Making the news today....

[openspaceman]

59 minutes ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

Solution - energy companies take the ‘pain’ out of profits, government remove / reduce VAT + other taxes

In your dreams; no one wants to give up money least of all energy company profits it's an unexpected consequence of a sudden change where regulation is too slow to react.. In the same way covid drastically reduced or negated profits of all those businesses that lost their clientele during lockdown.

 

We have an economy that  rewards the successful  such that the less successful suffer and part of that is the money is no longer available for things the welfare state was designed to provide.

 

The welfare state came about because the catastrophic consequences of war moved the public vote towards co-operation, 75 years on the  economy has reverted further to competition and devil takes the hindmost.

 

As Marcus points out the moderately wealthy and upwards are hardly affected because the staples of homes, heating and food form a smaller part of their disposable income so they can continue to afford luxury goods like travel, holidays etc.

 

My problem with this is that those things tend to have increased global consequences.

[trigger_andy]

So, you didn't then. The conversation is about rising energy costs that are hitting decent people, you, as always try to turn it around to people being feckless. You've now admitted that energy is getting stupid expensive. Go figure, Marcus.

Energy is getting stupid expensive. So important decisions need to be made by families. What Diff has empirically observed is what I see here in Scotland as well. These folk who will feel the pinch need to cut out frivolities and knuckle down. They can’t complain about not being able to pay their energy bills and at the same time be going out doing what Diff has covered.

Folk look incredulous when it’s suggested to them to turn the heating down or off. Put some warm cloths on and have a few blankets in the living room, it’s not rocket science. Stop using the dishwasher, cut down on the washing machine usage, limit TV or PC usage, prep meals for the week and re-heat in the microwave. There is so much people can do to get their usage down but don’t through shear fecklessness.

[eggsarascal]

1 minute ago, trigger_andy said:

 

Energy is getting stupid expensive. So important decisions need to be made by families. What Diff has empirically observed is what I see here in Scotland as well. These folk who will feel the pinch need to cut out frivolities and knuckle down. They can’t complain about not being able to pay their energy bills and at the same time be going out doing what Diff has covered.

Folk look incredulous when it’s suggested to them to turn the heating down or off. Put some warm cloths on and have a few blankets in the living room, it’s not rocket science. Stop using the dishwasher, cut down on the washing machine usage, limit TV or PC usage, prep meals for the week and re-heat in the microwave. There is so much people can do to get their usage down but don’t through shear fecklessness.

 

Yes trig, I've done batch cooking for years, put a jumper on when it's cold, have the cheapest phone deal, and so on. Not because I have to, it's the way I was raised. This is different, some folks energy costs have doubled overnight with another rise coming in October, that's before we get onto NI rises.

[trigger_andy]

Yes trig, I've done batch cooking for years, put a jumper on when it's cold, have the cheapest phone deal, and so on. Not because I have to, it's the way I was raised. This is different, some folks energy costs have doubled overnight with another rise coming in October, that's before we get onto NI rises.

Same with us Eggs. We’ve stopped using the central heating in the mornings and evenings now that oil prices are sky high. We just keep warm cloths on till the stoves kick in. I cook double or triple what the recipe states and freeze the extra in baggies (perfect for the missus when I’m off-shore) We’ve cut out electric usage from near on £300 a month down to £90 a month (pre-increase) not because we have to but why waste the money?

Times are going to be hard for a lot of folk, so they have to make some tough decisions. You can feed a family of 4 a health set of meals a day for a few quid. If they have to make meat a once a month special occasion then that’s what they have to do.

Theft is gonna go through the roof soon.

[eggsarascal]

1 minute ago, trigger_andy said:

 

Same with us Eggs. We’ve stopped using the central heating in the mornings and evenings now that oil prices are sky high. We just keep warm cloths on till the stoves kick in. I cook double or triple what the recipe states and freeze the extra in baggies (perfect for the missus when I’m off-shore) We’ve cut out electric usage from near on £300 a month down to £90 a month (pre-increase) not because we have to but why waste the money?

Times are going to be hard for a lot of folk, so they have to make some tough decisions. You can feed a family of 4 a health set of meals a day for a few quid. If they have to make meat a once a month special occasion then that’s what they have to do.

Theft is gonna go through the roof soon.

 

I'll tell you about theft, I was at our kids in the week, me and his mate walked through the alleyway to go up town, some little scrote was trying to sell a bag full of meat, our kids mate asked him what he wanted for it, tenner came the reply, I said, Wayne give it a swerve mate, the little c*nts nicked it. It's already happening mate.

[trigger_andy]

I'll tell you about theft, I was at our kids in the week, me and his mate walked through the alleyway to go up town, some little scrote was trying to sell a bag full of meat, our kids mate asked him what he wanted for it, tenner came the reply, I said, Wayne give it a swerve mate, the little c*nts nicked it. It's already happening mate.

Same as it’s ever been in that regard. Folk have been flogging knicked goods down the pub since forever.

I’m thinking we’ll see a huge increase in fuel theft. From vehicles, heating oil tanks to even firewood. These things are knicked anyway, but I see a substantial increase.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

2 hours ago, openspaceman said:

In your dreams; no one wants to give up money least of all energy company profits

You not think it’d be a fairly shrewd business (not to mention morally commendable) move?

 

If 1 of the big energy companies said, right, we’ll take the hit and reduce retail prices to £Xx (even if that were a loss leader), the masses would flock to change supplier - thus capturing market share and presenting the. corporate image as being the ‘good guy?’

 

Maybe naive on my part but if I were a multi million £ CEO I’d certainly be thinking along those lines.....  Meanwhile, I’ll get on a pot up my peas 😂

[Mick Dempsey]

4 minutes ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

You not think it’d be a fairly shrewd business (not to mention morally commendable) move?

 

If 1 of the big energy companies said, right, we’ll take the hit and reduce retail prices to £Xx (even if that were a loss leader), the masses would flock to change supplier - thus capturing market share and presenting the. corporate image as being the ‘good guy?’

 

Maybe naive on my part but if I were a multi million £ CEO I’d certainly be thinking along those lines.....  Meanwhile, I’ll get on a pot up my peas 😂

Then what? When do they put their prices back up, Just before they go bankrupt ?

[Doug Tait]

2 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Then what? When do they put their prices back up, Just before they go bankrupt ?

That wouldn't be allowed to happen, taxpayer would bail them out first 

[Mick Dempsey]

Plenty of energy suppliers went to the wall end of last year.

 

I just found Kevin’s post unusually naive.