Private is almost always cheaper and efficient as long as there are agreed standards. Sometimes those are self standardized and sometimes look governments have to assist but bureaucracies can’t do what private companies can do,(reply>), @owenbevt3 There are lots of reasons for that like the US is a much larger country. In terms of general services offered you are right about the UK being better,(reply>), @Marcus Borderlands But I hear that in general the services offered are even worse than those in the UK?,(reply>), @owenbevt3 it does work for the railways, at least in the US. They are all private companies.,(reply>), in general I'm in favor of nationalizing key services, particularity wher the customer hasn't got a chose of eg. which power lines to use. So I find it very interesting that in this case it has worked well. I wonder why the same principle can't be made to work for eg. the railways? is it just that for electricity the authoritys have actually been willing to revoke the rights of business that don't achieve the expected standards?