Does anyone else feel guilty about benefiting from these price reductions

zzzt

When you take into account the price cap (funded by the government borrowing money and handing it to energy companies) and the £400 payment given to everyone, I'm actually going to see my bills go down because I don't use that much energy to begin with and the £400 is more than the extra I would pay with the new price cap. I could have afforded to pay more, but instead I'll be saving money.

The fact I'm going to be paying less this winter for energy than during the summer, despite prices increasing, seems a bit mental to me. Earlier in the year I was preparing for the worst and planning on how to use the least energy possible, but I might as well not have bothered. I could have done nothing and my bill would actually go down, at a time when the cost of energy would be double or more.

It seems a bit mad. But I suppose in the long term I'll be paying for it anyway through my taxes because we'll all have to pay off the government's excessive borrowing for decades to come.

elsien

No. I get !!!!!! all the rest of the time, not being a “hard working family” or in any vulnerable category. 

It’s nice to be included for once instead of being just above any qualifying criteria. 

Krakkkers

As Fry in Futurama once said " The needy get all the breaks"

MattMattMattUK

No guilt at all, the lockdowns trashed my business and the government gave me pretty much nothing, I was a higher rate taxpayer and will be again next year, this is not "free" I will be paying for it for decades until I retire, so no guilt whatsoever. 

Ectophile

The other parts of the "not a budget" were all about borrowing nore to give tax cuts to rich people.  I don't feel guilty for getting some for myself.

powerspowers

No- I’ve redirected some of the saving into supporting charities as a lot are struggling with reduced donations and higher costs. I’d rather they didn’t need to exist though. 

oldagetraveller1

No, not at all.

Worked hard for 50 years, since leaving school at 15, and paid my dues (IT,NI). Never claimed or received any State Benefits or Unemployment Benefit.

Therefore, it's not before time that I have no guilt in getting something back.

CanNeverThinkOfAUsername

The way i see it i have paid my tax, NI and all that for years, i am just getting a tiny bit of it back. No guilt at all felt here tbh!

Xbigman

I commented on this site back at the beginning of the year that I thought it unfair that I was getting the £150 council tax 'rebate not rebate' when I didn't need it. Over the Summer as I saw endless demands for government bail outs and people I know taking no responsibility for their actions I've changed my mind. If the government are going to run the country into the ground giving away money, I want my share. 


Darren

Marypw

No, I don't feel guilty.  Prices have pretty much doubled since last year so I'm glad people
who need help will get it.  But for many people it's still going to be extremely difficult.
I will not need all the support for pensioners that I will receive, so will make a donation to the local Food Bank.

Ultrasonic

Not guilty at all as I'm pretty confident I'll end up worse off overall once the long term costs are factored in despite a short term gain right now that I don't need. To me it feels just like paying for a loan I don't need, only worse as it's one that puts the whole country's finances under more strain rather than just my own.

I do understand why it's being done, although do wonder if a better approach could have been found if work on this had started sooner than it seemingly did.