Frightening power bills

I see no reason to reinstate the triple lock. For too long it has advantaged the elderly over younger people.

With all things we should look at where the problem is and produce a solution where the problem is.

Many older people have retired with occupational pensions and are comfortably off, and, with no mortgages, often better off than their children.

There are also a lot of pensioners subsisting on state pension alone and living in energy inefficient and uninsulated houses that they cannot afford to update.

Concentrate the help that is available on those who really need it. Increase the Pension Credit levels. This helps the very poorest and the raised PC level also helps all those who are just above the current level as well

The Tory backbenchers are thinking of their votes.

Spot on M0nica
I personally know several very, very well off pensioners.
There are more than people realise, but of course the opposite also applies.
Get the help to where it is needed.
It cannot be above the means of doing this to the bods in Whitehall.

www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-press/articles/2021/number-of-pensioners-living-in-poverty-tops-two-million/

The U.K. pension has long been regarded as insufficient. It was hoped that the triple lock would go some way to mitigate this. Reducing its impact will have very adverse effects on the pensioner in poverty.

WWM2 Not necessarily, if it is accompanied by an increase in the Pension Credit level.

Pension rises should be tied to the average rise in working wages. There may be times, when for exceptional reasons older people need more than that, but that should be justified on a case by case basis.

M0nica

Daftbag Why not buy an electric blanket? They are cheap to buy and can keep you very cosy at night.

Have you spoken to someone like Age UK to find out what else you can do and what else you may qualify for?

I had old storage heaters in my last rental.....the cost for electricity use outside of the economy 7 times was astronomical even 3 years ago,, i dread to think what the current tenant is having to fork out mow just to be able to boil a kettle in the daytime., let alone anything else

I well appreciate the problems with rental accommodation, but many of the schemes to help with insulation etc are available to tenants as well as homeowners. It is also possible to shop around for a better deal on electricity from a different supplier

There are also many schemes from a variety of sources that can be accessed if people only knew about them. This why I always suggest people contact Age UK.

The U.K. pension has long been regarded as insufficient. It was hoped that the triple lock would go some way to mitigate this. Reducing its impact will have very adverse effects on the pensioner in poverty

The pensioners who are really disadvantaged are those who were thrifty enough to save in a modest occupational pension scheme which ensures that their income is just above the pension credit level. Those on pension credit get all kinds of subs and handouts free prescriptions, destistry, glasses etc. However those on modest occupational pensions have to pay through the nose. This can leave them in real terms financially worse off than someone who never saved and who pissed away their money on fags and booze.

It is also peope on these very modest pensions who will be hardest hit by the insane tax and fuel rises.

British born people having to choose between heating and eating. In the meantime illegals (aka asylum seekers) can rock up at Dover and doss in nice warm four star hotels c/o the tax payer.

Something very wrong here.

biglouis I take it from your last comment that you have never actually seen the conditions that those tragic asylum seekers are living in. Those hostels (not hotels) are well below even basic living standards. Often something like one loo shared between dozens of people/families. No facilities for cooking, cold, damp and horrible.

This is so biased and so similar to those stupid comments we used to hear that pensioners would be better off in prisons. Not for me and anyone I know. Locked in a tiny cell with two or even three other people for 23 hours each day. No proper washing facilities, the most basic of toilet facilities. Horrible, horrible.

This is an old trick to get people who are struggling, for whatever reason to turn on and blame others who are also in dire straights, instead of looking where the real blame is. Our miilionaire/billionaire government ministers are so happy when we look at our next door neighbours to blame for our dreadful living conditions, and not at them.

Of course, we could always push those dingies with those asylum seekers back out into the sea and be happy when we watch men, women, children and babies drown!!!

Where on earth do you get the idea that anyone on pension credit, etc are so because they 'pissed all their money away on fags and booze'??? I am on PC - because for twenty years I was a carer for my husband with MS, and also was a foster parent, receiving just expenses for those children I looked after, no pay. Therefore, I am well short of the NI payments meaning I have to have the top up of PC to bring me closer to basic state pension. Due to this get a very tiny amount of financial assistance for eye tests, but still have to pay in full for spectacles, etc.

In 2017, the Conservatives cut the UK's gas reserves.
Result:
UK has nine terawatt hours of stored gas reserves
Italy 168
Germany 151
France 117

Franbern

biglouis I take it from your last comment that you have never actually seen the conditions that those tragic asylum seekers are living in. Those hostels (not hotels) are well below even basic living standards. Often something like one loo shared between dozens of people/families. No facilities for cooking, cold, damp and horrible.

This is so biased and so similar to those stupid comments we used to hear that pensioners would be better off in prisons. Not for me and anyone I know. Locked in a tiny cell with two or even three other people for 23 hours each day. No proper washing facilities, the most basic of toilet facilities. Horrible, horrible.

This is an old trick to get people who are struggling, for whatever reason to turn on and blame others who are also in dire straights, instead of looking where the real blame is. Our miilionaire/billionaire government ministers are so happy when we look at our next door neighbours to blame for our dreadful living conditions, and not at them.

Of course, we could always push those dingies with those asylum seekers back out into the sea and be happy when we watch men, women, children and babies drown!!!

Where on earth do you get the idea that anyone on pension credit, etc are so because they 'pissed all their money away on fags and booze'??? I am on PC - because for twenty years I was a carer for my husband with MS, and also was a foster parent, receiving just expenses for those children I looked after, no pay. Therefore, I am well short of the NI payments meaning I have to have the top up of PC to bring me closer to basic state pension. Due to this get a very tiny amount of financial assistance for eye tests, but still have to pay in full for spectacles, etc.

Excellent post

Just to say that the five million pounds reportedly being spent of housing, etc Asylum Seekers is NOT purchasing them any luxuries or even a reasonably comfortable life - it will provide more profits to landlords, etc. Bet many of them are mates, families of Tory MP's.!!!

If the three billion pounds given out for the totally useless So-called Test & Trace system was brought back into the public purse, it could go a long way to a proper energy subsidy being put in place.

Can I just say in passing, that it still never fails to astonish me that those who claim to be 'guided' by their faith(s), seem to have a much lower regard for other people, than those of us who are atheists/humanists!!!!

However those on modest occupational pensions have to pay through the nose. This can leave them in real terms financially worse off than someone who never saved and who pissed away their money on fags and booze.

Nice.

EllanVannin

They can't put everyone in prison for non-payment !

If people refused to pay then something would have to be done. Look what happened with the Poll Tax. People just won't stand for it.
This is one greedy, grasping country !

so should everyone go to marks and spencer, load up their trollies and refuse to pay? This is a global problem.

Spain, an EU country, has abolished VAT on fuel. France and Italy, both EU countries, are capping energy price rises to 4-10%. This country, VAT not scrapped and cap has been removed to allow huge price rises. Shell, meanwhile, paying out billions to its shareholders in dividends. Who believes the government can’t do anything about energy bills?

I have just had my latest bill and managed easily to save about 25% on actual energy usage. However the actual cost is 25% more than last year.

I am 100% with you Franbern, some people cannot see past their own noses and have no compassion for fellow humankind. Its always gimme gimme with some and never mind the others

Re being thrifty enough to save, yes that is always a good aim. It helps to give us choices

I wish we had never got rid of the poll tax, it was much fairer, depending on the number working in a household. I could compare council banding, the local barrister with a working wife and working adult child. Beautiful end terrace cottage, very large garden. Band c. He will get £150 handout. I know several widows in relatively much smaller new builds with band E. None of these singletons will get the £150 and many are struggling now. It is a very badle targetted handout. Second home owners, also with lower band cottages. I assume they will get the handouts in spite of being wealthy enough to afford a second home. I am not going to chew over any of it, not worth my time, life is too short

Our bill has increased from £92 to £145. I tried to get a better deal, but British Gas are not now taking any more customers - they are seemingly having to 'mop up' people whose energy companies have folded. Our current supplier has offered £145 to stay as we are, or £245 to go on a fixed rate for a year - accepting that seemed like madness.
We have devised a couple of ways to cut back a little, like having the hot water on for a shorter time and not using the tumble dryer. How I feel for those who are already dealing with the absolute minimum heating - being cold is so miserable, especially if you are unwell.

octopus are being pro-active, I got an e mail this morning telling me that £95 would be taken every month from march. I pay £70 now and was going to put it up myself as I now have a debit balance, unusual for me. I paid £45 as a one off and have, myself, increased my monthly payment to £85, which I think will cover my bills going forward

Just letting you know as that amount increase would, for many, be unbearable

I have just received my new estimate from Shell energy which will commence in April and as expected I will be paying an increase of 50% on my energy usage. But what is really annoying me is the increase in electric daily standing charge, it has almost doubled from 23.76p a day to 44.74p a day while my gas standing charge has only increased to 27.22 from 26.11 just over 1p! Why? That truly is greed.

Our estimated bill for the next 12 months is £4,000. “Gulp”

It's not the fault of Johnson / Tories that the global price of oil has rocketed - as some on here and elsewhere keep reminding us.

No, it isn't. However, other European countries are mitigating the effect of this huge increase on their citizens by various means. Some of these will ultimately require a 'pay-back' by consumers, but probably at a more affordable rate than the 54% (and another hike is predicted isn't it?) in one-go that's being imposed on us here in the UK.

In spite of the talk of "levelling up" we are still a low-wage economy, with a dismal state pension rate. Nobody needs me to point out that for millions of people, this increase will be a catastrophe.

What can the government do? Well, it can do what it wants to do, and what it wants to do is follow its libertarian, free-market economy.

... and this is what 'the market' has decided - this is what a free-market economy looks like. You pay. And the wealthy will continue to become more wealthy and the gap between rich and poor will widen.

We can all devise ways to tighten our belts - turn down (or off) the heating; flump around the house swathed in layers of clothes and blankets (so practical when you've got tasks to do); economise on food... economise on everything. Some, of course, have already economised down to the bone; and we can of course complain on social media, and compare rip-off rates of various energy companies.

What we should be doing is refusing to accept this ridiculously huge hike and take to the streets and tell the government that we 'can't pay and won't pay'. There are more of us than them and if enough of us kicked up enough fuss they would have to think of another way to handle this. We know it can be done.

But we won't do anything, except complain. Have we got the government we deserve? We've certainly got the government many wanted. I hope they're happy with it.

Re poll tax, wish it had gone ahead. Single person household paying more than 4 person working household in old large cottage with grounds

Council Tax is a dreadful scam for a single person living alone. This is particularlytrue for a single pensioner on a fixed income with a very modest private pension which taies them to just above the benefit level. They are using one person's share of resources of the local community.

Meanwhile the 4 person family next door uses the resources of 4 people. They pay NOTHING for the resources which their children use. Families dont want to admit or acknowledge this. They get angry when you suggest they are not paying their fair share or being subsidised by single people.

You only have to do the math to see that this is true.

Council Tax £1000

A Single pensioner pays £750 for use of ONE person's resources

B Family pays £1000 for us eof FOUR person's resources.

A is directly subsidising B.

I don’t turn mine on unless grandkids are visiting, I’ve got my ninja foodi and soup maker, so don’t use a oven I only have showers stopped baths because too expensive. Only have one if I’m in a hotel. lol I’ve also got a electric throw which keeps me warm and switch off every switch after finish using them. I’ve got a electric airy for my clothes but I’ve turned it on to heat my living room and it’s much cheaper than running electric and I can do that on 3 quid a day. So I’m ready for the price rise. Roll on summer lol

Re: M0nica Sat 08-Jan-22 09:02:14

We all know or know of pensioners who see the state pension as fuel for the Bentley. We also all know or know of pensioners who find shopping for necessities very difficult. Just as with younger people, pensioners spread across the spectrum of wealth and income. It is not the pension that "... has advantaged the elderly over younger people." it is how we tax wealth.

The breaking of the manifesto pledge to keep the triple lock was not a reasoned decision. Originally, it was designed to ensure more people came out of the need for income-related benefits and that it came more in line with countries of similar wealth. If this puts some in a better position, tax should be the tool, not impoverishing older people. Pensions should not be calculated using unethical greed, political need or idle gossip.