Friends getting free gas should I report them

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chris1973

I don't condone stealing of any kind. However the energy companies, can suddenly and magically find concessions for cheaper rates for certain people who fit the narrative, such as EV owners and now, magically those who are fitting heat pumps.

An energy crisis in its real shock and awe terms, and energy companies just a penny away from bankruptcy wouldn't suddenly be finding reduced rates and incentives for people owning certain 'appliances' - that is ludicrous. Yet that is exactly what is happening.

If energy companies can afford to give EV owners, cheap rate Electricity of 12p per kwh for five hours per night and also introduce 'comfort' tariffs with tiered rates at different times for Heat Pump owners, then they should give us ALL the option of choosing the same tariff Electricity or not at all and let people decide whether it will work for them

Personally, I think people genuinely struggling to heat one room should be priority for discounted energy rates in order to give them a fighting chance, as opposed to giving such subsidies to people who can clearly afford to pay up to £100k for an EV or follow green indulgences to install expensive heat pumps, but hey! what do I know, clearly i'm in a minority with this view.

Like I say, I don't condone what they are doing, but I can certainly see where they get their motivation from.

Spoonie_Turtle

chris1973 said:

Personally, I think people genuinely struggling to heat one room should be priority for discounted energy rates in order to give them a fighting chance, as opposed to giving such subsidies to people who can clearly afford to pay up to £100k for an EV or follow green indulgences to install expensive heat pumps, but hey! what do I know, clearly i'm in a minority with this view.

Just FYI, we have the "indulgence" of a heat pump - installed by our Housing Association, we had no choice in the matter and we could never have afforded to pay anything for it.  They are becoming fairly common in all-electric social housing, the tenants of which generally tend to skew towards the lower end of the income scale.

Mstty

chris1973 said:

I don't condone stealing of any kind. However the energy companies, can suddenly and magically find concessions for cheaper rates for certain people who fit the narrative, such as EV owners and now, magically those who are fitting heat pumps.

An energy crisis in its real shock and awe terms, and energy companies just a penny away from bankruptcy wouldn't suddenly be finding reduced rates and incentives for people owning certain 'appliances' - that is ludicrous. Yet that is exactly what is happening.

If energy companies can afford to give EV owners, cheap rate Electricity of 12p per kwh for five hours per night and also introduce 'comfort' tariffs with tiered rates at different times for Heat Pump owners, then they should give us ALL the option of choosing the same tariff Electricity or not at all and let people decide whether it will work for them

Personally, I think people genuinely struggling to heat one room should be priority for discounted energy rates in order to give them a fighting chance, as opposed to giving such subsidies to people who can clearly afford to pay up to £100k for an EV or follow green indulgences to install expensive heat pumps, but hey! what do I know, clearly i'm in a minority with this view.

Like I say, I don't condone what they are doing, but I can certainly see where they get their motivation from.

I fully agree, no tariff should be designed to only reward those that can afford expensive EV's and potentially heatpumps although a lot of housing associations now go for heatpumps so they are more widespread.

The cost Octopus heatpump tariff is a good old fashioned time of use tariff. As has been noted on another thread some won't be willing to change their routine to make it work. I would suggest this is a great tariff for those in low cost housing with heatpumps that ware willing to put the effort in for the potential reward. 

We will consider that tariff in April 2024 when our current fix ends and see if we are willing to change our habits.

prowla

I'd be concerned if they were MSE members and saw this thread...

Mstty

prowla said:

I'd be concerned if they were MSE members and saw this thread...

Wow like a daily mail headline.....please open the link and tell us more😂😂

Alnat1

Would tenants in social housing have the MSC required by Octopus?

rp1974

Op,I get your annoyance with this,I've a similar situation regarding acquaintances,not friends committing benefit fraud.
I disagree strongly with their behaviour and have told them as much,even so I couldn't find it within me to stick them in,my conscience simply wouldn't allow it.

Spoonie_Turtle

rp1974 said:

Op,I get your annoyance with this,I've a similar situation regarding acquaintances,not friends committing benefit fraud.
I disagree strongly with their behaviour and have told them as much,even so I couldn't find it within me to stick them in,my conscience simply wouldn't allow it.

If you know for a certainty that they are definitely committing fraud, you absolutely do need to report them.

That's different from the situation on this thread, where it seems they have attempted to get a supplier and nothing's happened.  (Though they still shouldn't be crowing about it, but I imagine in the circumstances they are pretty chuffed about having no supplier to pay.)

rp1974

Spoonie_Turtle said:

rp1974 said:

Op,I get your annoyance with this,I've a similar situation regarding acquaintances,not friends committing benefit fraud.
I disagree strongly with their behaviour and have told them as much,even so I couldn't find it within me to stick them in,my conscience simply wouldn't allow it.

If you know for a certainty that they are definitely committing fraud, you absolutely do need to report them.

I'm very well aware of the fact that I should report it as their definitely doing exactly that without the least bit of shame but not quite gloating about it either.
However,I just can't do so,even though I know it's the "right" thing to do.
It's something I'd much rather have no knowledge of,it can't now become unknown.