The following text is an email sent to the boss of Npower - our current gas and electricity supplier, in the wake of recent wholesale gas price falls which were, on the whole, not passed on to UK consumers.
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https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/contact-a-boss

"
First of all, I would like to thank you for responding to public pressure and cutting your gas prices in response to recent wholesale gas price falls - such a gesture at this time of year is welcomed.

We are all at the mercy of wholesale fossil fuel prices - but it's very important for you as a company that you aren't seen to be profiting from other people's hardship. It seems fairly clear that many energy companies already profit from market volatility - with affiliate wholesale companies increasing their profits every time prices rise, and suppliers own costs being passed on to domestic fuel consumers. Furthermore, it does not go unnoticed that energy companies are slower (and meaner) in passing on any decrease in wholesale prices to their customers.

Trends in this market are certainly not going to be downward in the long-term, but if you argue that downward price trends can "leave a company at risk of selling energy at a loss if prices suddenly rise again", then I would suggest that you keep a close eye on just how much you are taking out of your customers pockets to cover your uncertainties over this period, and offer your loyal customers some form of rebate either at the end of the tax year - or even better, going in to the difficult winter months.

Otherwise, I would certainly back calls for a windfall tax on extra profits which your company makes from customers whose only real choice is between which group of shareholders benefit and who is able to pay the most to their employees and executives. Personally, I have always found your UK-based staff to be very helpful, and I am glad to continue to support them - but when management seem blissfully unconcerned about the plight of those who pay their wages, loyalty seems an increasingly one-sided bargain.

I understand that you are working hard to make your company successful - but what you may not really see is that many people just like you work very hard, and yet don't earn enough to properly heat their houses. Fuel poverty currently stands at around 18% of households in the UK (4 million in 2009) - and your actions directly influence these numbers; these people's lives. Especially in winter, a price reduction from your company can literally make the difference between life and death for struggling elderly and vulnerable people.

I can assure you that the first companies to offer their discounts have already caught my eye - and any one who comes out in a genuine show of loyalty and caring to their customers will certainly win my business as well as the support of many people around the country. As a loyal customer of several years, I hope that that company is yours.

Yours sincerely
Blah Yadda
"