It’s also a lot easier to shop around for those goods and services.

Excellent point, there should be government-provided options (not the only options, that's clearly infeasible) or subsidies for those as well, for exactly the reasons you state.

You don’t have to speculate on what life is like in conditions you’re describing. There’s tons of first hand accounts of life in East Berlin behind the iron curtain, where the government “provided” food, sheltered, and clothing.

If it's not competitive with the current "capitalist" offerings in those areas, people won't choose them unless necessary. The only reason we have hunger and homelessness in a nation as wealthy as the USA is through choice, not lack of resources.

There's a difference between privatization and extortion..

Also the `whataboutism` isn't productive. There's a clear need for regulation.

The customers shouldn't have to foot the bill for the companies lack of investment in their own infrastructure even after 11 years ago it was advised they had to winterize..

Also customers don't have the choice to choose an 'on-the-grid' supplier.. So ?