A GAS-tronomic overload! So, we will shortly be having a new gas pipeline into the UK that will meet almost half of our requirements?

It also seems the price of gas is falling so fast the companies cannot even give the stuff away?

However (as always) those who are financially worst off in our society are being hit again with increasing gas bills.

npower has just increased its quarterly pre-payment meter charge to £22.37. Its new pre-payment meter charge for electricity is £12.46. Asking for a breakdown of these charges, I was informed they are for maintenance of the meters and to send someone out to check them.

When I further inquired whether gas meter readers were paid double the wages of those who merely read electricity meters I was met with silence.

I tried to explain that, to my mind, it cost the same amount to maintain' a meter, whether it be gas or electric, so why was the quarterly charge for a gas meter almost double an electricity one?

More silence! I changed tack and inquired why those with pre-payment meters (gas or electric) were charged a higher per-unit rate for their supply? The reply came down the telephone that it cost more to supply pre-payment meters!

This I knew to be utter rubbish so I hung up (after politely thanking this fount of knowledge).

Why not change your supplier, I was informed on another occasion by a well-versed call centre member?

They obviously do not know it is impossible to change to another supplier if you have a pre-payment meter as the suppliers refuse to accept you. I have tried this on behalf of several families and, each time, we were refused.

For those on a low, fixed income, state benefits etc, life is becoming very hard indeed, do you choose to buy food or to heat your home in the winter months?

Some may scoff at this and term it extreme. Let me inform you all that, far from being an extreme case, it is a reality which affects the lives of many millions of people in the UK.

Why should those who can least afford it be made to bear the burden of fuel costs in this manner?

MPs and others in government do not seem to care, after all, it is hardy a vote-winner at election time, is it?

To anyone who cares about the welfare of others it is truly distressing. It is one thing for fuel supply companies to make a profit, but an entirely different matter when they seek to exploit those who are the most vulnerable.

Where is the voice of conscience now in the boardroom?

Edward Harris, Springfield Avenue, Hereford.