To suggest something to do with your £400 from the government towards your fuel bill

[shufflestep]

If you happen to be in the lucky position (as we are) to not need the £400 from the government towards your fuel bills, and to think that the government has been totally immoral in the way they are handling the cost of living crisis, can I suggest that you donate the £400 to the fuel bank foundation? We heard about it via our local council on Facebook and they give grants to those struggling on prepayment meters. As a registered charity we were able to donate the £400 with gift aid, so more than the £400 we will be given will go to aid those who really need it.

Why can't people just quietly donate nowadays

. There's plenty of people out there who can afford ithe increase and don't feel they should be getting the £400 from the government . If they want to donate it good on them

Why can't people just quietly donate nowadays

People do, all the time, every single day. Why on earth do you think you don't?

they don't

What makes you think they don’t?
Why are you against things like the OP that signpost really helpful places for donations?
Was Live Aid quietly donating? Loud donations are actually brilliant, they make a lot of money for people in need. The more people who are aware of where needs donations the better.

Same here, direct debit to be taken then £66/67 paid to my bank account.

I'd love to donate to the fuel bank but my niece and her partner have just had their first baby. I know they're too proud to admit if they're struggling and would not approach a formal charity for help.

They'll be receiving my £400 and a couple of her uncles (my brothers) have said they're doing the same for the young 'uns - whether the young 'uns like it or not!

I think her partner's family will do similar.

For those with Octopus who are looking to help others, they have an option to donate on your monthly bill from £1 per month. Think it was for citizens advice and a fuel poverty charity.

I got an email saying gas will increase by £14 per week, electric by £9 per week. That’s approx £60 a month and then they’re going to refund me £66…. we are already struggling with all the bills and this doesn’t feel much like ‘help’

Good grief @SausagePourHomme

The OP has started a thread to let people know that fuel banks exist.
I didn't know that.
Reading the thread, many other posters didn't know that.
The OP wasn't bragging, she was pointing out a charity which is directly linked to a payment the Gvmnt have oddly decided to give to everyone - including all those people that don't need it - should they want to and, as clearly stated in her OP if people can afford to.

so they're on here to humblebrag about it? got it.

I don't think OP can win here - first you criticise them for raising awareness of a great way of better-off people helping the less-well-off without putting their money where their mouth is; then, when you realise that they have done that, it's bragging?!

There's loads of genuine humblebragging and virtue signalling on MN, but none at all to be found in the OP to this thread.

Do people realise they don't have to comment on every thread? For the majority of people-the OP is not aimed at you. But if you're lucky enough that the rising cost of living isn't having much of an impact, and can afford to donate, it's a suggestion.

I cannot understand why people go out of their way to comment when they have nothing useful to add.

We won't be getting the £400 anytime soon because we live in Northern Ireland. We have next to no cost of living support because we have no executive.

As PPs have pointed out- they do.

I donate a proportion of my wage every single month to a local charity. Have been doing so for coming on 6 years. I have never felt the need to mention this to anyone, because it’s something I do to help a cause I believe in. I don’t need applause.

OP was simply saying to those who don’t need the money that this could be a way to give back. She wasn’t saying to donate so everyone can brag about it?

How often do you donate to charity yearly, might I ask? Seeing as you’re so affronted by this thread, you must donate very frequently.

Make your donation, no need to publicise.

As for encouraging others to do so, the timing is very very poor. Often the people who give to charity are those who can least afford it. The pound is devalued, interest rates will be rising again, large fuel bills to come. People might be feeling a false sense of security because of this £400 payment that they can afford to donate it, when they should be holding on to it.

Its like buying all the drinks on payday, then realising a week later that there is a lot of month to get through before you get paid again.

Anyhow nothing new to add, we are repeating ourselves. I'm out.

That’s really kind of you. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it more than you’ll ever know.

My bill isn’t doubling, I’m on a fixed rate.
And I didn’t know there was a way to pass the subsidy on to a charity that pays for energy for people in need.

Bloody hell.

EDF is paying mine to me in monthly instalments.

Make your donation, no need to publicise

Literally posting this on a thread of people saying "I didn't know about this, now I can help, thanks OP."

ffs 🙄

Lolz at the idea of bragging being a thing on an anonymous forum.

There’s a lot of miserable fuckers on here tonight.

Good work OP, I wasn’t aware of fuel banks until now.

I donate my time.

@stilldumdedumming please don't donate what you can't afford - I say that as a fundraiser. Look after yourself first. That fiver will make more of a difference to you than to any charity.

Thank you - I thought I must be missing something!

I am lucky that I have a fix until 2024 so, all other things being equal, I feel a bit embarrassed because it makes the rebate seem a bit like free money. I like OP’s idea of giving to a related charity but equally don’t like the idea of giving the money back to the energy companies, who could probably give massive rebates themselves to prepayment customers with scarcely a dent in their profits. I’d rather give the money to a charity that pays for people to have free insulation or solar panels (on the “give a man a fish” principle) - I don’t know if anyone knows of something like that?

@SausagePourHomme not that effective a humblebrag when no one knows who you actually are? 🙄 But while we’re on the subject, what’s your reason for being on here?

For some, doubling isn't much extra. Ours will be £98 under the new price cap, so £50 extra a month compared with last winter. £400 is a third of my yearly bill. The increase is significant for me with a teen on one low income but might not be for a couple with two incomes in a similar house.

People aren’t going to be £400 better off though. Their bills just aren’t going to go up as much as they would have, but they’re still going to go up. People are still going to be worse off.

If someone isn’t already in a position to be donating money to charity, then that isn’t going to change.