Don’t Pay ……….. Will you be signing up? I’m in!

So we’re damned if we do and we’re damned if we don’t

There’s an article on the BBC today telling of the possible consequences of not paying your energy bill.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62435432

In today's Sunday Times on this issue, solicitors are warning that a refusal to pay could result in energy suppliers getting court orders to fit pre paid meters to the homes of those who fail to pay their bills.

We all know that energy supplied via pre paid meters is more expensive.

It's true the government made some provision to help with energy costs but now household bills are threatened to rise to about £4,000 a year they need to do a lot more. Liz Truss won't as she is against 'handouts' so she might even reverse the arrangements already promised by Rishi Sunak when he was Chancellor. Her idea of cutting taxes will be of no help to the working poor who don't earn enough to pay tax and cutting National Insurance won't help pensioners who don't pay NI. Labour should nationalize the energy companies and especially the water companies which are cash cow monopolies. The Tories don't care about us ordinary folk, only their rich friends. Look at all the money wasted by Johnson on inadequate PPE equipment and that lost through massive fraud on pandemic supplies.

The head of energy regulator Ofgem has said that people should not join campaigns for an energy bill strike.
He was interviewed on Radio 4 today. Said exactly what we've been saying, it will drive up costs for everyone and will impact you personally.
Interview with Ofgem

The companies with Tory collusion will simply add a supplement to everyone's future bills to cover non-payers to keep up their profits. We need to nationalize energy and water as soon as possible.

Sago

Not exactly a bunch of revolutionaries are we?

Well in 6 months time no moaning about fuel bills then.

We will still have every right to make our opinions clear Sago. Why do you think that is up to you to decide?

I think you will find that the very people who need this whole debacle sorted out very quickly are the ones who will not feel able to join you. Being taken to court could be one low-income anxiety too far for them. But let's not worry about their feelings. We know what's best for them after all, don't we

Baggytrazzas

Sago

Not exactly a bunch of revolutionaries are we?

Well in 6 months time no moaning about fuel bills then.

Sago, the idea is seriously flawed, on several counts, as can be seen from what has been posted here.

We can all make our own minds up but any plan encouraging people to go into arrears for something they must pay for at some point isn't very wise.

Its also not brilliant to be signing petitions unless you are prepared to follow through on your " promise".

This plan will do nothing to reduce fuel bills either now or at any point in the future but could realistically result in causing them to be even higher than they need to be.

If you want to be revolutionary push for energy to become once again publicly owned and the company to be non-profit making.

Baggytrazzas

Hi JaneJudge, because DDs are almost admin-free, costing very little to process after set up, anything else will need lots more admin staff to process payments, or even part dd and part cash payments, and so this will increase the costs to the supplier, who will inevitably charge us more.

We could add to that the fact that it evens out the cash-flow for the company too Baggytrazzas. It also leads to fewer customers going into debt.

Anyone who imagines having more admin staff will somehow cost the energy companies money is seriously under a misapprehension. Any costs will be paid by the consumer. They always are.

I agree we all have a choice. I was thinking about continuing my DD but only to cover a bit more that it has been previously, and paying the rest based upon my useage, manually. But I know that this will then cause more admin for the supplier and so on, and would rather not contribute to increasing the charges where this is unnecessary.

Hi JaneJudge, because DDs are almost admin-free, costing very little to process after set up, anything else will need lots more admin staff to process payments, or even part dd and part cash payments, and so this will increase the costs to the supplier, who will inevitably charge us more.

Do you know what, you might be right On the itv news it said the move was 'just' to cancel direct debits but I've googled and it says to cancel direct debits with a move towards not paying if the increases continue.

I am interested why people stopping their direct debits will put energy companies in crisis though. Surely we all have a choice how we pay? and it isn't going to help the poor buggers with pre payment meters at the highest rates anyway, is it?

JaneJudge

By the way, the suggestion was to cancel your direct debit NOT to not pay your bill. I'm not sure in what country we live in now where cancelling your direct debit is seen as a bad thing to do or seen as not paying your bill. We do have choices (if we can afford to pay quarterly)

It would be more acceptable if that was what the Don't Pay group says. To find out, you go to "don'tpay.uk". That sounds like not paying to me.

Then you can read their plan:

The Plan:
It's simple: we are demanding a reduction of energy bills to an affordable level. Our leverage is that we will gather a million people to pledge not to pay if the government goes ahead with another massive hike on October 1st.

Mass non-payment is not a new idea, it happened in the UK in the late 80s and 90s, when more than 17 million people refused to pay the Poll Tax – helping bring down the government and reversing its harshest measures.

Even if a fraction of those of us who are paying by direct debit stop our payments, it will be enough to put energy companies in serious trouble, and they know this. We want to bring them to the table and force them to end this crisis.

Where, in the plan, is even tacit suggestion that payment will be made, just not by direct debit?

Yes, its each persons choice, but in the majority of cases cancelling the DD will result in higher charges being made unnecessarily, either immediately if part of the current agreement, or soon after if the supplier incurs high volumes of additional admin costs.

JaneJudge Alleluia!

Cannot see how not paying for fuel, and the consequences of legal action, bailiffs at the door is an answer.

By the way, the suggestion was to cancel your direct debit NOT to not pay your bill. I'm not sure in what country we live in now where cancelling your direct debit is seen as a bad thing to do or seen as not paying your bill. We do have choices (if we can afford to pay quarterly)

I wouldn’t dream of not paying for the utilities I have used.
We pay the exact amount of our bills each month, not a fixed DD and will continue do so.

This stupidity can only result in higher bills all round in the long term as the energy companies will need to pursue all of their debtors.

Thanks, Zoejory.

This plan will do nothing to reduce fuel bills either now or at any point in the future but could realistically result in causing them to be even higher than they need to be.

Exactly this Baggytrazzas. I've just been chatting to a relative who works for BG, ( Boo Hiss) and he's said this is liable to happen if enough people stop their DDs.

Sago

Not exactly a bunch of revolutionaries are we?

Well in 6 months time no moaning about fuel bills then.

Sago, the idea is seriously flawed, on several counts, as can be seen from what has been posted here.

We can all make our own minds up but any plan encouraging people to go into arrears for something they must pay for at some point isn't very wise.

Its also not brilliant to be signing petitions unless you are prepared to follow through on your " promise".

This plan will do nothing to reduce fuel bills either now or at any point in the future but could realistically result in causing them to be even higher than they need to be.

no, I suggest that is what we all do, especially if we live near there. If not, all people on universal credit should walk there barefoot to keep warm and well exercised as being out of the house means they wont be watching those huge televisions and will not need their entertainment packages. It will be revolutionary and they might find that pretty lady's phone

Wrong thread JJ?

They throw their mobile phones into the North Sea