Energy Prices (Strictly NO referrals!)

LNG is bad on CO2 but its local emissions are far less horrific, so either way coal way always going to be a problem regardless of whether wind was on the cards or not.

No one wants to live near a wind farm but will live with them. You can't really live near a coal power station without accepting you are likely to die earlier than you otherwise would.
 
b0rn2sk8 said:
LNG is bad on CO2 but its local emissions are far less horrific, so either way coal way always going to be a problem regardless of whether wind was on the cards or not.

No one wants to live near a wind farm but will live with them. You can't really live near a coal power station without accepting you are likely to die earlier than you otherwise would.
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Germany Poland and other Eastern European states are still burning through the stuff by all accounts.
 
Hagar said:
Germany Poland and other Eastern European states are still burning through the stuff by all accounts.
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I'm not sure that is really something to aim for is it?

Likewise the population density in Poland is about a third of England and Germany is about half that of England. Lets just say they have a lot more places they can build them without spewing toxic fumes over thousands of people.
 
b0rn2sk8 said:
I'm not sure that is really something to aim for is it?

Likewise the population density in Poland is about a third of England and Germany is about half that of England. Lets just say they have a lot more places they can build them without spewing toxic fumes over thousands of people.
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I agree they should stop burning the stuff. Germany in particular has a very peculiar stance on net zero with its large manufacturing sector powered by coal.

I do recall Britain being criticised for causing acid rain on the continent at one time so distance from the coal plant is probably a red herring.
 
The more peculiar stance they have is the German Green Party supporting coal because of ideological issues with nuclear and aftermath of Fukushima gave them the perfect opportunity to shut them all down in Germany.
 
I’m surprised this hasn’t been posted yet:

www.bbc.co.uk

Thousands on benefits could have energy debt cancelled by Ofgem

Regulator Ofgem plans to cut £500m from the stack of customer debt - but other billpayers will cover the cost.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk

Don’t pay your energy bill? No problem, everyone else gets £5 added to their bill to compensate. This is after they’ve already paid for the £150 discount scheme for the same group.

While I have sympathy for those on welfare in specific circumstances (e.g. require medical equipment which drinks electricity), but I can’t see a debt forgiveness program of solving the issue given the issue is they can’t/won’t pay.

There is nothing stopping debt immediately building up again after it’s been written off. As controversial as thy are, debt forgiveness should only be in exchange for a PAYG meter.
 
Yeah what's another fiver on the bill, **** it stick 20 quid on my bill and let them off the whole debt!
Legitimately starting to wonder why I bothered over the years.
****.
 
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it's a really tough one and am not sure I have an answer. On one hand some people are in terrible poverty and need help through no fault of their own.
OTOH some people , I know a few and I suspect most people do even if they don't want to admit it , some people have absolutely no concern about spending money they don't have and waste it.

I know multiple who have been bankrupt, I still get phone calls 20 years on from my old housemate from people after money (less now than I used to), a really nice guy but spent money like it was going out of fashion, expensive clothes, flat screen TVs (I had a TV that I put in the lounge but it was not good enough for him) and a cutting edge phone, all on credit and with no clue how to pay off.
other people struggle to pay heating bills but still managed to eat out , go the pub and smoke (3 things even as a fairly fortunate person money wise I struggle to do often).
I do object to me covering people like that. in practice however much like the winter fuel allowance it may be more expensive to robustly sort out the needy from the wasters than just to give it to all (however maybe it would be worth the cost anyway for a long term gain to dissuade people from wasting money)
 
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Wife got the Warm Home Discount letter saying she doesn't need to do anything. Seems that's a lie, she's not named on the account, good job I asked Octopus about it just need to get her added on now. Letter seems poorly worded.
 
Hagar said:
We with the broadest shoulders carry everyone.
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Unfortunately thats not true with regards to energy. The way its implemented into the standing charge as a fixed cost is regressive, it hits the poorest hardest. Whereas funding it from general taxation as it should be (it is welfare) would fall mostly under income tax which is a progressive tax.
 
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b0rn2sk8 said:
I’m surprised this hasn’t been posted yet:

www.bbc.co.uk

Thousands on benefits could have energy debt cancelled by Ofgem

Regulator Ofgem plans to cut £500m from the stack of customer debt - but other billpayers will cover the cost.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk

Don’t pay your energy bill? No problem, everyone else gets £5 added to their bill to compensate. This is after they’ve already paid for the £150 discount scheme for the same group.

While I have sympathy for those on welfare in specific circumstances (e.g. require medical equipment which drinks electricity), but I can’t see a debt forgiveness program of solving the issue given the issue is they can’t/won’t pay.

There is nothing stopping debt immediately building up again after it’s been written off. As controversial as thy are, debt forgiveness should only be in exchange for a PAYG meter.
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That £5 quote doesn't say if it's monthly or yearly and for how long?

A one off £5 doesn't cover £500m.
 
It's ridiculous that everyone else gets lumbered with the bill when people don't pay debts.

Anyone who has debt should immediately be force swapped to smart meters and put in pre payment mode with no option to swap to credit mode until 6months have passed with no payment issue.

If you don't have the money you don't get to spend it, even on benefits. Your benefit money isn't to go on holiday or spend on yourself.
It's not hard to cut down energy bills, mine comes out to about £50 a month even during winter months, and that's without me even trying to save energy (normal house no solar or anything)
 
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tamzzy said:
pretty sure they tried and this happened: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c308vzqj975o
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Don't see why it was such a shocker in the first place.
For ones incorrectly done sure, but people whining about it when they don't pay bills? No that's the entire point. Don't care if you've lost your job, get another one work at McDonald's/use one of the many avenues available to unemployed people.

Sure the job market is shocking but that's why you also have a 6 month emergency fund preferably more put away that you never touch, for well emergencies.

Don't understand how people can't save money it really boggles my mind. On the energy side of things my monthly payments are around £50 even during the winter not even trying to save money. It's fairly self explanatory to cut costs energy wise and I work from home full time so I'm using more power than usual still around the £50 mark, during winter sometimes gets close to £60.

Lets not pretend the majority of the debt is from people who through no fault of their own can't pay bills. I just don't believe it, most debt I see is self inflicted. Most people I've talked to at work and the like who are skint put themselves in that spot to begin with with debt and just buying buying buying and are so deep in the hole that after bills they are skint with interest stacking from multiple cards and constant spending with a never ending loop.
Some of the crap I've seen makes my blood boil with the immaturity.

You don't get to have holidays, designer clothes, eating out, buying tat boo hoo....save money.

This whole debt thing is just going to happen again and again
Worked at one of the big energy company for the majority of my 20s and always had people calling about debt issues and rarely came across one that wasn't their own fault for having no planning skills for tough times. Had to do assessments many times to evaluate people's spending and affordability and the stuff that came to light when probing was wild for most of them. There certainly was ones where there just wasn't anything to do (mostly elderly) but it wasn't the norm.

Also going to sound bad but it is what it is.
Stop. Having. Kids, until you're financially responsible and have plans for hard times hitting you, but people won't stop going at it like rabbits, the majority from a certain part of society.
Idiocracy is a documentary.
 
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