Cost of living crisis.

[leicsmac]

Just now, enmac said:

I read Private Eye regularly. In nearly every issue, the amount of mismanagement and government subsidy(our money) the privatised rail companies, previously the nationalised British Rail, is discussed. Talk about mismanagement. 

Compare this with France's state owned Railway. They are clearly doing better. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_France

They've got the blend of public and private ownership of such things pretty right over here in Korea, too.

[Leicester_Loyal]

10 hours ago, enmac said:

I read Private Eye regularly. In nearly every issue, the amount of mismanagement and government subsidy(our money) the privatised rail companies, previously the nationalised British Rail, is discussed. Talk about mismanagement. 

Compare this with France's state owned Railway. They are clearly doing better. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_France

The other major European countries just do it better, we've got such an outdated railway system which is badly managed on a daily basis. If we could sort out the management of it, then I'd be all for publically owned companies, but we just seem to get it badly wrong, no-one is held to account and funds are siphoned off into peoples pockets.

[enmac]

I like to compare France with the UK because it's so close. Here's what their energy price rises will look like. Energy companies are 80% state owned. 

France

"France is limiting electricity price rises due to kick in next month to 4 per cent and will return €100 to almost six million lower-income families.

Meanwhile, the government there is forcing the mostly state-owned energy giant ÉDF – Électricité de France – to supply cheap nuclear-generated electricity to rivals, a move the company warns will cost it €8 billion this year.

Nuclear power generates about 70 per cent of French electricity needs, giving it some of Europe’s cheapest energy prices and allowing the country to export power to its neighbours.

France’s government also regulates gas prices. It claims that gas charges would have risen 45 per cent, instead of 12 per cent, if it had not stepped in."

From https://www.irishtimes.com/business/energy-and-resources/electricity-charges-what-are-other-countries-doing-to-ease-the-pain-1.4792963

[leicsmac]

6 minutes ago, enmac said:

I like to compare France with the UK because it's so close. Here's what their energy price rises will look like. Energy companies are 80% state owned. 

France

"France is limiting electricity price rises due to kick in next month to 4 per cent and will return €100 to almost six million lower-income families.

Meanwhile, the government there is forcing the mostly state-owned energy giant ÉDF – Électricité de France – to supply cheap nuclear-generated electricity to rivals, a move the company warns will cost it €8 billion this year.

Nuclear power generates about 70 per cent of French electricity needs, giving it some of Europe’s cheapest energy prices and allowing the country to export power to its neighbours.

France’s government also regulates gas prices. It claims that gas charges would have risen 45 per cent, instead of 12 per cent, if it had not stepped in."

From https://www.irishtimes.com/business/energy-and-resources/electricity-charges-what-are-other-countries-doing-to-ease-the-pain-1.4792963

And related to the above, around 70% of their power is produced by fission plants.

 

Edit: yep, that's in the article. Top bombing, Mac.

Edited 11 March 2022 by leicsmac

[chapero82]

2 hours ago, blabyboy said:

Is that on the Loyal Octopus tarrif? You _might_ be better off on the SVR, or it may better to take and protect yourself from the further increase in October 22. Octopus are currently ensuring they are £50 lower than the new price cap increases which is one of, if not the best of the providers at present.

Yeah that’s my loyalty for 12 months, I’m going to give them another call to see if they can help 

[Guest ttfn]

3 hours ago, Footballwipe said:

It's all so depressing. I feel marginally shielded from it just based on mine and the wife's jobs and current living/affordability situation, but the petrol prices make me wince and like everyone else the energy company made me put my DD up by double the original cost yesterday so I wouldn't get into debt on my account.

 

Horrific for people who can and will struggle even more. We're already discussing cutbacks in the house. Do we need a window cleaner? Do I need to drive/attend so many LCFC aways? Loads of stuff up in the air for us right now.

 

Being 32 I've never known anything like this. It's really daunting.

I would suggest that being 32 your entire adult life has been spent at this end of the financially constrained spectrum, it’s just even worse now than it has been before.

 

If you’re 32 you most likely entered the workforce in 2007-2011, basically either in the midst of the Great Financial Crisis or in its aftermath. We’ve been paying for that through austerity ever since. Then Brexit came along in 2016 and limited the economic recovery we’d been experiencing in 2014-2015, we finally looked ready to move on from that when Covid came in and now a supply-led inflation crisis.

 

Real wages have decreased over the last 10-15 years even before this latest blow. 

[blabyboy]

2 hours ago, ttfn said:

I would suggest that being 32 your entire adult life has been spent at this end of the financially constrained spectrum, it’s just even worse now than it has been before.

 

If you’re 32 you most likely entered the workforce in 2007-2011, basically either in the midst of the Great Financial Crisis or in its aftermath. We’ve been paying for that through austerity ever since. Then Brexit came along in 2016 and limited the economic recovery we’d been experiencing in 2014-2015, we finally looked ready to move on from that when Covid came in and now a supply-led inflation crisis.

 

Real wages have decreased over the last 10-15 years even before this latest blow. 

Oh for the want of a comma.  

[blabyboy]

4 hours ago, Fazzer 7 said:

I'm locked in til November @ 118 gas and electric. Could have locked in for 2 years at a £133. I wish I had 

IF you are able to, setup a DD payment for the difference from your next bill to another savings account or somewhere out of your main account. You will get used to paying the amount but have a bit of a war chest built up for when November comes which you can use. For example, might help with Christmas period or just after. Things will be a lot clearer in November as well as the October rise will also have been factored in.

 

You could also call them and ask if you can switch to the 2year fix, the rate won't be the same, but if you ask, you might get a decent(ish) rate.

 

If you don't buy a ticket...

 

[blabyboy]

3 hours ago, enmac said:

I like to compare France with the UK because it's so close. Here's what their energy price rises will look like. Energy companies are 80% state owned. 

France

"France is limiting electricity price rises due to kick in next month to 4 per cent and will return €100 to almost six million lower-income families.

Meanwhile, the government there is forcing the mostly state-owned energy giant ÉDF – Électricité de France – to supply cheap nuclear-generated electricity to rivals, a move the company warns will cost it €8 billion this year.

Nuclear power generates about 70 per cent of French electricity needs, giving it some of Europe’s cheapest energy prices and allowing the country to export power to its neighbours.

France’s government also regulates gas prices. It claims that gas charges would have risen 45 per cent, instead of 12 per cent, if it had not stepped in."

From https://www.irishtimes.com/business/energy-and-resources/electricity-charges-what-are-other-countries-doing-to-ease-the-pain-1.4792963

You pay a lot more in taxes in France... so it has two levers, first it can exercise it's Golden Share over the majority owned state producers. Secondly, it can direct received taxation to mitigate the increases.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/may/27/tax-britons-pay-europe-australia-us

Edited 11 March 2022 by blabyboy

[ajthefox]

13 hours ago, chapero82 said:

Octopus Energy have quoted me £277 per month  My payments at present are £126

Mines gone up from just over 1000 a year to more than double. Mental.

[Izzy]

We only use Electricity as no gas in the village. Four of us in an average 3 bed terrace on a 24/7 standard rate with E.ON after they took over from Igloo.

 

Just had an e-mail saying our new monthly DD based on historical usage will be £443.61 per month

 

That's just insane.  

[Zear0]

19 minutes ago, Izzy said:

We only use Electricity as no gas in the village. Four of us in an average 3 bed terrace on a 24/7 standard rate with E.ON after they took over from Igloo.

 

Just had an e-mail saying our new monthly DD based on historical usage will be £443.61 per month

 

That's just insane.  

Izzy Jr's PC doing some damage then? 

[Izzy]

2 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

Izzy Jr's PC doing some damage then? 

The little tw@t never remembers to turn it off and he's got LED lights and all sorts of shit going on. It's like a bloody disco in his room 

[tom27111]

1 hour ago, Izzy said:

The little tw@t never remembers to turn it off and he's got LED lights and all sorts of shit going on. It's like a bloody disco in his room 

My step-kids constantly go on about saving the planet, amazing really when you consider none of the shits know how to turn a light off, or are happy to leave a window wide open when it's minus 3 and the heating is on.

 

Turning in to my dad and using the classic "It's like bloody Blackpool Illuminations in here" 

[weller54]

3 months ago I bought 1,000 litres of heating oil for £680.

Got a quote today...£1400!!!!!

Just crazy!

[Strokes]

4 hours ago, weller54 said:

3 months ago I bought 1,000 litres of heating oil for £680.

Got a quote today...£1400!!!!!

Just crazy!

Go for the first quote if I were you 

[Livid]

Well I was a bit shall I shan’t I sign up to a fixed Energy tariff last year. I did in the end but I’m preparing for one hell of a shock when it ends in September.  

[Benguin]

Our fixed term gas and electric up from £70 pm to £190 pm. My fuel has gone up from £150pm to £200pm.

 

that alone is £170 pm more than last year. I am in a position where I can cut back on luxuries but there are people who are scraping by as it is.

 

scary stuff! 

[EnderbyFox]

Looking bleak this is, slid onto the variable plan today with OVO as the fixed plan they wanted me to sign up to was absolutely absurd. 

 

Heating is going off today and not back on until December I reckon 

 

 

Edit: Forgot about the £150 Rishi is giving me as a council tax rebate, we're all saved 

Edited 16 March 2022 by EnderbyFox

[Zear0]

5 minutes ago, EnderbyFox said:

Looking bleak this is, slid onto the variable plan today with OVO as the fixed plan they wanted me to sign up to was absolutely absurd. 

 

Heating is going off today and not back on until December I reckon 

Top man, no surrender until December.

[Heathrow fox]

China having it’s worst CV outbreaks for two years.Their zero Covid policy was one the reasons for the current inflation upsurge.This latest wave is only going to add fuel to the fire.

[Leicester_Loyal]

Base rate up by 0.25%, to 0.75%.

 

I can't imagine how much worse this is going to get, we're only at the beginning. Anyone trying to take out a new mortgage, with all the new taxes and higher food and energy costs is going to be absolutely canned.

[Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot]

Imagine we could tax the 100 richest people in the world properly and all of this would be so much more manageable but for some reason that's an outrageous thing to say? Don't get it. 

[Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot]

Imagine we could tax the 100 richest people in the world properly and all of this would be so much more manageable but for some reason that's an outrageous thing to say? Don't get it. 

[Benguin]

5 minutes ago, Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot said:

Imagine we could tax the 100 richest people in the world properly and all of this would be so much more manageable but for some reason that's an outrageous thing to say? Don't get it. 

What does properly mean? 50%, 70%, 90%?

 

If it’s 90, the top 100 earners gives you about 250billion a year or £32 a year per person. 
 

you need to tax the top 10% of earners in the world to properly address the global crises, which would include most people on here (net worth of 95k plus) 

 

I don’t think people want that, so there needs to be globalist solutions rather than the age old “tax the rich”