rather than investing it in infrastructure or back into the company. You can find a legion of brilliant and talented managers for a tenth that much.
- DuffyDirect, on 07/20/2008, -0/+4In the history of technology they teach that if anything "invention is the mother of necessity"
e.g. people saw no meaningful use for the telegraph when it was first invented. - rheaume, on 07/20/2008, -0/+3So does shivering
- jameskong15, on 07/20/2008, -5/+8Context is king. Jimmy Carter saying it is much different than some douche who makes 2 million a year off the company that is upping prices. Now had Jimmy been the CEO of an oil company who was raking in billions and said this *****, maybe it might be a legit comparison.
- hivesster, on 07/20/2008, -6/+9Sounds like someone McCain would have as an advisor.
- dexedrine, on 07/21/2008, -0/+3MrBabyMan ...you're almost up to 10 thousand submissions.... about maybe 1% I would consider actual submissions =/
- GovernmentsGun, on 07/20/2008, -1/+4Ohhh, hating the rich! Can I get in on it!
- logdesigner, on 07/20/2008, -0/+3Oh, so it was alright for the Democratic President Jimmy Carter to say it in 1977? He was quoting Jimmy Carter for all of you history Newbs. Try getting you're news from somewhere other than the Daily Show.
- sk11, on 07/20/2008, -2/+5Because when a rich and powerful arsehole thinks of something bad, other people usually suffer.
- inactive, on 07/20/2008, -2/+5***** em, let them die, it's called darwinism
- TheGuruStud, on 07/20/2008, -1/+4^^ Please tell me that was a joke.
- jackieblu, on 07/20/2008, -4/+7Well isn't that basically the same message we have been getting from McCain with his Psychological fixes - etc... He threw Gramm under the bus for saying essentially the same thing, but he went a little too far calling Americans whiners. As if McCain really gets whats going - on with his 100 + millions. Bush was using the same lingo the other day. Things have slowed, but there has been some growth (China perhaps), just not as much as we would've liked, things could be worse. No shut. Bush and McCain have both have been talking about giving us a mental lift, knowing that a lot of their "fixes" won't have any effect, or give us any meaningful relief right now, but will make a difference Physiologically! Out of touch, these guys are on another planet!
- inactive, on 07/20/2008, -4/+7Well its not like its someone in government, everyone has right to their own opinion. Who cares what some rich ***** thinks.
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