Energy affordability crisis

[legoman]

Admittedly, I haven't read all of this thread. However, is it wrong of me to mention the irony of posters discussing flights aborad when talking about an "Energy affordability crisis"?

Not ironic at all imo. Everyone is different and we all run our lives and affairs differently too. For my part, I'm mid 60s and worked all my life earning a decent wage. I'm lucky enough to have paid off my mortgage some time ago. I have some cash in the bank, not a king's ransom and I get a decent pension. My position is a combination of a committed work ethic
with a tad of good fortune.

I don't smoke or play golf. We walk regularly in the Kent countryside for free. I'm a moderate drinker and I chose my holidays carefully. Mrs L and I don't hanker after 5 star hotels. She is still working part time.

We planned our dotage around travel.

Having said all of that, we certainly will feel the impact of the energy price increases but it's not lost on me how fortunate I am. I don't take anything for granted. I feel desperately sorry for the old folk and indeed the others in our society who really will have to chose between heating and eating.

I wish I could do more to help. I contribute each month to four charities and donate to the food bank every time I shop.

Since you asked, JF.

 

[Uxy]

Admittedly, I haven't read all of this thread. However, is it wrong of me to mention the irony of posters discussing flights aborad when talking about an "Energy affordability crisis"?

Not ironic at all imo. Everyone is different and we all run our lives and affairs differently too. For my part, I'm mid 60s and worked all my life earning a decent wage. I'm lucky enough to have paid off my mortgage some time ago. I have some cash in the bank, not a king's ransom and I get a decent pension. My position is a combination of a committed work ethic
with a tad of good fortune.

I don't smoke or play golf. We walk regularly in the Kent countryside for free. I'm a moderate drinker and I chose my holidays carefully. Mrs L and I don't hanker after 5 star hotels. She is still working part time.

We planned our dotage around travel.

Having said all of that, we certainly will feel the impact of the energy price increases but it's not lost on me how fortunate I am. I don't take anything for granted. I feel desperately sorry for the old folk and indeed the others in our society who really will have to chose between heating and eating.

I wish I could do more to help. I contribute each month to four charities and donate to the food bank every time I shop.

Since you asked, JF.

Fair play to you, and a similar situation to large numbers of people "of a certain age", which is why the Tory leadership contest has been largely ignoring the cost of living crisis, as it isn't the hottest topic for its, largely retired, membership.

The most noticeable thing about the current situation is that it's the middle, those paying mortgages, earning decent money in jobs that are historically seen as very decent, that are the ones now finding they are struggling to keep their heads above water.

Truss's ludicrous idea of cutting taxes to help people pay their bills just goes to show exactly where their focus is. Not on helping those who most desperately need it. A fair section of society aren't even earning enough to pay tax anyway.

 

[legoman]

Not ironic at all imo. Everyone is different and we all run our lives and affairs differently too. For my part, I'm mid 60s and worked all my life earning a decent wage. I'm lucky enough to have paid off my mortgage some time ago. I have some cash in the bank, not a king's ransom and I get a decent pension. My position is a combination of a committed work ethic
with a tad of good fortune.

I don't smoke or play golf. We walk regularly in the Kent countryside for free. I'm a moderate drinker and I chose my holidays carefully. Mrs L and I don't hanker after 5 star hotels. She is still working part time.

We planned our dotage around travel.

Having said all of that, we certainly will feel the impact of the energy price increases but it's not lost on me how fortunate I am. I don't take anything for granted. I feel desperately sorry for the old folk and indeed the others in our society who really will have to chose between heating and eating.

I wish I could do more to help. I contribute each month to four charities and donate to the food bank every time I shop.

Since you asked, JF.

Fair play to you, and a similar situation to large numbers of people "of a certain age", which is why the Tory leadership contest has been largely ignoring the cost of living crisis, as it isn't the hottest topic for its, largely retired, membership.

The most noticeable thing about the current situation is that it's the middle, those paying mortgages, earning decent money in jobs that are historically seen as very decent, that are the ones now finding they are struggling to keep their heads above water.

Truss's ludicrous idea of cutting taxes to help people pay their bills just goes to show exactly where their focus is. Not on helping those who most desperately need it. A fair section of society aren't even earning enough to pay tax anyway.

I agree with all you say. I can't see that the projected level of energy price is sustainable because the rest of the economy will simply grind to a halt. The hospitality industry is the third largest sector of employment in the country and that is likely to be hammered as incomes get squeezed.

I can't understand why the government chose to give everyone the £400 help towards the cost of energy when it surely would be possible to target the help to those who need it most. And I hope to heaven that the cost of energy is heading for a short term spike and that as supply issues ease the cost comes back down.

 

[Pegojack]

Can I ask Fathy if he's calling the thread content ironic because aircraft travel is by definition energy intensive, or is he making the wider point that what appear to be fairly affluent posters are bemoaning the rising cost of household energy bills?

 

[Jackfath]

Can I ask Fathy if he's calling the thread content ironic because aircraft travel is by definition energy intensive, or is he making the wider point that what appear to be fairly affluent posters are bemoaning the rising cost of household energy bills?

Both, I guess. Something just doesn't sit right with me when there are hundreds using food banks etc whilst some on here are discussing flights to various parts. All relative though I guess.

 

[dickythorpe]

I am now in my mid 40's.
I have to say I am very worried about those in their early 20's on their early forays into employment and working life.
They are beginning to say things like £25k is bugger all.......back in 1999 I was on 10k. I thought I was doing ok and would have been able to have had a mortgage on a very basic property worth 30k in Carmarthen.....fast forward to now and that 30k property is now valued at 120k.
Phenomenal!!!!

 

[StoneColdjack]

Energy companies should be a consumer co-operative or a joint 50-50 venture between a UK pension fund and a consumer co-operative

If they want to heat homes greener use hydrogen for homes and keep heatpumps for commercial buildings.

 

[Cooperman]

I hope you all have smart meters, if you don’t then ask your provider for one. You are likely to have a surprise at how your electricity (in particular) consumption racks up.

I’m home and off work this week and have made umpteen requests to get out of the shower, shut the fridge door, wash the dishes rather than load the dishwasher, turn the TV’s off (at one point there were more TV’s on than there are people living in the house). Kids can’t wait for me to go back to work.

 

[Niigata Jack]

Can I ask Fathy if he's calling the thread content ironic because aircraft travel is by definition energy intensive, or is he making the wider point that what appear to be fairly affluent posters are bemoaning the rising cost of household energy bills?

Both, I guess. Something just doesn't sit right with me when there are hundreds using food banks etc whilst some on here are discussing flights to various parts. All relative though I guess.

Well, that's obviously aimed at me because I asked advice on the subject, we haven't been away for maybe 6 yrs, Mrs got a special birthday coming up and thought about going away for maybe a week and it would be lovely to actually be affluent but unfortunately we're not.

 

[Niigata Jack]

I hope you all have smart meters, if you don’t then ask your provider for one. You are likely to have a surprise at how your electricity (in particular) consumption racks up.

I’m home and off work this week and have made umpteen requests to get out of the shower, shut the fridge door, wash the dishes rather than load the dishwasher, turn the TV’s off (at one point there were more TV’s on than there are people living in the house). Kids can’t wait for me to go back to work.

I'd never have a smart meter, not a chance in hell.

 

[MajorR]

Fair play to you, and a similar situation to large numbers of people "of a certain age", which is why the Tory leadership contest has been largely ignoring the cost of living crisis, as it isn't the hottest topic for its, largely retired, membership.

The most noticeable thing about the current situation is that it's the middle, those paying mortgages, earning decent money in jobs that are historically seen as very decent, that are the ones now finding they are struggling to keep their heads above water.

Truss's ludicrous idea of cutting taxes to help people pay their bills just goes to show exactly where their focus is. Not on helping those who most desperately need it. A fair section of society aren't even earning enough to pay tax anyway.

I agree with all you say. I can't see that the projected level of energy price is sustainable because the rest of the economy will simply grind to a halt. The hospitality industry is the third largest sector of employment in the country and that is likely to be hammered as incomes get squeezed.

I can't understand why the government chose to give everyone the £400 help towards the cost of energy when it surely would be possible to target the help to those who need it most. And I hope to heaven that the cost of energy is heading for a short term spike and that as supply issues ease the cost comes back down.

I honestly believe the government are of touch on this. The cap on residential bills is going to go up significantly and that is going to cause huge hardship for many, businesses who aren’t protected by caps are also going to see their energy costs go through the roof. There was an article in the Daily Mail and BBC about a pub land lady who was closing her pub as it was no longer sustainable, her energy bills had gone up from £48k per year to a projected £112k per year (not including future rises); she employed around half a dozen people. If this is replicated throughout the country we’re looking at increased state benefit payments and a less to the exchequer of tax revenue. Once a lot of the businesses go to the wall they’ll be lost forever. It will have a devastating impact on the economy.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10903661/Devastated-landlady-forced-close-village-pub-energy-bills-DOUBLE-112-000-year.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61743920

 

[Cooperman]

I'd never have a smart meter, not a chance in hell.

Why not?

 

[Niigata Jack]

I'd never have a smart meter, not a chance in hell.

Why not?

I just won't, not interested one bit, I keep track of my usage and monitor the usage myself.

 

[Cooperman]

Why not?

I just won't, not interested one bit, I keep track of my usage and monitor the usage myself.

Via your bills? It’s too late then. The smart meter will give you instant feedback.

 

[MajorR]

I am now in my mid 40's.
I have to say I am very worried about those in their early 20's on their early forays into employment and working life.
They are beginning to say things like £25k is bugger all.......back in 1999 I was on 10k. I thought I was doing ok and would have been able to have had a mortgage on a very basic property worth 30k in Carmarthen.....fast forward to now and that 30k property is now valued at 120k.
Phenomenal!!!!

Many years ago mortgage borrowing was subject to strict criteria, single people were allowed to borrow a maximum of 3 x their income and couples 2.5 x their joint income and everyone had to have a deposit - there was no flexibility. Whilst we had high interest rates to contend with, because of the cap on borrowing the impact (whilst it was unpleasant and hard) was mitigated.

These days interest rates are lower, but an ex local authority house in Townhill is around £130k to £140k, maybe a little more. Under the old criteria, a single person would me need to earn something like £40k+ per year and a couple £55k+ to be able to buy the house plus they’d need a deposit and money for fees etc, it’s a nightmare situation. I think the situation the youngsters of today face is much tougher and I really fear for my kids.

( I used Townhill as it’s an area a lot of us will be familiar with and can relate to).