Gas & Electricity

[coolcity]

But its all relative isn't it? If they earn £85k they likely have a more expensive car and house to pay for, that doesn't mean that they can somehow afford a ridiculous increase in their utility bills

Nobody should have to reassess their finances in order to pay these bills, that's what they want us to do

Once we do that, and adapt to this new cost of living, those prices will NEVER come back down, and we will all be much worse off

Don't have a pop at someone, anyone, regardless of their salaries, just because they're showing frustration and worry about being much worse off than they used to be

It wasn't about having a pop at anybody, I was picking up on what somebody else pointed out about saying they would struggle if it got any worse. The point is there's a difference between struggling because you overspent and struggling because you can't afford the bills in the first place.

I totally agree, nobody should have to reassess to pay basic cost of living bills - I'm in exactly the same position. But if you're able to do so then it's not so much of a struggle as it would be for many that don't have that luxury.

 

[Octavian]

They are, but as we only import 3% of our gas from Russia, why are they using that as an excuse for the exponential price increases here? As Germany take a large percentage of their gas from Russia you could understand the price hikes there as they have to find alternative suppliers, but it doesn't explain why we're having to pay extortionate rates.

3 responses ago I talked about the ripple effect.

What do you think happens when Europe turns its back on Russia and wants to buy from Norway? Our prices go up too !

 

[bluethrunthru]

It wasn't about having a pop at anybody, I was picking up on what somebody else pointed out about saying they would struggle if it got any worse. The point is there's a difference between struggling because you overspent and struggling because you can't afford the bills in the first place.

I totally agree, nobody should have to reassess to pay basic cost of living bills - I'm in exactly the same position. But if you're able to do so then it's not so much of a struggle as it would be for many that don't have that luxury.

simple fact is if you are paying attention whilst the news is focussing on domestic bills great swathes of the High St and SME's are about to close - saw one on twitter today - a pub energy quote going from 6k a year to 62k a year - family run chip shops who had 4 outlets down to two and thats before they facing the next round of increases looking at giving up after 3 generations in operation and a large clothing retailer looking at all its outlets with a view to closing 25% of them not because they are running at a loss now but considering they will be by the end of September. Still Johnson has had a few nice holidays eh?

 

[coolcity]

simple fact is if you are paying attention whilst the news is focussing on domestic bills great swathes of the High St and SME's are about to close - saw one on twitter today - a pub energy quote going from 6k a year to 62k a year - family run chip shops who had 4 outlets down to two and thats before they facing the next round of increases looking at giving up after 3 generations in operation and a large clothing retailer looking at all its outlets with a view to closing 25% of them not because they are running at a loss now but considering they will be by the end of September. Still Johnson has had a few nice holidays eh?

I know. I run a small retail business and it's a double whammy for us; bills go up AND people have less to spend so income goes down. It's been much quieter since the first price hike a few months ago Couldn't have happened at a worse time for us either, as the wife, who's 67, was about to retire. So I know exactly how the guy feels and I don't disagree with what he was saying, but there's "struggling" and there's "struggling".

 

[coolcity]

3 responses ago I talked about the ripple effect.

What do you think happens when Europe turns its back on Russia and wants to buy from Norway? Our prices go up too !

Yes of course, but the point is we buy in much LESS of a percentage of our gas than most other EU countries, so as such it should not affect us as much. At the start of all this, those were the government's own words not mine.

 

[Blue Boy 63]

Been touring the Scottish Highlands last week so never bothered checking my Emails till this evening . Received a Email from British Gas on Wednesday . New tariff now £177 a month from £85 for dual fuel . That`s before the latest rise .

 

[bluethrunthru]

Been touring the Scottish Highlands last week so never bothered checking my Emails till this evening . Received a Email from British Gas on Wednesday . New tariff now £177 a month from £85 for dual fuel . That`s before the latest rise .

On the plus side you have now found a use for the £92 you had going spare every month eh?

 

[Blue Boy 63]

On the plus side you have now found a use for the £92 you had going spare every month eh?

Yeah . So very kind of BG to help me out like they have . I`m sure they`re be another Email winging my way way in the next week or two helping me out again .

 

[Blackley_Blue]

Doesn't sound like I'll be getting any help from Sunak if he gets in because me and my wife both work (not for great money). He's going down the low income households (that we always miss out on as we are usually just above the threshold) & pensioners route. That's the punishment you get for getting married, having kids and trying to better yourself.

It's ok though coz at least I'll know my sister-in-law down the road who sits on her arse all day, gets everything paid for her, drives about in her brand new car she gets coz one of her 4 kids is naughty and doesn't declare that her working partner lives with her, will be nice and warm & quids in... again....

Rant over!

 

[threespires]

simple fact is if you are paying attention whilst the news is focussing on domestic bills great swathes of the High St and SME's are about to close - saw one on twitter today - a pub energy quote going from 6k a year to 62k a year - family run chip shops who had 4 outlets down to two and thats before they facing the next round of increases looking at giving up after 3 generations in operation and a large clothing retailer looking at all its outlets with a view to closing 25% of them not because they are running at a loss now but considering they will be by the end of September. Still Johnson has had a few nice holidays eh?

My business isn't too energy dependent but the current climate is a struggle anyway so my heart goes out to those people running businesses like chip shops, pubs or any energy intensive production or service etc they must be absolutely distraught and at the end of their tether. Similarly I do the maths domestically and it doesn't add up and I think about the choices but they are nowhere near the nightmare choices so many people are already having to make daily as a result of the cost of living.

Martin Lewis hit the nail on the head when he said a responsible government wouldn't have allowed the recent announcements without clear plans for relief all ready to announce too. But the government don't give a toss about the vast majority of the population's mental health because they don't give a toss about the vast majority of the population full stop.

Hopefully this will be the tipping point where a sufficient number of people in the country realise the current government and conservative party represent a tiny minority of the population. They do do not care about the vast majority of us, we are not their real constituents. They don't want us to prosper, that's not what they work for. They are happy for you to exist to the extent it's necessary and If a proportion of us prosper for a period of time then they don't have a problem with that but it's a byproduct not an end goal.

There will be a proportion of the population who still think the likes of Boris Johnson represents them much more than the likes of Mick Lynch but unless your are a very high net worth individual I would suggest you are wrong.