How to make TV licensing go away?

BexInLondon

My apologies if this has already been discussed - I think I need a lesson in searching the forums.

Anyway, to cut a long story short my husband (married 3 weeks ago) and I have made the decision not to have a TV so that we're not tempted to spend lazy evenings watching it. I am technically under contract with Sky til November but since Tim moved in we have moved the TV into a room without an aerial point and it is not being used for anything other than DVDs. Eventually we hope to replace it with a projector connected to a DVD player but for the time being it is a TV. I have had two letters from TV licensing in the four weeks since my lodger moved out (license coincidentally expired day before wedding day) . Their letters imply that the only way to notify them is by post or phone, and although I can afford 30p, I am loathe to spend any money on them as I object to their methods. Anyone know of an email address for them that works? I'm aware that they may continue to hassle me but I want to at least have done my bit for the planet by letting them know that future letters sent will simply be a waste of paper.

PS we might want to get one again in the future if it transpires that In the Night Garden or suchlike is the only way for me to have a shower when we have kids but we're a few years off that scenario!

If there's a more appropriate thread for this please do move it. I have assumed that OS type people are most likely to be down with the no-TV vibe

BexInLondon

PS am a long-time lurker and afficionado. Thanks for all the recipes!

Buddingblonde

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/aboutus/howtocontactus.jsp

There is an email address on their website

melli_2

Buddingblonde wrote: »

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/aboutus/howtocontactus.jsp

There is an email address on their website

Be careful with that as I updated my address on their website, assumed it would go through and then a month later had a threatening letter through as my new place didn't have a license. So I guess it didn't go through...

geordie_joe

There is also an online form, but never used it so don't know how reliable it is

https://tvlicensing.metafaq.com/templates/tvlicensing/emailforms/noSet

carriebradshaw

BexInLondon wrote: »

My apologies if this has already been discussed - I think I need a lesson in searching the forums.

Anyway, to cut a long story short my husband (married 3 weeks ago) and I have made the decision not to have a TV so that we're not tempted to spend lazy evenings watching it. I am technically under contract with Sky til November but since Tim moved in we have moved the TV into a room without an aerial point and it is not being used for anything other than DVDs. Eventually we hope to replace it with a projector connected to a DVD player but for the time being it is a TV. I have had two letters from TV licensing in the four weeks since my lodger moved out (license coincidentally expired day before wedding day) . Their letters imply that the only way to notify them is by post or phone, and although I can afford 30p, I am loathe to spend any money on them as I object to their methods. Anyone know of an email address for them that works? I'm aware that they may continue to hassle me but I want to at least have done my bit for the planet by letting them know that future letters sent will simply be a waste of paper.

PS we might want to get one again in the future if it transpires that In the Night Garden or suchlike is the only way for me to have a shower when we have kids but we're a few years off that scenario!

If there's a more appropriate thread for this please do move it. I have assumed that OS type people are most likely to be down with the no-TV vibe

even if your tv is in a room without an aerial point, if you have a point anywhere in your home & a tv that could be connected to it for viewing you could still be liable for the licence charge so be on your guard as they will check up at some point. Hope you get it sorted

Seakay

Not so much that you have to pay if you have the ability to connect as that it is up to you to prove that you aren't watching TV which is very difficult to do if you have an aerial point and a tv in the house. Not to say that you shouldn't make the effort, however. I think that you should. Just to warn you that in the end it comes down to "we say they think" and cases like that have ended up in court, because the attitude of the license people is that if you can connect then you must be connecting unless you can prove otherwise.

marmalize

found this on a site..http://www.jifvik.org/tv/

If your TV and VCR/DVD player are only used to watch pre-recorded material (videos or DVDs) and never used to receive broadcasts, then you do not need a TV Licence. Keeping the broadcast receivers in the TV and the VCR de-tuned (DVD players don't normally contain receivers) is sufficient to prove to them that you do not use the equipment to receive broadcasts - but you must make sure that no picture, no matter how poor quality, is viewable on the screen. There is absolutely no need to physically modify, damage or remove the tuner or any other circuitry in the TV or VCR.

derrick

BexInLondon wrote: »

Their letters imply that the only way to notify them is by post or phone, and although I can afford 30p, I am loathe to spend any money on them as I object to their methods. Anyone know of an email address for them that works? I'm aware that they may continue to hassle me but I want to at least have done my bit for the planet by letting them know that future letters sent will simply be a waste of paper.

You can call them freephone, (from a landline), on 0800 0324690.

derrick

marmalize wrote: »

found this on a site..http://www.jifvik.org/tv/

If your TV and VCR/DVD player are only used to watch pre-recorded material (videos or DVDs) and never used to receive broadcasts, then you do not need a TV Licence. Keeping the broadcast receivers in the TV and the VCR de-tuned (DVD players don't normally contain receivers) is sufficient to prove to them that you do not use the equipment to receive broadcasts - but you must make sure that no picture, no matter how poor quality, is viewable on the screen. There is absolutely no need to physically modify, damage or remove the tuner or any other circuitry in the TV or VCR.

From TVLA's own site, (my highlighting); -


"Do I need a TV Licence?

You must be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV. It makes no difference what equipment you use - whether it’s a laptop, PC, mobile phone, digital box, DVD recorder or a TV set - you still need a licence.

You do not need a TV Licence to view video clips on the internet, as long as what you are viewing is not being shown on TV at the same time as you are viewing it.

If you use a digital box with a hi-fi system, or another device that can only be used to produce sounds and can't display TV programmes, and you don't install or use any other TV receiving equipment, you don't need a TV Licence."

BexInLondon

Thanks guys. I'm not so much querying whether we need a license, as I'm 100% sure we don't. It's more a question of how to decisively inform them of such so that I don't have to waste the next 5 years telling them so! I've emailed them - thanks for finding the address!

I do take your point that an available aerial point in one room and a TV in the other could be misconstrued, but given that our ten-year old TV takes 3 men to move it I'd relish being accused of moving it to watch TV!