Chris C

You're all comeovers?

And MG are kept sweet on the higher cost of wholesale gas by being allowed to make huge profits out of the GMP.

You could well be right. There's definitely more to it than meets the eye. The fact that the vote was almost unanimous is a bit suspicious if you ask me.

If they're losing money I'm a Chinaman. Can we work it out though? Purchase of gas is far from their only operating cost, and I'm not sure Tynwald were informed how much gas they buy or at what price before being asked to vote anyway. I think you're right there's more to this than meets the eye - but it's not to do with MG losing money, quite the opposite I would bet.

No we're not we're discussing climate change which is a global thing. Although motorbikes are an environmentally friendly form of transport wherever they are.

But these motorbikes exist anyway, the TT makes no difference to that.

The TT removes thousands of cars, vans and trucks from the road and replaces them with a few low CC motorbikes several times a year. If you want to be more environmentally friendly it should be extended not banned.

You're the one arguing that we had no option but to take the word of a private company with a long history of profiteering and you think I'm being naive? What would MG be worth if Tynwald voted no? They'd be crying out to sell and it would be a buyer's market. They're not just going to go bust and walk away without looking for a buyer. You really think MG have been selling gas at a loss for weeks and are now going to be selling it and only break even for the foreseeable future? If you do you're not only naive, you're a bloody idiot.

I don't find it surprising in the least. What I do find surprising is that our government (who are supposed to be for our benefit) decided to say yes to those terms without bothering to find out what their charges are! That would be bad enough for them to do with any private company, let alone one that has a proven history of profiteering and had very recently asked for three times as much. I don't believe for one minute that MG are just breaking even. If they were why would they be so cagey with information on their finances?

Imagine going to the benefits office because you can't afford to eat or heat your house and saying "no I don't have a tax return and I'm not going to fill in your income form. You're just going to have to take my word for it I'm broke." I wonder how much you would get?

They have no rights, MG is a private company. They had every right to decline the increase though, until MG proved its necessity.

I guess you could describe it as disappointing. I think it would more accurately be described as a clear indication of the trustworthiness of Manx Gas. Why didn't they just ask to see accounts?

Surely they didn't nod this through purely on MG's word? They must have seen accounts or something?

You maybe right, all the more reason to buy em surely?

If Manx Gas have massive debts at the moment (which I very much doubt), the only way they can repay those debts is by selling gas, that's their only income. If they can clear their debts by selling gas, why can't we? It really is that simple.

Charge you for the privilege I imagine.

But vote no and we'd have one going very cheap, and fair enough I know you aren't completely opposed to that.

That was holding back 😃

What are Manx Gas worth if Tynwald voted no? Very little, the parent company would be knocking their door down trying to sell, no private investor would be investor would be interested, they could be bought for a song and even run as a going concern a la the steam packet, although it would be more efficient to integrate them into MU.

It's not as if we don't have our own utility company already up and running is it?

Public services don't need to make a profit, and if they do it simply goes into the Government coffers instead which is theory is a good thing for all of us. I have no idea of the figures but I am in absolutely no doubt Manx Gas will be making a profit under the latest arrangement despite what they tell us. Not only that they now know that they can continue making a profit until the last gas boiler on the island is gone because our government have just very publicly effectively told them that they are too important to us to go bust! I wonder how they'll use that information? If you can't see the difference between public and private ownership then you are very naive.

I consider Manx Telecom a world leading company in providing a terrible service backed up by extortionate pricing with one of the worst customer service records and a total disregards for their customers. I hate them with a passion and would gladly forgo any contact with anyone or anything more than a few meters away from me in favour of not giving them even a penny of my hard earned cash. I think even I would forgive one of their staff asking if I was alright when I walked into their shop (which I wouldn't) though.

The new buyer ie. the Government. At the moments the public are paying for high gas prices and MG's profits. If they bought MG (which would be on its ass so be worth next to nothing) the public would be paying high gas prices and no profit - a considerable saving.

Or the influx of residents in a hundred or so years time who move there voluntarily and then spend their lives whinging about the races because they inconvenience them aren't safe.

Well he could hardly make less