The outrage at high prices is reaching a crescendo. There have been consumer boycotts, there have been protests, there have been tent protests, yet prices continue to rise. The companies don't really pay attention, until a specific product of theirs is targeted, and then they might respond by lowering prices on a few products that had been noticed. Their near-monopolies in the Israeli market allow them that leeway.

The latest outrage is at the electric company. Today people received new electricity bills to pay. People have found that their electricity bills have skyrocketed. It is from a combination of factors including an unusually cold and rainy winter along with a series of recent price hikes to a recent increase total of 15% in electricity rates! Examples in the press were of small to medium families with electricity bills of over 2000 NIS for the recent two-month period. I don't know what electricity rates are like abroad, but 2000 NIS is equivalent to about $530. That was for a family with two to three kids. I cant wait to see what my bill will be when I get it.

As a matter of fact, I remember a while back that people were outraged to discover the electric company was considering moving to "kosher electricity". They were so outraged at the idea that they would have to suffer from increased rates to cover the new expenses involved, that they protested and got the idea nixed. Little did they know that the electric company was going to raise the rates regardless of the kosher electricity system. Now we have the high rates but still have non-kosher electricity.

The finance committee in the Knesset scheduled an urgent meeting to discuss the issue on Sunday (after Purim)/ MK Ruchama Balila-Avraham wants to recommend forcing the electric company to lower rates but also to cancel the VAT on electricity.

Many other MKs also spoke up in outrage over the revelation of the skyrocketing electric bills after the recent price increases. (source: Ynet)

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz has responded to complaints by saying that the reason the prices have gone up is due to the sanctions on Iran. Steinitz even claims that the government took less taxes so as to minimize the damage to the consumer.

Who knows? Maybe we have finally said enough is enough. Maybe the issue will finally be dealt with.
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