Is it real or scaremongering?

[girlfrien]

Do you really think small businesses and pubs will shut down because of electricity prices?
Was on the news yesterday about Pubs?
Do you think it will really come to it?

To be brutally honest, OP, if you haven't picked up on the fact that this has already been happening for some time, I'm not sure any persuasion from people here will get through to you.

It's a shit show. The government will not help. Schools, hospitals etc will get into serious debt paying bills and be further punished by the government for being 'fiscally irresponsible.' Until, before long, everything will be both privatised and shit.

The poor will be expunged, as is wanted, and the middle will be the new poor.

The only way this changes is a change of government. Not a change of PM. A change of ruling party. A fundamental change in the philosophy(ies) that currently inform our policies.

It's not scaremongering I'm sorry to say.

Where would the money come from? Governments don’t have any money, they just have their income, which is taxation.* I don’t think that many people would like to pay more taxes so that someone else can keep going to the pub. The wretched ‘eat out to help out ‘ illustrated that, mainly the middle class being subsidised to eat out at taxpayers’ expense.
(* actually the British Government did have some money in the form of the gold reserves, but Gordon Brown sold them off at a ridiculously low price).

Some businesses have already closed as a result. With the first hit from all the quarantine closures then it seems unlikely that many small businesses will survive this next hit.

There seems to be a bottomless pit to pay for wars though?

It has already happened near me. A local chippy closed its doors.

I live in a major city, it’s all ready happening. Not a day goes by now without a social
media post about yet another restaurant / cafe closing.

I don’t think it’s scaremongering to think life is going to change in ways we possibly can’t currently quite imagine with far reaching consequences. Food prices rising further because shops have to keep fridges and freezers on. Houses and buildings damaged because of cold pipes and mould. Further pressure on the NHS because of exacerbated illness like asthma and other respiratory disease. Warm banks - vulnerable people huddled in buildings during flu season and possibly further Covid outbreaks. Freezing cold schools with higher prices for school meals.

Mental health issues already triggered by the pandemic, imagine the extra anxiety now.

This is far beyond cutting the odd takeaway or coffee, or wearing an extra jumper.

The only way this changes is a change of government. Not a change of PM. A change of ruling party. A fundamental change in the philosophy(ies) that currently inform our policies.

I agree. Since the majority of people will be adversely affected by all this latest stuff, I really don’t think the Tories will get in again next time.

We went to a relatively new ice cream shop the other day and I almost cried at how cheap our two ice creams were. I made constant wow that’s so cheap comments to try to put it in their head because there is no way they’re surviving if they continue like that and they’re so nice and the shop is so cute!!!

Absolutely not scaremongering. One of my best friends is a publican and has worked his fingers to the bone to get his pub to where it is. He just about survived the various lockdowns (he ended up selling off some personal possessions) and genuinely doesn't know where he'll find the money for these bills.

What about hospitals and schools too?
How would it be acceptable for a hospital to not be available.

Schools are worried I think :

www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4623297-schools-facing-catastrophic-winter

I think hospitals are as well.

They'll cut back what they can and go into debt.

Pubs and hospitality are in a bad place no price cap for them and covid wiped out reserves - so yes many will close.

A lot depends on what the next PM does or does not do - I find Lizz Truss more worrying on this topic but she is currently playing to a very tiny electorate so guess we'll find out soon.

It's not scaremongering. I own a small restaurant (seats about 70 people) and employ 12 people. Me and my partner also work there full time. If our electricity costs go up as much as predicted we will definitely have to close. No doubt about it.

Already happening in my town.

Ultimately yes- not necessarily because of their own bills but because those that can currently afford to go for a meal etc will
no longer be able to afford to. Luxuries will of course go before necessities and eating out is a luxury that a lot of households may have to give up.

My friend owns a chippy. This time last year her electricity bill was £230, this month it was £1300. That's before she has to factor in everything else she pays for that has shot up in price.

She's getting to a crossroads where people just won't pay enough to cover costs, never mind pay wages.

And you sound like a name calling bully!

If capitalism is survival of the fittest then how comes the Government has no problem bunging massive profit making companies subsidies and bailing them out??
Bail out banks
Prop up the very energy companies screwing us all over whilst still making ever more profit
Millions to their mates failing companies for useless PPE during covid ......

I could go on and on

But no money extra for hospitals, schools and failing small businesses??

Yeah capitalism isn't what we have in this country, we have cronyism and money grabbing from the people on a huge scale.

It's inevitable unfortunately.

What about hospitals and schools too?
How would it be acceptable for a hospital to not be available.

You can't compare hosptials and schools to pubs and restaurants op. It's obvious that the latter are struggling.

The only place I've eaten in recently that didn't appear very short staffed and struggling to give a good service was a Miller and Carter in Hereford. No idea why that one felt like it was doing ok. Everywhere else has had limited menus, increased waiting times, shorter hours and a whole list of staff vacancies on the door. Do you not eat out much?

It's a pretty logical conclusion.

People have less disposable cash for the luxuries like meals out, drinks in a pub etc.

Such businesses lose income.

Overheads of running a business rising at the same time as the turnover of that business drops...

That = business closed.

I am not sure what anyone could think was scaremongering about that. It's logical reality.

I was in a meeting the other day with a shopping centre and their electricity has gone from £145k per annum to £580k per annum.

The service charge they need to increase to the retailers has already made some shops say they can't pay it and will have to leave.

We are very lucky to be a high income household, who generally wouldn't consider ourselves to have money worries. However, my DH looked at the forecast for our energy bills yesterday and it's for them to double as a minimum. That will mean cutting back, and the likelihood is that we will need to cut back on going out for meals and drinks, and on 'nice to haves'. And I think this is where pubs and the hospitality sector will be doubly screwed...

Last year I was chatting with the landlord of my local (small village pub) and he was saying his energy bill was £700 pcm to run the pub (chillers, lighting etc) and this was before energy price caps were in the news.

Dread to think what he pays now, and he hasn't made a real profit for years, but it's his families home.

Plus add fewer customers due to people cutting back on going to the pub, for him it's very real I'd imagine.

I haven't seen any suggestion that hospitals will close due to rising energy costs.

Highly likely that small businesses will certainly close, though, unless they get A LOT of government assistance, and that has yet to be offered to them. You'd have to be very naive to think otherwise.