2015年经济学人 燃气价格 能源产业之争

Gas prices

Fuel on the fire

Another cheap shot at energy firms misses the mark

GIVEN the parlous¹ state of Britain's energy system, it is hard to think that Ed Davey, the energy secretary, would want more publicity².

Yet on February 10th newspapers published a letter he had written to regulators who are reviewing the market.

He urged them to investigate whether energy companies are making excessive profits from selling gas,

which he said earns higher margins⁴ than flogging electricity.

He singled out British Gas, which in 2012 supplied gas to about 40% of Britain's households at a profit margin³ of more than 11%.

Energy buffs have long moaned about the strong position British Gas—owned by Centrica,

a big energy firm—enjoys in the domestic gas market.

It inherited a huge number of customers from its days as a state monopoly,

some of whom could be paying over the odds⁵ because they have never looked for a better deal.

But by focusing narrowly on gas, Mr Davey overstates Centrica's success.

In 2012 the firm lost money selling electricity, bringing the margin across its domestic supply business down to 6.6%.

This figure is high; but it is not extraordinary, or certain to be sustained.

Nor do Centrica's competitors seem to be banking⁶ exuberant⁷ rents.

The “Big Six” retailers⁹ earned an average margin on domestic energy sales of 4.3% in 2012.

Three of them did better supplying electricity than gas. British households continue to pay less for energy than many Europeans.

The simplest way to erode¹⁰ Centrica's grip on the gas market is to encourage long-standing customers to move elsewhere.

The number of households switching supplier has fallen sharply since 2008, in part because regulators have curbed¹¹ doorstep selling.

The government enthuses about community switching schemes, in which neighbours find new suppliers together;

Ofgem, the regulator, now requires energy firms to contact customers who are paying more than they should.

It will be some time before that has an effect.

Yet what most vexes¹² critics of the market is not hefty retail⁸ margins but fear that energy firms are making outsized profits elsewhere,

for example in power generation. This is difficult to prove,

which is why the government last year asked regulators to carry out a broad assessment¹³ of the market.

Their report, due next month, could lead to a more thorough investigation¹⁴ by the Competition Commission.

That is starting to look like an attractive outcome to some energy executives, who have repeatedly been battered¹⁵ by politicians.

Shares in Centrica dipped 3.5% following publication of Mr Davey's letter;

they are a quarter lower than in September, when Ed Miliband, leader of the Labour Party, promised to freeze energy bills if elected.

The regulators' report, and any inquiry¹⁶ that follows, may give Mr Davey reason to set the market ablaze¹⁷. Until then he should resist poking¹⁸ the coals.

1 parlous   

adj.危险的，不确定的，难对付的

参考例句：

• They had a parlous journey on stormy seas.他们在风暴海洋上进行了一次危险的旅行。
• English tennis is in a parlous condition.英国网球运动不堪设想。

2 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

3 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

4 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

5 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

6 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

7 exuberant   

adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的

参考例句：

• Hothouse plants do not possess exuberant vitality.在温室里培养出来的东西，不会有强大的生命力。
• All those mother trees in the garden are exuberant.果园里的那些母树都长得十分茂盛。

8 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

9 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

10 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。

11 curbed   

v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Advertising aimed at children should be curbed. 针对儿童的广告应受到限制。 来自辞典例句
• Inflation needs to be curbed in Russia. 俄罗斯需要抑制通货膨胀。 来自辞典例句

12 vexes   

v.使烦恼( vex的第三人称单数 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论

参考例句：

• Her continuous chatter vexes me. 她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His continuous chatter vexes me. 他唠叨不休，真烦死我了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

13 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

14 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

15 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

16 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

17 ablaze   

adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的

参考例句：

• The main street was ablaze with lights in the evening.晚上，那条主要街道灯火辉煌。
• Forests are sometimes set ablaze by lightning.森林有时因雷击而起火。

18 poking   

n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢

参考例句：

• He was poking at the rubbish with his stick. 他正用手杖拨动垃圾。
• He spent his weekends poking around dusty old bookshops. 他周末都泡在布满尘埃的旧书店里。