From the Heart of Devon:
Hello, my name is Paul Ratchford, I've worked on the front lines, installing smart meters for various energy suppliers. This experience opened my eyes to the harsh reality of energy poverty, as I witnessed first hand how it impacts homes and businesses alike.
The more I saw, the more I questioned why there is such a disparity in what people pay for a basic life necessity. The only conclusion I could draw was that this variation exists to generate millions in profits—profits that energy companies amass while families and businesses struggle to stay afloat.
The most striking inconsistencies I’ve observed are within the agricultural sector, where the differences in energy costs are especially pronounced.
Brokers
I spoke with several farmers about how they negotiated their energy deals. Digging deeper, I discovered how much these brokers charge per energy deal, making it nearly impossible for customers to know. These costs are always passed on to the consumer, buried in your energy bill.
In some cases, businesses weren’t fully informed before they signed their contracts. What’s even more concerning is that becoming an energy broker requires no license or oversight from any governing body—only the customer’s consent is needed. This lack of regulation allows unscrupulous salespeople to prey on uneducated and misinformed businesses.
The inconsistency in energy pricing across businesses and homes is staggering. It became clear to me that something was deeply wrong when I saw how people were being hit with massive, uninformed bills while energy companies made record profits and handed out millions in bonuses to their CEOs—at our expense. Please see the video below of the British Gas CEO telling us about this £4.5 million bonus and salaries
(watch from 6:30 mins)
Playlist
1 Videos
![Chris O'Shea (Centrica (Owns British Gas) Chief Executive) On BBC Breakfast [19.01.2024]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/iiBEEUjU5Y4/maxresdefault.jpg)
This is why I founded Kilowatt Connect—an open platform for farms and communities to come together, discuss, and negotiate better energy deals. Kilowatt Connect is here to help you secure fair and mutually beneficial energy contracts, giving both customers and suppliers a better deal.
