Issue - meetings

To consider a Notice of Motion:

A Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor K Banks. It concerns the effect of increasing winter fuel bills, the current inflated monthly payments utilities companies are demanding and their impact on debt.

This Notice of Motion was received too late to meet Standing Orders deadlines, but has been accepted by the Mayor for consideration at this meeting on the basis of its broad public interest at this time of the year, as winter utility bills are being received by householders, and the fact that there is not a further ordinary Council meeting before 22 June 2009 which could receive the Motion.

An urgent Notice of Motion had been submitted by Councillor Banks too late to meet Standing Order deadlines but had been accepted by the Mayor for consideration at the meeting on the basis of its broad public interest and the fact that there was not a further ordinary Council meeting before 22 June 2009 which could receive the Motion. The Motion was in respect of winter fuel bills. This was seconded by Councillor Brunner.

There was some discussion of the detail of the motion and there was consideration of a proposed amendment before it was duly

RESOLVED that

the Motion be approved in the following terms:

"The Council asks that the Government investigate the charges made by all gas and electricity (utility) companies in respect of monthly charges made by direct debit.

It has recently come to my attention that householders will this year be required to pay substantial additional amounts per month over and above what they were previously expected to pay.

I'm sure that there are many people throughout the country who have received similar requests and who do not understand why such extortionate contributions will be required each month.  Nor do I understand how these companies are calculating their bills or why they are not informing customers soon enough when monthly direct debit contributions are not covering the costs of electricity or gas consumption.

I am concerned about the impact that this may be having on people, particularly the most vulnerable members of society, who may not be willing or comfortable with challenging the utility companies about such excessive demands.

Householders are encouraged to pay their bills on a monthly basis by direct debit so that as customers they don't get into debt, but if monthly repayment requirements are being inflated in this way, it is hard to see how debt may be avoided."