The Cost Of Living Crisis

[ricardo 7,402]

There I was sitting pretty with £652 in credit for my energy bills.

Latest bill £648!!!!!!!!!!

Oh well, still 4 quid in front.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

7 minutes ago, ricardo said:

There I was sitting pretty with £652 in credit for my energy bills.

Latest bill £648!!!!!!!!!!

Oh well, still 4 quid in front.

Oh come on, they only made £3BN. Couldn't you spend the other four quid? Leave the electric blanket on.🥶

[ricardo 7,402]

Just now, keelansgrandad said:

Oh come on, they only made £3BN. Couldn't you spend the other four quid? Leave the electric blanket on.🥶

I'm with Scottish Power, don't know how much they made.Haggis prices must have gone up a fair bit.

[sonyc 5,541]

Yep. Depressing news on profits. I was reading that even if a mythical company made $20m dollars a year since the year Jesus was born then it still wouldn't have made the profits Shell did last year! I've not checked the maths but it's the core point being made that is staggering. Profits at an obscene level. 

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by sonyc

[ricardo 7,402]

I see UK natural gas price has dropped to 124.65p today. Unfortunately still more than twice as high as before the Ukraine war.

 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

13 minutes ago, ricardo said:

I'm with Scottish Power, don't know how much they made.Haggis prices must have gone up a fair bit.

I'm with EDF and have to pay for their reactor problems. Luckily, my tariff is fixed until August. Even so, my hot tub was packed up and put down the shed. Unlikely to put that on for some time. And funnily enough, we have a hosepipe ban in Cornwall until April.

Edited February 17, 2023 by keelansgrandad

[ricardo 7,402]

9 minutes ago, sonyc said:

Yep. Depressing news on profits. I was reading that even if a mythical company made $20m dollars a year since the year Jesus was born then it still wouldn't have made the profits Shell did last year! I've not checked the maths but it's the core point being made that is staggering. Profits at an obscene level. 

 

Thats what happens when there's a limited supply and an almost unlimited demand.

[ricardo 7,402]

2 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

I'm with EDF and have to pay for their reactor problems. Luckily, my tariff is fixed until August. Even so, my hot tub was packed up and put down the shed. Unlikely to put that on for some time. And funnily enough, we have a hosepipe ban in Cornwall until April.

I was looking at one of the weather blokes on Youtube (Mark Vogan) and he was saying that some parts of Southern England haven't seen appreciable rain for over 40 days. Quite remarkable for the time of year.

Very dry here in Norfolk but did get some v light rain yesterday. Thankfully its brought some mild weather but the weather bloke reckons we could have a cold March.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

3 minutes ago, ricardo said:

Thats what happens when there's a limited supply and an almost unlimited demand.

Depends who limits the supply of course.

Remember listening to a farmer on Radio Cornwall. "Farmer down the road selling his taties 50p less then me. Nobody buying mine. But when his are sold out I can sell mine for a pound more than his".

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

4 minutes ago, ricardo said:

I was looking at one of the weather blokes on Youtube (Mark Vogan) and he was saying that some parts of Southern England haven't seen appreciable rain for over 40 days. Quite remarkable for the time of year.

Very dry here in Norfolk but did get some v light rain yesterday. Thankfully its brought some mild weather but the weather bloke reckons we could have a cold March.

My birthday is 28 March and as a youngster I can always seem to remember Spring having started, still some daffodils around, Easter round the corner and the FA Cup Semis and the Grand National. 

Definitely don't want cold weather. We have sorted out the garden and ready to plant and sprinkle lawn seed around. And my shorts keep rattling the drawers ready to come out.

Edited February 17, 2023 by keelansgrandad

[How I Wrote Elastic Man 1,198]

I´ve got a house in Kent that I let out. Tenancy is coming up for renewal.

Current rent is 780 quid. The Estate Agent have emailed me and said they want to try and raise the rent to 950!!

I´ve told them that 850 is plenty, no more than that

[KiwiScot 1,489]

On 17/02/2023 at 11:13, keelansgrandad said:

Depends who limits the supply of course.

Remember listening to a farmer on Radio Cornwall. "Farmer down the road selling his taties 50p less then me. Nobody buying mine. But when his are sold out I can sell mine for a pound more than his".

With demand of course. Farmer one makes money selling for 50p. Farmer 2 making money selling for £1. When farmer 1 sells up supply lessens and farmer 2 raises the price. Makes more money so buys farmer 1. All prices now £1.25 which we are told are cheaper than before.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

2 hours ago, KiwiScot said:

With demand of course. Farmer one makes money selling for 50p. Farmer 2 making money selling for £1. When farmer 1 sells up supply lessens and farmer 2 raises the price. Makes more money so buys farmer 1. All prices now £1.25 which we are told are cheaper than before.

Farmer 2 now donates to Conservative Party.

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,438]

On 17/02/2023 at 11:16, keelansgrandad said:

My birthday is 28 March and as a youngster I can always seem to remember Spring having started, still some daffodils around, Easter round the corner and the FA Cup Semis and the Grand National. 

Definitely don't want cold weather. We have sorted out the garden and ready to plant and sprinkle lawn seed around. And my shorts keep rattling the drawers ready to come out.

Yesss. Shorts 👍

[ron obvious 1,514]

The whole electricity situation is bonkers. Insane. Every month I pay my standing order & every month they refund it 😐.

This month they're giving me another 200 quid on top.

Non comprendez John.

[canarydan23 4,060]

 

On 17/02/2023 at 11:07, ricardo said:

Thats what happens when there's a limited supply and an almost unlimited demand.

No, it's what happens when people vote Tory.

[dylanisabaddog 5,013]

19 hours ago, How I Wrote Elastic Man said:

I´ve got a house in Kent that I let out. Tenancy is coming up for renewal.

Current rent is 780 quid. The Estate Agent have emailed me and said they want to try and raise the rent to 950!!

I´ve told them that 850 is plenty, no more than that

There is a small house close to me in Mulbarton. 2bed although the 2nd bedroom is tiny. Terrace with a parking space but no garage. Tiny kitchen. 

The new tenant is paying £950 a month. Exactly the same property owned by a housing association goes for £450. No wonder we're going into recession, we have a generation of people who have no money due to paying their rent. 

[Pyro Pete 1,923]

BBC News - Junior doctors vote for strikes in England

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64653488

[How I Wrote Elastic Man 1,198]

12 hours ago, dylanisabaddog said:

There is a small house close to me in Mulbarton. 2bed although the 2nd bedroom is tiny. Terrace with a parking space but no garage. Tiny kitchen. 

The new tenant is paying £950 a month. Exactly the same property owned by a housing association goes for £450. No wonder we're going into recession, we have a generation of people who have no money due to paying their rent. 

That sounds similar to my place. I  guess mine has a perceived advantage in that it's a 3 minute walk from a railway station that can get someone into central London in around an hour, but it still doesn't justify a 20% increase 

[Well b back 3,281]

On 19/02/2023 at 21:33, canarydan23 said:

 

No, it's what happens when people vote Tory.

Indeed, they bought our gas and had plenty of room to store it. What did we hear the Tories and their supporters say ‘ we are now net exporters to Europe ‘. How misleading was that ? It now transpires that every 3rd quarter we are net exporters of gas and electricity to Europe as they fill their storage. Why can’t people just be straight with us instead of bending the truth.

[canarydan23 4,060]

14 minutes ago, Well b back said:

Indeed, they bought our gas and had plenty of room to store it. What did we hear the Tories and their supporters say ‘ we are now net exporters to Europe ‘. How misleading was that ? It now transpires that every 3rd quarter we are net exporters of gas and electricity to Europe as they fill their storage. Why can’t people just be straight with us instead of bending the truth.

We filled Europe's facilities whilst shutting down our own capacity. ****ing braindead, but the electorate continually buy this ****, and only elect a non-Tory government when the opposition leader stands for Tory-lite values. It's odd.

[Well b back 3,281]

Are we shadowing North Korea

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-64701184

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

I doubt anyone bought three cucumbers at a time before but now they are rationed I bet people will be. 

[Daz Sparks 1,186]

2 hours ago, keelansgrandad said:

I doubt anyone bought three cucumbers at a time before but now they are rationed I bet people will be. 

More cucumbers will rot as a consequence of this than ever.

[Pyro Pete 1,923]

So we've had NHS nurses on strike. Now, NHS doctors are on strike.

 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

I have just had notification of my over 10% rise in my state pension.

It does seem totally unfair and scandalous that junior doctors are paid peanuts and not been offered 8.2%

[Pyro Pete 1,923]

 

[king canary 7,680]

On 22/02/2023 at 13:28, keelansgrandad said:

I doubt anyone bought three cucumbers at a time before but now they are rationed I bet people will be. 

To be fair cucumber is one of the few healthy things I can reliably get my kids to eat so we're getting through 2 or 3 a week right now.

[nevermind, neoliberalism has had it 159]

I have two cucumbers growing in the greenhouse as we speak, from last years seeds, maybe people should sacrifice some of their lawn, a couple of feet all around the border, and grow some veg for themselves, unless they are ruminants and can eat grass.

 

[sonyc 5,541]

Just back from a few days in Wales and having lunch out each day just hits home about prices - you could easily spend over £20 for both of you to have a coffee and sandwich. Coffee shops have to pass on the costs somehow. To make stuff to eat yourself has gone up for sure but the cost of 'leisure' has rocketed.

This Matt cartoon summed it up yesterday. He normally hits the right note.