Gas & Electricity

This is a strange one because it just doesn't seem to be registering with people as to what is going to happen.

Let's be honest, the main driver of the price increase is the war in Ukraine and that doesn't look likely to stop for the foreseeable. I expect it to last for a good few months at least. In the meantime, Russia will switch off the gas supplies to Europe which in turn drives up the price just at the time we need it for. This winter is going to be absolutely brutal for a lot of people in the UK, unless something dramatic happens. If we have people paying around £350-500/month on energy for the next 18 months that will absolutely drive a hard nail right into the economy. I bet no economist has any answers for that type of shock.

This isn't a case of "let's shop at Lidl instead of Tesco" type of saving. Even scrapping VAT, green levies etc are pennies in comparison. You could insulate your home too, but it's not going to make any significant difference is it? It's the equivalent of people taking on another mortgage or buying a top-end car. It's just not feasible or sustainable. And what do you think Christmas looks like when bills in October/November are double what they would normally be? And the jobs that depend on that as well!

Inflation is supposed to be running at 9% or so, but it feels - to me anyway - like 20%. When these price rises kick in, we're talking 50% at least aren't we? I don't think it was ever that high in the 70s.

I think the answer is going to be a Windfall Tax on the energy companies. The profits announced today are disgraceful. However, I suspect Truss will become PM and she has said she won't do it. Just shocking.
 
GoatersLeftShin said:
I think the answer is going to be a Windfall Tax on the energy companies. The profits announced today are disgraceful. However, I suspect Truss will become PM and she has said she won't do it. Just shocking.
Click to expand...
The windfall tax was announced a few weeks ago but I haven't seen much commentary on it since.

You would think that any government, Tory, Labour or whoever, would use that money to subsidise people's bills until things calm down.

I notice that details of how the £400 government assistance will be paid was announced yesterday.

If you pay by DD, you will get £66 automatically knocked off your bill in October and November and then £67 a month for December to March.

It does feel like a drop in the ocean compared to what's coming. Glad I fixed at £272 per month a few weeks ago (can't believe I'm saying that) and I feel for those low earners. Surely the Truss or Sunak will do something in September?

EDIT: Doing a bit of reading, back in March, the FT said that the rise in fuel bills would cost the UK an extra £38bn - equivalent to a 6p rise in the basic rate of tax. Obviously that figure will be even higher in October.

In May, a report on the BBC said that the windfall tax would raise an extra £5bn - this figure now looks small compared to the amount we'll be paying collectively.
 
Last edited:
One of the big things the government could/should do is not allow the companies to raise the standing charges at least that way you will only pay for what you use, this will at least be something, because even if you cut back your usage that charge is still there. I have a smart meter and when I get up every morning I see 65p on there, come October it will be over £1, I’m sorry but the infrastructure costs have not gone up which is what we are hold those charges are for.
 
The standing charges cover the cost of the companies that failed. We are paying for their mistakes.

These companies buy their fuel months in advance. We were told they were high this time due to a high price. Prices went down do will we see a reduction? Will we fuck.

I'm usually against nationalisation but in this case it's time.
 
BimboBob said:
The standing charges cover the cost of the companies that failed. We are paying for their mistakes.

These companies buy their fuel months in advance. We were told they were high this time due to a high price. Prices went down do will we see a reduction? Will we fuck.

I'm usually against nationalisation but in this case it's time.
Click to expand...
We’re reaching the stage of capitalism where companies are losing their social element.

This shouldn’t be allowed to happen in any vital sector like gas, electricity, water, health etc.
 
To quote an expert on radio this morning,"12 months ago £50 would buy 12 days worth of power, in October that will be 3 days". In these digital days, I don't understand why those on pre payment meters should have to pay more. Surely they can be programmed to the standard tariff?
 
I am confused , i am on a fix , i put in some readings yesterday and got my new bill today and my dd has gone down a few pounds ! They are playing with me , must be a sting in the tail
 
a lot of people from November onwards going to have their credit score wrecked because of all this, people who generally pay their bills ontime
 
Cheeky bastards are now doing once again the bidding of their paymasters, originally that £400 was been given direct to people, now there has been a rallying cry for people to either stop paying their direct debits and pay what they use or stop paying altogether, now that money will come directly off your DD, so if you do stop or protest you won’t get it, bravo scumbags brave.
 
GoatersLeftShin said:
This is a strange one because it just doesn't seem to be registering with people as to what is going to happen.

Let's be honest, the main driver of the price increase is the war in Ukraine and that doesn't look likely to stop for the foreseeable. I expect it to last for a good few months at least. In the meantime, Russia will switch off the gas supplies to Europe which in turn drives up the price just at the time we need it for. This winter is going to be absolutely brutal for a lot of people in the UK, unless something dramatic happens. If we have people paying around £350-500/month on energy for the next 18 months that will absolutely drive a hard nail right into the economy. I bet no economist has any answers for that type of shock.

This isn't a case of "let's shop at Lidl instead of Tesco" type of saving. Even scrapping VAT, green levies etc are pennies in comparison. You could insulate your home too, but it's not going to make any significant difference is it? It's the equivalent of people taking on another mortgage or buying a top-end car. It's just not feasible or sustainable. And what do you think Christmas looks like when bills in October/November are double what they would normally be? And the jobs that depend on that as well!

Inflation is supposed to be running at 9% or so, but it feels - to me anyway - like 20%. When these price rises kick in, we're talking 50% at least aren't we? I don't think it was ever that high in the 70s.

I think the answer is going to be a Windfall Tax on the energy companies. The profits announced today are disgraceful. However, I suspect Truss will become PM and she has said she won't do it. Just shocking.
Click to expand...
We are aiming to phase out our Russian supplies by December. We already barely get any from there.

We get 50% of our gas from our own supplies in the North Sea and a further 33% from Norway.
 
Psychedelic Casual said:
We are aiming to phase out our Russian supplies by December. We already barely get any from there.

We get 50% of our gas from our own supplies in the North Sea and a further 33% from Norway.
Click to expand...
Trouble is everybody's looking for a source to replace Russian gas and oil forcing world prices up, Great Britain really needs to exploit the North sea more I think there's still fuel to be extracted now the price is high.
 
i kne albert davy said:
Trouble is everybody's looking for a source to replace Russian gas and oil forcing world prices up, Great Britain really needs to exploit the North sea more I think there's still fuel to be extracted now the price is high.
Click to expand...
Thing is GB don't extract or sell companies have been granted licences to do that. We do however tax the companies whether that should be higher is a different argument
 
This £400 everyone is getting, It's not really a discount since our taxes are paying for it anyway. This is basically the government (with our money) just supporting energy companies billions of profits.
 
Privatisation of utilities made lots of pensioners who put their lump sums into shares very rich in the late 80s and 90s. We are in different times now and their grandchildren can't afford the bills. You can debate capitalism v socialism until blue in the face, but some things are more important. Basic utilities should be nationalised and Thatcher should not have flogged them off. How we get back I don't know, probably never can.
 
Almost throttled my old man today, hes proper bought into the whole Daily mail narrative of everything from immigrants to good Luck to profiteers, loves Boris , it’s only recently I’ve talked to him about this sort of stuff, I always knew he agreed with Thatchers breaking of the unions as they did have a stranglehold over the country. At 77 he’s flush with money now, his own pension, plus state and some disability stuff, he can’t spend it but he’s got an im alright Jack attitude I’ve never seen before!
He says Labour leave the country broke the Tories try to fix it and it’s rinse and repeat, we talked about energy bills and I said it’s ok for him (yes he’s earned it) but they’re are people genuinely going to to die of pneumonia or starve this winter and he just doesn’t care he says it’s ok for those companies to profit so much, they’ve earned it good luck to them he said! At that point I had to leave the house, this is what Labour have to overcome to win, I was ashamed of him if I’m honest and I’ve never said that about my dad but fuck me it was a good job my mum came in, I love him to bits and maybe it’s the Parkinson’s coming through but I just don’t understand how people can think like this.
Im all for people investing and making money but the amounts they are getting is obscene, how many Ferraris do you need before it’s enough?
 
Blue Maverick said:
Almost throttled my old man today, hes proper bought into the whole Daily mail narrative of everything from immigrants to good Luck to profiteers, loves Boris , it’s only recently I’ve talked to him about this sort of stuff, I always knew he agreed with Thatchers breaking of the unions as they did have a stranglehold over the country. At 77 he’s flush with money now, his own pension, plus state and some disability stuff, he can’t spend it but he’s got an im alright Jack attitude I’ve never seen before!
He says Labour leave the country broke the Tories try to fix it and it’s rinse and repeat, we talked about energy bills and I said it’s ok for him (yes he’s earned it) but they’re are people genuinely going to to die of pneumonia or starve this winter and he just doesn’t care he says it’s ok for those companies to profit so much, they’ve earned it good luck to them he said! At that point I had to leave the house, this is what Labour have to overcome to win, I was ashamed of him if I’m honest and I’ve never said that about my dad but fuck me it was a good job my mum came in, I love him to bits and maybe it’s the Parkinson’s coming through but I just don’t understand how people can think like this.
Im all for people investing and making money but the amounts they are getting is obscene, how many Ferraris do you need before it’s enough?
Click to expand...

My old man the same mate, I see his comments on daily mail articles on Facebook and makes me feel sad and angry - typical Brexit, Tory , anti trans/gays and doesn’t care one jot about any of the real issues hitting everyday people.
Retired and minted
 
Blue Maverick said:
Cheeky bastards are now doing once again the bidding of their paymasters, originally that £400 was been given direct to people, now there has been a rallying cry for people to either stop paying their direct debits and pay what they use or stop paying altogether, now that money will come directly off your DD, so if you do stop or protest you won’t get it, bravo scumbags brave.
Click to expand...
It was ALWAYS going to the utility company if you paid by direct debit.
 
Uncle Wally One Ball said:
Privatisation of utilities made lots of pensioners who put their lump sums into shares very rich in the late 80s and 90s. We are in different times now and their grandchildren can't afford the bills. You can debate capitalism v socialism until blue in the face, but some things are more important. Basic utilities should be nationalised and Thatcher should not have flogged them off. How we get back I don't know, probably never can.
Click to expand...
Egypt didn’t find it hard in 1956…
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top