Your so very right. Fraid the Brit consumer is a mug when it comes to paying for anything, we do not complain enough and unfortunately the political class is, for a variety of reasons, locked in with the producers and retailers and rarely do anything to address the myriad of companies overcharging in the UK. So as long as people are prepared to put up with it, they'll keep charging the high prices ..... bonuses and bigger dividends allround well done everyone!!
Biggest crooks for overcharging, in my book, are listed below in no particular order, and the list is by no means an exhaustive one either.
Power companies - see todays report from the Competion Authority, but still they do not go far enough
Banks
Mobile companies
Telecoms companies - in particular BT (both its wholesale and its retail arm)
Independent TV companies ('license to print money' still stands today)
Sky TV
Motor Fuel companies - throughout their supply chain
Large Supermarkets
Builders - or rather non builders with large land banks increasing in value on a daily basis
Outsource companies for various local and national government services - SERCO, Group 4, Capita,
Rail Companies - wow where do you begin with those robbers again all through the supply chain
Insurance companies in their various guises
So called money saving comparison sites - robbers the lot of them, always taking a big commission and almost exclusively from the big providers in any particular market that they supposedly serve
Football Clubs in particular Premiership Clubs
That's enough. I'll wear out this keyboard if I was to continue on, but you get my drift I am sure.