Surely we must pay more taxes!?

Mollygo

Growstuff
My combined energy bills are higher than this time last year and we have used around the same amount. Bear in mind the effort we have put into keeping warm by other ways because of the long stretches of bitterly cold weather, meaning we could keep our heating at 18° as we did last year.

In terms of gas, we are using less because we use an air fryer to cook, which does mean that we have used more electricity, but not enough to account for the overall increase in fuel bills.

Well, you're being fleeced by a rogue operator. Unit prices have reduced! You must be using more fuel.

Compare the unit prices on your bills from this month and the same month last year.

PoliticsNerd

growstuff

Barleyfields

My energy bills are higher and my consumption has not increased.

Inflation is on the increase PoliticsNerd, interest rates are therefore unlikely to be cut again for some time, the increased NI contributions, cuts in business rates relief and increased minimum wage will shortly find their way into increased costs of food, other items and services, and are causing job losses. More money has to be found for defence. We may face high tariffs on exports to the US. I really don’t know what causes you to be ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the economy PoliticsNerd.

I'd change provider if I were you Barleyfields. I'm with OVO and unit prices have definitely gone down. Even with the increase in standing charges, I still pay less per unit for my fuel. You must have a rogue operator!

I've just been advised to reduce mind by over 20%.

I'm with Octopus, if that helps.

Sorry, I don't understand. What have you been advised to reduce?

I see.

I’m paying 5.12 for gas and 22.26 for electricity with Octopus. I was with Ovo until last autumn. Prices to fix were around the same from both suppliers but Ovo had conditions attached to their fixes and Octopus don’t (no exit fees for a start) … plus someone offered me a £50 Refer-a-Friend credit.

A year before that, I was paying 7.02 for and 29.25 for electricity. Standing charges have increased but only by around £1.50 a month.

growstuff

Getting money to circulate more would result in more taxes being paid. That won't happen if a relatively small group of people hoard money they don't really need.

Define they dont really need? If someone gets a family inheritance, why should this be taken off them?

growstuff hoarding? I disagree, I call it saving for retirement or a so called rainy day, we never know what is round the corner.

BevSec

growstuff

Getting money to circulate more would result in more taxes being paid. That won't happen if a relatively small group of people hoard money they don't really need.

Define they dont really need? If someone gets a family inheritance, why should this be taken off them?

Surely it should be personal choice what people do with their inheritance.

BevSec

growstuff

Getting money to circulate more would result in more taxes being paid. That won't happen if a relatively small group of people hoard money they don't really need.

Define they dont really need? If someone gets a family inheritance, why should this be taken off them?

Did I mention inheritances? (Strange post.)

Silverbrooks

I see.

I’m paying 5.12 for gas and 22.26 for electricity with Octopus. I was with Ovo until last autumn. Prices to fix were around the same from both suppliers but Ovo had conditions attached to their fixes and Octopus don’t (no exit fees for a start) … plus someone offered me a £50 Refer-a-Friend credit.

A year before that, I was paying 7.02 for and 29.25 for electricity. Standing charges have increased but only by around £1.50 a month.

So you're paying less this year than you did last year too. Phew! I thought I was the only one and was beginning to wonder why I had been selected to pay less.

As I wrote, I didn't want to fix because I didn't want to commit long-term because I'm moving soon and won't have a fuel bill in my own name.

GrannyGravy13

growstuff hoarding? I disagree, I call it saving for retirement or a so called rainy day, we never know what is round the corner.

Gggrrrr! Good for you! I was describing the most efficient use of money for a whole society on a macro scale.

(But I guess some people don't care about the big picture.)

growstuff

GrannyGravy13

growstuff hoarding? I disagree, I call it saving for retirement or a so called rainy day, we never know what is round the corner.

Gggrrrr! Good for you! I was describing the most efficient use of money for a whole society on a macro scale.

(But I guess some people don't care about the big picture.)

Are you saying that you are against people saving?

If nobody had a rainy day fund how many more do you think would be reliant on the state for their needs in later life?

I am sorry but I really do not understand the mindset of

some people cannot afford to save, so no one should be allowed to save

“David49, MaizieD, You really do have very cliched ideas about what better off people may or may not do, whether the silly stuff about them all being opposed to paying more tax or how they spend their time. You need to get out more and not just believe what you read in the papers.”

LOL. I don’t actually read newspapers (they are to depressing) my ideas are my own. I do know there are a great many older people with a lot of money squirreled away, also a lot of retired business owners the same.

If we are to maintain, pensions, benefits, services, those that have plenty either have got to be taxed more, or have those benefits etc, reduced or removed. How can anyone defend using public spending to subsidize those that already have enough

"Hoarding" was mentioned. I've never earned enough to hoard, but I have from inheritances.

I very much agree with Silverbrooks comment on page 2 23:52:51 about having an HM tax collection service fit for purpose, especially the high end experts needed to catch the really "big fishes". I'm wondering how much we are losing out on because of this.

We cannot pay for extra defence by taking it out of welfare. those with more will have to pay out more.

If we are to maintain, pensions, benefits, services, those that have plenty either have got to be taxed more, or have those benefits etc, reduced or removed. How can anyone defend using public spending to subsidize those that already have enough

I have no problems with your argument just with your cliched representation of better off pensioners^

Older people have quite enough trouble fighting off the ageist lazy stereotypes of what we are and hpw we live. To find people in the older age group accepting them as well is really depressing.

Well, you're being fleeced by a rogue operator. Unit prices have reduced! You must be using more fuel.

If you say so growstuff I’m sure you believe you know better than the bills/statements I have in front of me. Do carry on.

If ‘a great many older people’ didn’t ‘have a lot of money squirrelled away’ David, who would pay for their care? If they had spent it all, they would be reliant on the state. Saving is a good thing. It isn’t ‘hoarding’.

GG13
I am sorry but I really do not understand the mindset of

some people cannot afford to save, so no one should be allowed to save

👏👏👏

👏👏👏 from me too.

Saving is a good thing
It gives people options. And security.

Mollygo

GG13
I am sorry but I really do not understand the mindset of

some people cannot afford to save, so no one should be allowed to save

👏👏👏

Who the heck said that?

(Or even thinks it?)

Mollygo

^Well, you're being fleeced by a rogue operator. Unit prices have reduced! You must be using more fuel.^

If you say so growstuff I’m sure you believe you know better than the bills/statements I have in front of me. Do carry on.

Try Specsavers! I assume you've checked your unit costs.

Starmer has just announced on PMQ that the additional funding to take the defence budget to 2.5% of GDP will be taken from the overseas development budget. For the time being anyway, until more than 2.5% is required as is predicted, that seems to me a satisfactory solution. Doubtless others will disagree, but we must put our country’s needs first.

Barleyfields

Starmer has just announced on PMQ that the additional funding to take the defence budget to 2.5% of GDP will be taken from the overseas development budget. For the time being anyway, until more than 2.5% is required as is predicted, that seems to me a satisfactory solution. Doubtless others will disagree, but we must put our country’s needs first.

I was just about to post the same. Good for him!

escaped

^Saving is a good thing^
It gives people options. And security.

Of course.

Not hoarding. Saving for care, rainy day, health needs.