Work from home electricity cost

Albermarle

AFAIU an employer can pay your full broadband costs for working from home, and HMRC just accept you will get some personal use out of it. So no tax issues and every employer I worked for paid for home broadband. 

sheramber

grahamgoo said:

DullGreyGuy said:

grahamgoo said:

Albermarle said:

Grumpy_chap said:

[Deleted User] said:

I estimate it will be in the order of about £200/year of electricity. Gas is harder to calculate because it varies with temperature.

I note the OP has accepted in a later post that they will not qualify for tax relief under the WFH, but I still thought this calculation of £200 per year is a useful figure.
Pro-rata across 45 working weeks that comes to around £4.50 per week.  Less than the default tax relief level of £6.
I think that is a useful number for the forum to have given there are periodically threads where individuals will argue till the cows come home how ridiculously low the £6 relief is.

Plus you often save money by working from home, so seems a bit daft arguing over a couple of quid a week.

I agree with this, although it does annoy me a bit on principle when employers refuse to give any allowance towards heating/electric/internet costs (which is the case for me).
However on the flip side, in my case I am saving nearly £100/month petrol for a 15 mile each way commute, probably 45 mins+/day drive time, car wear and tear, stress of driving amongst lunatics on the local by-pass during rush hour, having to prep lunches or spend money on expensive sandwiches etc

Your internet costs have changed because of WFH? Didnt realise there were any services left that charge you by volume of traffic @grahamgoo!  

You say you're having to pay a bit more in electricity so think your employer should contribute but saving hundreds on fuel and wear on your car. Have you offered to share that saving with your employer too?

Sorry I was perhaps a little unclear.  My point was that yes I am saving petrol/travel costs etc so I am not inclined to kick up too much of a fuss about electricity costs, because I realise that overall I am better off and given the choice I would continue to WFH without any allowance rather than go back to commuting to an office with the associated costs.  Come to think of it I originally worked within walking distance of my office, only for the office to relocate 15 miles away.  I did get an allowance for that move but only for a limited amount of time, so if I compare back to then, I am not making any savings.

And no, my internet costs do not change but that doesn't mean my employer should just be able to piggy back that for free, but that is what they are doing.  If you worked in an office and gave a colleague a lift in every day, would it be fair for them to say hey, you're driving in anyway so I won't contribute towards petrol?  

but that doesn't mean my employer should just be able to piggy back that for free, 

nor does it mean HMRC should give you  a tax allowance for it.

You need to take your argument up with your employer. It is you emplyer who is benefitting from it.

Just as HMRC would not give you tax relief for givn a colleague a lift. You would ask the colleague for a contribution to the cost.

CouldntResist

If you don't want your employer to piggy back on your broadband then go into the office and use theirs...

LeafGreen

I'm not expecting a tax allowance for it, I just think my employer should contribute towards it.  I did take it up with them, they said no, and I left it at that.  The office closed down so I have no option other than WFH now.