AIBU TO WONDER HOW IN GOD'S NAME PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE INRESE IN ENERGY PRICES

[Diamondsareforever123]

OK this obviously won't affect those who are lucky enough to have money - but - how are those on low incomes/benefit, poor pensioners, etc. ever going to possibly be able to afford the energy price increases? Also the increases will have a knock-on price increase effect on everything we buy - food, clothes ...... I am concerned.

@MrsToothyBitch

This really scares me. Our rare has already gone up by about £60 and my two year deal from Octopus ends soon.

DP has just been called back to the office, meaning he will be away 3 days a week. I hate it but at least for now the impact it'll have on the bills is a plus. I'm borrowing some of the tips mentioned above and there are things I can cut back on.

It's not these things I really mind, as dreary as they are. It's the big things it'll cripple that make me angry. We're trying to save for a wedding. Not a big, expensive one but a few things we would like to have. We're trying to do my flat up- again, nothing huge or expensive but it still costs. Obviously bills come first, but I've waited and wanted both for so long, I really begrudge the extra money going in the energy company pockets when it could do so much for us or help us in savings alongside saving up for stuff. Most of all, by guzzling up any extra, it puts back babies. If we're being bled dry, it just can't happen. That's the one that breaks me.

You have hit the nail on the head. It is obvious the government don’t want these rises either . It will affect everyone including small businesses who are some of the countries biggest employers. Rents will go up . People who can even afford the rises will divert the funds from elsewhere . Hospitals will have to pay more . Schools will have to pay more .

I am sure if we were still not in the middle of a pandemic and paying for that as well then there would be more help .

But this is not just the UK .

Other poster said the French are going to have a price increase of about £64 per month equivalent ? About the same as here ?

So someone is not telling the truth ?

Yes, it was that other poster who wasn't telling the truth - or more likely hadn't actually read the article they'd linked to. They do it all the time.

I'll just leave this here....

www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/boris-johnson-michael-gove-brexit-gas-bills-291199/?amp

If anyone wants to sign this petition, please do

r.ippl.es/energy-prices/

I think the plan is to make everyone very insecure so they are much easier to control. The Government want a compliant population who can have everything taken away from them easily if they don't behave. That's also why they want to introduce a digital currency which can be set to block payments for things the Government doesn't approve of. It's a way of controlling and directing behaviour. If you are dependent on benefits or help from the Government they can make sure you do what they want or they can stop your benefits. It's all quite scary and totalitarian.

@SirChenjins

I’d use less than half a bowl

You’d use half a bowlful of water to wash the dishes and cooking pots & pans from the family meal? I don’t believe you - any more than I believe in the MN chicken.

Soap up everything with a trickle of cold, rinse starting with glasses, plug in when the water runs hot, only ever gets to half full.

@lonelyapple

I think the plan is to make everyone very insecure so they are much easier to control. The Government want a compliant population who can have everything taken away from them easily if they don't behave. That's also why they want to introduce a digital currency which can be set to block payments for things the Government doesn't approve of. It's a way of controlling and directing behaviour. If you are dependent on benefits or help from the Government they can make sure you do what they want or they can stop your benefits. It's all quite scary and totalitarian.

Do you mean the U.K. Government?

@PurpleThursdays

I can't believe the government would consider putting NI up at a time like this. Well I can cos it's the Tories but still. I can see more people becoming reliant on food banks than ever before. Disgraceful that one of the most developed countries in the world has people living in poverty. This government make me so fucking angry.

Yes, of all the things they could increase they put it on NI which is a tax on work. Seems completely counter-intuitive. They could have put it on tax which means wealthy landlords and rich pensioners pay it too or even just tax the rich a bit more. I think they always choose to do the opposite of what would be financially responsible and help the population the most. They are either financially illiterate, evil or both.

But this is not just the UK

EDF France have just increased their rates to just under £0.15/kWh (increase capped by the French government) compared to £0.2199/kWh for EDF UK (Merseyside region).

EDF UK are set to increase their rates by 54% from April 1 - so presumably £0.338646/kWh - or 125% higher than the French are paying.

Yes, of all the things they could increase they put it on NI which is a tax on work. Seems completely counter-intuitive. They could have put it on tax which means wealthy landlords and rich pensioners pay it too or even just tax the rich a bit more

Yes, it's almost as if they're avoiding taxing themselves, their mates and their traditional voters. Funny that isn't it?

Do you mean the U.K. Government?

Yes;

www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/06/21/bank-england-tells-ministers-intervene-digital-currency-programming/amp/

[quote notimagain]@Lolamento

Details please because the taxes in France are insane.

We’ve never found them “insane” so I’d appreciate a citation or further evidence to back up your claim.

Due to personal circumstances for many years we’ve paid tax (income tax, NI in the Uk and income/social charges in France) in both the Uk and France and certainly never found French income tax or social charges on income that high, especially when we had young children at home.[/quote]
www.companow.com/uk-vs-france-where-do-you-pay-the-most-taxes/

[quote lonelyapple]Do you mean the U.K. Government?

Yes;

www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/06/21/bank-england-tells-ministers-intervene-digital-currency-programming/amp/[/quote]
Thanks! YANBU I am really against into moving to digital currency only.

Details please because the taxes in France are insane.

Income taxes are higher, but there is so much more to taxation than income tax.

It would be interesting how much tax a average person page in a year UK Vs France including all other taxes.

I'm not saying one pays more than other, would be interested to find out.

Interesting comparison of how different European countries are helping their populations deal with the energy price rises;

www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jan/31/as-uk-households-feel-pressure-how-are-other-european-countries-tackling-energy-crisis

@Lolamento

Thanks for the link..the conclusion is interesting.

I have a legitimate foot in both counties when it comes to income tax (oh the joys of two tax returns a year) and I guess was before retirement would have been regarded as a high earner..

The basic sums in that piece make some numeric sense but the article doesn’t mention the various offsets/allowances built into the French system that are available to most if not all individuals working in bog standard day to day jobs could claim to (legitimately) reduce their exposure to income tax….nothing fancy, just defined daily allowances in certain circumstances for commuting costs, buying food during the working day, that sort of thing.

Personally in our situation (small family) the French tax take was very much comparable with the UK, possibly lower…it certainly was.not “insane”.

HTH.

I’m not in the UK, can I just ask how many % electricity has risen..? It’s the same in my country, but I suspect not quite as much. Food prices has gone up a lot too, not to mention petrol.

We now have bill subsidies of up to £600 from December to February, it will help.

I'm extra-worried for the people of the UK right now because of Brexit. Yes it's true that gas/power is in short supply everywhere but additionally the UK has opted out of the EU mandates on poverty levels and social exclusion.

If things got really bad there would be EU funding available for a national action plan, even though the dangerous UK government are pissing all your money up the wall.

And the poor old NHS is crumbling too fast to handle the poverty-related illnesses that are surely coming up.

It's just not ok, and if there is any kind of EU summit I'll happily nag my reps to help. Brexit aside, you're our neighbours.

@Idontliketuesdays

I’m not in the UK, can I just ask how many % electricity has risen..? It’s the same in my country, but I suspect not quite as much. Food prices has gone up a lot too, not to mention petrol.

It's hard to say exactly how much prices have risen because there were hundreds, if not thousands, of different tariffs.

Personally my electricity tariff has risen by 40% already in the last year and gas has risen 62%. Most of us have a further 54% increase coming in April. So for me that'll be a 115% increase in electricity prices and 150% increase in gas, since September.

As I’ve said before,,,,, what if everyone said , sorry can’t pay this, what do you think would happen? Be very interesting

Ok, thanks @FatFredsFriedEgg It does sound like an horrific increase.

@mogsrus

As I’ve said before,,,,, what if everyone said , sorry can’t pay this, what do you think would happen? Be very interesting

At least in prison there'll be food and heat.*

• You laugh or you cry.

@mogsrus

As I’ve said before,,,,, what if everyone said , sorry can’t pay this, what do you think would happen? Be very interesting

I'd be game to do that en masse- hit them where it hurts.