Cancel TV licence to save £160

jimmylau8080

Recently, I got a 15% pay cut. I need to cut some of the daily expenses.

I seldom watch TV. I only watch stuff from YouTube or download Movie online. I doubt I need a TV licence and plan to cancel it. I can save around £160.

Is there anything I need to aware.

Neil49

Everything you need to know is available here 

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/tv-licence/

p00hsticks

Mickey666 said:

Best way to avoid TVL pestering is to just throw their letters into the bin without opening them

in my experience you avoid the most hassle by simply telling them you don't need a licence

https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/telling-us-you-dont-need-a-tv-licence

pphillips

You need to unplug the cable from your TV to the aerial or satellite dish.
You are not legally required to do the no licence needed form or renew it every 2 years but TV Licensing will harass you with threatening letters until you contact them. 

Neil_Jones

How many other examples are there where law abiding people have to make a declaration that about something otherwise they are assumed to be guilty? 

Car SORNing.

pphillips

Mickey666 said:

pphillips said:

You need to unplug the cable from your TV to the aerial or satellite dish.

I've heard that before but I'm not convinced it's strictly correct.  After all, what does it actually prove?  A PC, tablet, smartphone can still POTENTIALLY receive live TV without an aerial plugged in.  Besides, since when has the CAPABILITY to do something been a crime?  We all have houses full of implements that give us the CAPABILITY to commit the most horrendous crimes but we don't have the police knocking on our doors to check we're still innocent do we?  I honestly don't know why we let TVL get away with it!

The whole system is ludicrous.

This is my understanding of the regulations but if I am wrong it would still be best to err on the side of caution seeing as watching live TV without a licence is a strict liability offence.

pphillips

Mickey666 said:

Yes, so if they catch you watching live TV without a licence then fair enough.  But to insinuate guilt just because an aerial is plugged in is plainly against any sense of natural justice.  This whole licence/regulations/law thing is no longer fit for purpose and needs reform ASAP.

The legislation is a real headache to read but I think they are designed to make it easier to convict, same as with speeding. Doesn't matter that you didn't know you were speeding or didn't intent to speed or whatever the excuse, you are guilty simply because you were driving above the speed limit. In TV Licensing terms, it's is aimed at convicting those who have installed what the regulations call "a TV receiver" but to the exclusion of devices that connect to the internet.

jimmylau8080

pphillips said:

Mickey666 said:

Yes, so if they catch you watching live TV without a licence then fair enough.  But to insinuate guilt just because an aerial is plugged in is plainly against any sense of natural justice.  This whole licence/regulations/law thing is no longer fit for purpose and needs reform ASAP.

The legislation is a real headache to read but I think they are designed to make it easier to convict, same as with speeding. Doesn't matter that you didn't know you were speeding or didn't intent to speed or whatever the excuse, you are guilty simply because you were driving above the speed limit. In TV Licensing terms, it's is aimed at convicting those who have installed what the regulations call "a TV receiver" but to the exclusion of devices that connect to the internet.

Why they don't create something like Netflix? Should be easy. Those paid need to login and watch. Those didn't paid will not need to worry about the harass with threatening letters. It also saves those lots of money to hire TV licensing collector

pphillips

jimmylau8080 said:

pphillips said:

Mickey666 said:

Yes, so if they catch you watching live TV without a licence then fair enough.  But to insinuate guilt just because an aerial is plugged in is plainly against any sense of natural justice.  This whole licence/regulations/law thing is no longer fit for purpose and needs reform ASAP.

The legislation is a real headache to read but I think they are designed to make it easier to convict, same as with speeding. Doesn't matter that you didn't know you were speeding or didn't intent to speed or whatever the excuse, you are guilty simply because you were driving above the speed limit. In TV Licensing terms, it's is aimed at convicting those who have installed what the regulations call "a TV receiver" but to the exclusion of devices that connect to the internet.

Why they don't create something like Netflix? Should be easy. Those paid need to login and watch. Those didn't paid will not need to worry about the harass with threatening letters. It also saves those lots of money to hire TV licensing collector

They have, it's called Britbox. The problem is that that was a total flop as almost everyone who subscribed cancelled during the free trial. It turns out it's much easier to extract money out of people when you can threaten them with imprisonment or £1000 fine if the don't pay up. Otherwise, the reform that the BBC have suggested is to attach the licence fee to another household bill. But I don't think anything like that is remotely likely to become government policy and the BBC will eventually have to fend for itself.

Cornucopia

Mickey666 said:

How many other examples are there where law abiding people have to make a declaration that about something otherwise they are assumed to be guilty? 

To be clear, there is no question of having to make a declaration.    You don't have to make the declaration, and it isn't a declaration in a legal sense, anyway.

It's a form that is part of TVL's admin processes.   It's completion is voluntary, and whether you complete it or not probably doesn't make a huge amount of difference.

xxxxxxxx

Mickey666 said:

Yes, so if they catch you watching live TV without a licence then fair enough.  But to insinuate guilt just because an aerial is plugged in is plainly against any sense of natural justice.  This whole licence/regulations/law thing is no longer fit for purpose and needs reform ASAP.

"installed or used for the purpose of receiving"  I can't find any meaning of "installed" in the legislation so it would be best to leave the aerials out.  

But I am the same as you on the "convert Vehicle Duty on to Fuel Duty" It would save such a huge amount of money for the government  and save a lot of hassle for the public.  I reckon 10p a litre would do it.