‘Dan il-gvern qeridna’ update
Published:
November 14, 2012 at 9:43pm
I received this email today:
Our utility bills have just arrived. A grand total of 300 euros for two people for six months. That’s 1.66 euros a day, or 83c for each of us, and we both work.
I water the garden with tap water in the summer, and run the washing-machine even when it’s half empty. Granted, we don’t have central heating or 24-hour air conditioning, but if you’re starving to death or trying to support an entire family on one income, why would you have those things anyway?
People who complain have absolutely no common sense. How else do they run up bills of hundreds of euros per month?
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And while unions in EU countries today held protests (some of which ended up being rather violent) against austerity measures the Maltese unions organised a conference.
With well known leftist economists to boot who spoke about partisan politics hi-jacking talk about economic growth while turning the discussion into a utility bill chat.
You’d think that innovation would be on the fore front of any discussion on how to make Maltese industry more competitive. No, of course not. We talk about reliance on a single sector and yearn for more manufacturing industry because that is where the value add is.
I give up
Haven’t you heard the complaints about high utility tariffs made by the MHRA, MEA, and Chairpersons of the most important factories in Malta, complaining that this is affecting the competitiveness of our manufacturing industry as well as hotels, restaurants etc… ?
Shouldn’t the well-fed Toni Zarb practise a bit of self-imposed austerity by cutting back his union salary which is paid by starving workers?
“GWU general secretary Tony Zarb said the higher utility bills families have been paying for the past few years were akin to the austerity measures blighting European economies.”
If Joseph Muscat reads such comments, he will reconsider his promise to reduce the utility bills.
Ghandek cans.
Ms Electricity No Problem before being so happy about the bill I would double check. It might be an estimate!
More importantly, in a world that is more and more aware of the environment and its resources, you use tap water for the garden and gladly run the washing machine when its half full. Hardly inspiring.
Actually, poncy comes to mind.
Int is-sindku ta’ Brescello?
May I draw your attention to the fact that estimate bills are worked out on the previous readings.
So they should not differ much from the actual consumption.
Yes, I agree that wastage is being controlled from the consumer’s side.
I watched Realta on TVM2 earlier. Labour’s Konrad Mizzi seems to need some tranquillizers. His facial expressions and body language are scary.
He kept interrupting everybody, and Brian Hansford could not control him.
The way he gestures, he seems to be full of electricity. But when he talks, you realise it is only gas.
I tried watching Realta’ but it was next to impossible thanks to Konrad Mizzi.
That’s the guy who’s masterminding Labour’s energy policy.
We’re doomed.
I confirm. My bill for two people in a home with all electric appliances has consistently worked out at between €1.50 and €1.60 a day. Surely the cost of a cappucino a day is a reasonable price to pay for water and electricity.
True. But try explaining that to people with bills running into several hundred euros a month. No one’s telling them how to cut back on wastage or reduce unnecessary consumption (same difference).
Qieghed naqra dawn il-kummenti ta’ apologisti ta’ GonziPn, jghidu li l-kontijiet m’humiex gholjin. Mela issa tistghu tispjegaw ghaliex kontu ghamiltu dak il-kjass kollu meta fi zmien Dr. Alfred Sant, kienu se jgholew il-kontijiet – fill-fatt ma kienux hargu l-kontijiet ghax kienet qed issir revizzjoni taghhom – li anki kieku hargu , kienu ferm INQAS minn dawk tal-lum ???????
We just received ours too. It came to 323 euros for 6 months. That’s for my wife, my son and me. I can’t understand all these claims of electricity being expensive.
Granted, we’re careful and we make sure we switch off everything, but frankly if you don’t, then it’s your fault you get expensive bills, not Gonzi’s.
If one does not waste, the unility bills are no big deal. Mine works out at about 1.50 to 2 euros a day on average.
On the other hand, I have old relatives whose bills are unbeliveably high , and for good reason too.
They refuse to change the old light bulbs of their huge chandeliers for energy saving ones, leave the water heaters on 24/7 and have white goods that are old and wasteful and in dire need of replacement.
They do not make good and sensible use of the electric cooker and their taps are leaky and need to be replaced. No wonder they get such hefty bills.
Same here, six months for two people with a fetish for baking cakes and the total was less than Eur 400. I’d rather have a free hospital than cheaper electricity.
Electricity bills are not expensive after all, and surely within the spending power of all prudent consumers.
Muscat’s devious propaganda is failing. PN can easily burst this political bubble.
Village: Why don’t you convince them to put you instead of Paul Borg Olivier ? Where have you seen Dr. Muscat’s “failing” . In the opinion surveys ?
Of course, he hasn’t failed. He hasn’t done anything.
The bills I receive are actually quite high, and I don’t have a garden to water.
However, the high tariffs have made everyone more conscious about wastage. At home we have installed efficient lighting, solar water heaters (for which I got a partial rebate) and we are more conscious about our usage.
I am very happy to pay for higher utility bills for utilities which I myself consume than have subsidized utility bills yet have to pay for everyone else’s utility bills by way of increased taxes.
I hope the PN does not give in to the populist agenda and promise lowering of utility bills.
At home we’re paying more in cable TV, mobiles and internet that utility bills. Do we complain about that?
Not really, do we should as these services in other countries are cheaper.
Joseph Muscat will reduce our W & E Bills. How? He will provide water & electricity on a roster basis, i.e. on alternate days. Result: our expense will be halved. That’s Socialism for you.
Unfortunately the media in Malta has been kidnapped by the left to make success appear as disaster. And they speak about balance in broadcasting. We need more sites like this one and more objective information coming from trustworthy sources.
I believe this email. Mine came to Euro 195 for three months and we are four in the house.
As the email says we too don’t have central heating or 24-hour air conditioning and we are careful. We don’t like to waste and that’s not because of the money but because waste doesn’t do any good.
“Mine came to Euro 195 for three months”
That’s an estimated bill.
X’kien m’ghidtux l-istess haga meta Dr. Sant kien prim ministru u l-kontijiet kienu se jgholew – izda m’gholewx ghax kienet qed issir revizzjoni – ferm anqas mil-lum ?!
Eddy, int vera ma tifhimx.
Fi zmien Sant, il-prezz taz-zejt ma kienx dak li hu illum. Malta mhix eccezzjoni, ahna nixtru bil-prezzijiet internazzjonali li bhalissa gholi kullimkien.
Labour = jippretendu li kollox jibqa l-istess.
The hard-pressed should go to Mario Gerada for help.
In our household there are two adults and one toddler, in a good-sized flat. We have no air-conditioners, but we have an electric oven. I fill the bath (corner one so it holds a good amount of water) everyday for my daughter to wash and play in and received a bill of 189 euro for three months.
This is what I always ask myself, but what’s the fuss?
Some people should roll up their sleeves and go to work. It’s easier to complain than to do something about it.
I do not reside in Malta. When I look at the situation in the Maltese islands, it’s baffling.
People have it good but do not appreciate how good they have it.
When I see stats like the one below, and then hear Maltese gemgem claiming poverty, I feel bewildered.
It shows how much a number of Maltese people are detached from reality. The word ‘poverty’ has been given a new twist, a new meaning. It’s pathetic, signs of a nation detached from reality and grossly lacking in discipline.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20121115/local/more-maltese-went-abroad-in-september.445483
I agree completely. Eighty euros for two months for three people living in a flat.
And I have an electric oven. I emailed Joseph Muscat asking how he can possibly make this any lower, and I haven’t yet got a reply.
He’d better come up with some solutions because I’m counting on him to have as their billboard says: aktar flus fil-but.
I hope it’s not talk talk talk because I’ve no intention of paying the reduced costs in taxes u nnizzluk minn hemm b’reputazzjoni tal-akbar giddieb fl-istorja ta’ pajjizna.
Dottor Muscat ghad irrid narak taqa ghan-nejk.
For the last 12 months I paid a total of 879 euros. We consumed 5300 units of electricity and 70 cubic litres of water. My wife and I live comfortably in a house. We use energy as it is necessary.
They came to take the meter readings 4 weeks ago, so I’m assuming I’ll be receiving the bill soon. I estimate it’s gonna amount to between 350 and 450…will let you know.
Those who complain that the bills are exorbitant, to me, ar either people who complain about paying for anything, or people who don’t know how to use their money properly. I put aside money every month for E&W bills. In life only 2 things are certain: Death and Bills…so you must prepare for both.
I sincerely do not see anything wrong with the utility bills. Yes, they may be slightly higher than in the previous years, but so are the salaries.
People are usually impressed by the estimate bill – which sometimes is off the mark by many units. At least that is what happened in my case, where the estimate bill was twice as high as the actual bill (which was issued around four months later).
I do not exclude the possibility that people working for ARMS try to undermine the Government’s agenda. Why do I say this? Well, for starters, the meter reader jotted down 200 units more than what I had consumed, so if I had not paid attention, I would have been billed 200 units more in the actual bill than what I had consumed.
If you think that the estimate bill is being too unreasonably high, do not pay it, or pay what you think you had consumed. And check the meter reading.