Does anyone else feel guilty about benefiting from these price reductions

The_Green_Hornet

I wonder if they are going to do the £400 next winter if the uncapped energy prices remain over the EPG.

MattMattMattUK

The_Green_Hornet said:

I wonder if they are going to do the £400 next winter if the uncapped energy prices remain over the EPG.

I very much doubt it, the EPG providers a reasonable ceiling removing the need to throw the £400 at people again. The £400 probably only still exists because it had already been announced and to cancel it while have meant people would have felt it that they were having £400 taken away from then.

Petriix

I'm more angry that the government are effectively handing huge amounts of our money to the energy generators and disproportionately aiding the rich. They've borrowed more than £1tn and more than doubled the national debt in 12 years, yet public services have been slashed and the economy is an absolute mess. £400 is a tiny bit of compensation in comparison to the utter destruction they've caused, which will take generations to fix (if at all). 

Miser1964

Not in the slightest, and I'm still working on optimising the combi for maximum efficiency, not sitting back and thinking everything is now OK.

The_Green_Hornet

MattMattMattUK said:

The_Green_Hornet said:

I wonder if they are going to do the £400 next winter if the uncapped energy prices remain over the EPG.

I very much doubt it, the EPG providers a reasonable ceiling removing the need to throw the £400 at people again. The £400 probably only still exists because it had already been announced and to cancel it while have meant people would have felt it that they were having £400 taken away from then.

Maybe, but if the energy price remains high I will expect the usual caterwauling by the media, charities and opposition politicians calling for more help just like they are doing right now.

lisyloo

A little. I don’t think that element was targeted enough - going to well off people as well.

before anyone says give it to charity. Yes we Know we can donate to charity.
Unilateral action by a few whilst very nice does not solve the unfairness of the measure.

[Deleted User]

Petriix said:

I'm more angry that the government are effectively handing huge amounts of our money to the energy generators and disproportionately aiding the rich. They've borrowed more than £1tn and more than doubled the national debt in 12 years, yet public services have been slashed and the economy is an absolute mess. £400 is a tiny bit of compensation in comparison to the utter destruction they've caused, which will take generations to fix (if at all). 

Would you rather that vulnerable users hand the money to the generators directly?

mmmmikey

I don't feel guilty, and neither should anyone else in my opinion.

Having said that, I would much have preferred the support was targeted to those who need it the most so I've used the extra income  to set up a monthly donation to the Trussell Trust (who support food banks). I just don't like the idea of others having to make a choice between heating and eating when my choice has been between heating and holidays (which I have resolved by improving my energy efficiency and holidaying in the UK). This is of course a very personal thing and an option for anyone who is uneasy about the situation.

I'm not for a moment suggesting I think there is anything wrong with accepting the £400 even if you can manage without it. At the end of the day we'll all have to pay it back sooner or later through taxes, or leave the debt for our children, so I'm absolutely not thinking it is wrong for anyone to spend it how they please, it's their money.

lisyloo

It’s a really nice thing for you to give it to charity.
I just think that people like Alan Sugar and many other rich people, simply won’t get round to it.
A lot of them probably do already give to charity but many just won’t have the time.

BUFF

I have/had taken out a fix in July ~10% over the (now-known but not at that time) October EPG. I didn't feel guilty about making that decision even although I believed at that time that other people would end up paying more than I would.

When it was still considered possible that we might get 17p/4p reductions per kWh from our fix rates without a floor then I did think that, if that went ahead, I may have felt guilty at the price differentials.

Now that I most likely will end up on EPG rates (still awaiting confirmation) not so much. If I do end up on EPG rates I may give the differential (~£150) to charity.