Len Hend, Mullumbimby
Today, after I had a few words with the Essential Energy works man, he told me he was also a victim the high cost of electricity.
What I said to him was, ‘how come there are two light trucks, two huge trucks and about eight men here to remove one high branch from a tree on my property? It is 9.30am and no-one is working. This is the second time the men have been here with all their equipment and the cost must be at least one thousand dollars just for this morning. I am 70 years old and believe I could have done the same job in half a day.
‘Furthermore, I am told that 40 per cent of my electricity bill goes to you guys and I am wondering how much of that 40 per cent goes to the people that sit in their office ticking boxes.’
I had to explain that I was not abusing the workers but simply telling the truth.
He told me he believed the system to be the fault as their paperwork is often the holdup.
I know I am not an expert on the subject but my blood boils when I feel there is what appears to be a blatant rip-off and a system that sees a healthy group of workers spending a lot of time doing nothing.
Also, are we older electricity users paying for those solar panels, which give huge rebates? I found I would be about 110 years old before my solar panels paid off.
It is obvious that many pensioners will be cold next winter for fear of not being able to pay their heating costs.
I believe an independent time-and-motion person should sort this mess out from top to bottom before the winter.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
