The worst utility in the world ?

Drove to the local offices of the utility company this morning to try to understand why our utility bills have gone up 35% in the last year for the same amount of power consumed. After waiting for 45 minutes eventually managed top see a 'customer representative'. The term customer has a very different meaning here in Italy from the accepted sense in northern Europe. After asking for an explanation for the unannounced hike was told that if I 'didn't want to spend that much I should use less - it's only common sense'. Was left, as I often am when dealing with bureaucracy here, absolutely speechless. Final humiliation was when I pointed out that electricity charges are falling in Scotland so why not in Italy to which the answer came : ' Yes but this is Europe and we have competition here'. Faced with this blind, illogical obtuseness have retreated to see how I can cut back on the amount we use. Must be the only country in the world where competition leads to price increases. Pricing of electricity here has to be the best advert there is for building nuclear power plants.

As can be seen from the photos the boyz coats are getting very long. As soon as it gets warmer they will be off for a major shearing to remove the worst of the matted hair.