by Rhoda Wilson, Expose News:
We’re about to say welcome to Winter 2024, a season that makes the Blitz look like a summer picnic when it comes to electricity. With freezing temperatures outside and eye-watering bills inside, it feels like rationing is back—only this time, there’s no government-printed book with neat little coupons. Instead, we have a new kind of “rationing,” courtesy of the invisible hand of the energy market.
You can forget those comforting symbols of sacrifice for the greater good. No community spirit or wartime camaraderie here—just flashing screens, digital nudges, and a sickening feeling every time you glance at your smart meter. The buzzword this winter is “voluntary load shedding,” a phrase that sounds like the name of a dreary indie band but means one thing: if you want to keep the lights on, you’d better be prepared to turn them off yourself.
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Why the Hell Are We Rationing?
Let’s be clear: we’re not short of energy. No, no. We’re short of affordable energy. The raw cost of the fuels needed to generate electricity—oil and gas—has actually dropped. That’s right. While you’re here, huddled under a blanket, suppliers are buying up barrels at prices we haven’t seen this low in years. So why aren’t your bills reflecting this?
Simple. Energy companies are playing a rigged game. They’re cashing in on lower raw prices, then throttling the supply to create the illusion of scarcity. By limiting the amount of electricity fed into the grid, they’re keeping the prices sky-high. It’s the oldest trick in the book: create a shortage, charge a premium. They might as well be selling you bottled tap water for champagne prices, only instead of hydration, you’re getting a precious trickle of heat.
Who’s Getting Rich? Not You.
In a fair world, when fuel prices drop, the savings would trickle down to you, the customer. But this isn’t a fair world; it’s an energy dystopia where corporate giants are making out like bandits. Shell, BP, and the rest of the oil cabal are posting record profits while we’re all sitting here in our woolly hats, pretending not to notice our own breath in the living room.
The so-called “energy crisis” is a crisis for us, not them. What they call a “difficult winter” is shaping up to be a veritable jackpot. They’re selling oil and gas overseas, at rates that would make an arms dealer blush, while the UK market is left to suffer. And because it’s the global market that sets the price, we’re being held hostage by our own resources. Like a pub landlord charging his regulars a fiver a pint while shipping kegs over to Europe for 50p a pop, it’s a classic case of “you snooze, you lose.”
The Return of Rationing—Just Without the Coupons
The new energy rationing is more sophisticated than the ration books of yesteryear. Instead of lining up with coupons in hand, you’re logging into an app. You’re given daily “energy goals,” informed of “incentives” for using less during peak times, and subtly shamed for daring to boil a kettle at 6 PM. It’s as if the power companies have turned into passive-aggressive nannies, wagging a digital finger whenever you flick on the heater.
Back in 1940, the rules were simple: here’s your allowance; make it last. But now, there’s no such transparency. Instead, we’re navigating a minefield of confusing tariffs and dynamic pricing, where the cost of a cup of tea can triple if you brew it at the wrong time. If Winston Churchill were alive today, he’d probably drop his cigar in disbelief.
Modern Rationing: Living by the Clock
But how does this rationing actually work? Through something called “Demand Response.” The idea is that energy companies are supposed to ease the strain on the grid by persuading you to use less during peak hours. But instead of persuasion, it’s more like coercion. There are whispers of “mandatory blackouts” if customers don’t comply, and penalties for exceeding limits during “critical periods.” The irony is, many of these so-called “critical periods” are simply a result of artificial constraints put in place to keep prices up.
So, what’s the response been? Families are now operating on a tight energy schedule that would make a 1940s housewife wince. There are tales of parents setting alarms for 2 AM laundry runs, kids doing homework in candlelight, and entire households sitting in the dark by 5 PM to avoid peak tariffs. And all this in a country that supposedly has more energy reserves than it needs. It’s a sick joke, and we’re the punchline.
