Huge rise on Energy bills

I agree, the worry is that this government is out of touch with reality. He should have targeted the poorly off instead of a one size fits all. Wholly inadequate, no imagination and thoroughly out of step. Low income households have enough to worry about.

Jane I don’t fully agree why do only people on pension credit get thought about There are many of us who have tried to be careful throughout our lives put a bit away for our old age and don’t qualify although we don’t have a very big annual income
It’s those that are just above pension credit that are going to suffer

Jane43 yes, I would be happy to dispense with the winter fuel allowance as well.

The other thing I noted, reading the front pages of the newspapers on BBC online, the comment on the the headlines, discussing the fuel news is illustrated by a oicture of someone with their hand on a thermostat, which is set at 25 degrees!

Time and time again I read of people with thermostats set at well over 20 degrees and having the heating on 24/7. I know there are times when people are old frail and/or ill when this may be necessary, but I have gone through 50 years of house ownership with the thermostat set between 18-19 degrees, coming on for 4 hours in the morning and 6 hours in the evening and found that more than adequate. In winter we wear an extra layer.

For those on really low incomes, I doubt whether they are lavish with heating and they do need help, but many households could ameliorate some of the extra cost by just turning the thermostat down to under 20 degrees, having the heating on twice a day, more than sufficient in most half-decently insulated houses, shutting the curtains at night and putting on an extra layer.

CvD66

In France the leading energy provider, EDF, is state owned. The government has committed to selling electricity below market prices and are holding prices to consumers down at a cost to the public purse of 20bn€ (remember £12.1bn lost by UK government due to covid fraud and PPE waste!). In addition in France, 38m families have been given (not loaned as in UK) 100€ with a further 100€ to low income families. Contrary to what Gove and Johnson stated during the referendum, individual EU companies CAN introduce their own policies. So Spain has reduced VAT on home heating - a claim made by Johnson but not followed through! There are also Brussels endorsed policy options to keep consumer prices under control. But the UK of course has Brexit!

EDF provide energy in the U.K., they haven’t capped the price here as far as I know.

So £150 off Council tax and a loan to be recovered over 5 years.

Does this mean that our local authorities will receive £150 less per household in bands A-D? Will they then be forced to cut local services further and increase the council tax? If so, they will be blamed for mismanagement of their funds by the government!

IMO, this government will be playing the blame shifting game yet again! Meanwhile many of us will be on or below the breadline and unable to heat our homes.

M0nica

Being in the fortunate position of being able to pay the higher fuel bills without too much problem. I do not want the £200. I would rather it went to someone on a low income as a grant not a loan.

Why didn't the governmeny just raise the level of pension credit and increase Universal Credit and in work benefits to make sure the money available was targeted at those who needed it most?

Agreed Monica and why not stop giving the winter fuel allowance to all pensioners? The money should go to low income families and those on pension credit.

Gwyneth

I didn’t realise the £200 was a loan. If this is so can you refuse it? I only ask because if gas/electric costs are going to increase even further I wouldn’t want the cost of the loan on top of what I already pay...if that makes sense?

Apparently you can’t opt out of it. It’s a ridiculous idea.

Callistemon21

^And yet (bracing myself) is it time to respect energy more?^

Kali2 there was an older person on the news this evening who said she is worried about turning on her electric fire because of the cost.
However, I noticed that although she was wearing a long-sleeved top, she had no cardigan on. It was a thin one, the kind I'd wear come April if the weather is warmer, perhaps with a gilet.

Do you know what she was wearing under her jumper?

I can remember hot water bottles, going to bed in thick tights and the ice on the inside of the bedroom windows as well. In winter we were all huddled around a coal fire. I used to do my homework sitting in bed with my coat on in an uheated bedrooml. I have no heating in the bedrooms and only heat the living room as it is. I have arthritis so cant allow the temperature to drop too much. But there are days when I have sat at the computer in a thick furry ponsho with tights underneath trousers.

Young people today walk around in shorts and thin strappy tops and need the house heared like the tropics.

Auntieflo

*Gwyneth*, somebody on the Martin Lewis programme, raised that point. Rishi Sunak said that everybody is to receive the £200.00, whether they want it or not. Evidently too much hassle to deal with individuals.

Lent £200 though. Not given.

And yet (bracing myself) is it time to respect energy more?

Kali2 there was an older person on the news this evening who said she is worried about turning on her electric fire because of the cost.
However, I noticed that although she was wearing a long-sleeved top, she had no cardigan on. It was a thin one, the kind I'd wear come April if the weather is warmer, perhaps with a gilet.

I agree MOnica, the records are there; those on pension credit or universal credit should get an additional amount. It worries me just how out of touch our government is that they think £150 off a council tax bill or freezing the tv licence is "helping hard working families", those same families who will be paying an additional 10% in NIC from April.

Gwyneth, somebody on the Martin Lewis programme, raised that point. Rishi Sunak said that everybody is to receive the £200.00, whether they want it or not. Evidently too much hassle to deal with individuals.

Why didn't the government just raise the level of pension credit and increase Universal Credit and in work benefits to make sure the money available was targeted at those who needed it most?

Absolutely. The whole mishmash of loans and cuts to Council Tax is ill thought out, and is going to be a nightmare to administer, not least for the already overstretched local authorities who are going to have to do so much of the work. Just share what’s available amongst the people who really need it, for goodness’ sake!

I am in the lucky position of being able to pay these higher bills, but for many this will be appalling news. I feel so sorry for people who work their tripe out in roles that are important to society but are running and running to try and keep up with ever-increasing bills. What a mess this is.

Whitewave I was extremely pleased to read today that the MPs have awarded themselves £2K-why such a small amount? I appreciate it must be a struggle living on £81K a year and it was decided the triple lock was far too much money to give to us.

Seriously Gwyneth- I agree, I do not want their £200 loan but I will accept graciously £150 deducted from my council tax. Living on my own does that mean that 25% will be deducted?

Being in the fortunate position of being able to pay the higher fuel bills without too much problem. I do not want the £200. I would rather it went to someone on a low income as a grant not a loan.

Why didn't the governmeny just raise the level of pension credit and increase Universal Credit and in work benefits to make sure the money available was targeted at those who needed it most?

I remember those days too Kali2 and I agree it’s worrying that all these price increases are ‘hitting* at the same time.

It is really worrying- what with other price rises happening at same time.

And yet (bracing myself) is it time to respect energy more?

We all grew up wearing vests and jumpers, scarves, warm pyjamas and often with a vest on, and even a jumper on top. Perhaps some people, and yes I am thinking more of young people who have never had to think about it - need to get used not to live without socks, in shorts and t-shirt all winter.

I remember the ice on the inside of the windows, and taking a hot water bottle to bed, and often wearing socks. Checked the heat in our bedroom yesterday and it was 14C- but we have a warm duvet and extra blanket, and I hve ma hot barley bag (microwavable).

Thank goodness we haven't had such a bad winter----so far.

What an unholy mess !

I didn’t realise the £200 was a loan. If this is so can you refuse it? I only ask because if gas/electric costs are going to increase even further I wouldn’t want the cost of the loan on top of what I already pay...if that makes sense?

Just said on Martin Lewis that anyone not currently paying energy bills or getting the £200 loan will still have to pay £40 a year extra if they then start having to pay for energy eg if they are currently living at home with parents but then move into their own place.

Shell has cashed in on rocketing oil and gas markets by quadrupling its profits to historic highs, fuelling fresh calls for a windfall tax on fossil fuel giants to help hard-pressed households cope with record energy bills.

The oil company reported better than expected profits of $6.4bn (£4.7bn) in the final quarter of last year compared with earnings of $393m a year earlier, driven by a surge in oil and gas prices.

Shell’s profits for 2021 overall rose to $19.3bn compared with $4.85bn the year before, in part due to strong earnings from shipping liquified natural gas (LNG) on the international market amid a global squeeze on gas supplies.

Tight gas supplies have caused gas and electricity markets across major economies to reach record highs since middle of last year as demand for commodities rebounded following the economic slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

www.theguardian.com/business/2022/feb/03/surging-energy-prices-fuel-shells-highest-quarterly-profits-in-eight-years

If people are struggling to pay their bills now, how on earth are they going to afford them plus £40 once the price rise takes effect.

So glad Sunak stopped the triple lock? that will really help.