Cost of living crisis

[rennie]

We're going to The Pub tonight! Just in case we can't afford to next week! 

[manxie49]

4 hours ago, NeilM said:

We foolishly bought the kids a car prior to them passing their tests.

Mate of a mate sketch. Far cheaper than book price etc. Its been sat on drive for 2 weeks as I've been poorly.

Anyway thought I'd better go fill it with diesel. 

£48 and it had quater of a tank in......

This is in a 1 litre kia ceed!!!

I feel your pain! Brother in law just paid £126 to fill his Transit van! I read on MSN this morning that they expect to see petrol prices exceed £2 a litre and diesel prices to exceed £3 per litre.  I try not to read MSN news as it depresses me.  I also noted on the same report that even if things stabilised today that prices would not come down quickly "surprise, surprise" ....... The price goes up like a rocket and down like a leaf!

[S-Westerly]

4 hours ago, rennie said:

We're going to The Pub tonight! Just in case we can't afford to next week! 

Way things are going petrol will be more expensive than cider soon.

[Bender]

£260 In diesel in 12 days, our brown bin which is garden waste went upto 40 this year. 

 

@renniethink we're off to the pub tonight, not because we may not be able to afford it next week, it's incase it and us are not here next week 

[TimR]

On 10/03/2022 at 10:51, MikeHorton said:

I've heard the efficiency of these very much depends on your type of property it can be a bit of a lottery. Our log supplier has sent us a message saying get your hardwood logs now before the price goes up. Been buying from him for years but can't help thinking he's just trying to cash in on hysteria

As need to be kiln dried etc the cost of drying them will increase if elec/gas prices rise

[MikeHorton]

40 minutes ago, TimR said:

As need to be kiln dried etc the cost of drying them will increase if elec/gas prices rise

Ours are from a seasoned supplier. He works with local tree fellers and stores them in some barns a couple of miles away. I'm guessing though fuel costs for transport and any other petrol driven equipment will push prices up in any case 

[Bender]

We have a huge surplus of broken trees oop North. 

[Steve_M]

1 hour ago, MikeHorton said:

Ours are from a seasoned supplier. He works with local tree fellers and stores them in some barns a couple of miles away. I'm guessing though fuel costs for transport and any other petrol driven equipment will push prices up in any case 

Not Dave Walker by any chance (given your location)?

[MikeHorton]

2 hours ago, Steve_M said:

Not Dave Walker by any chance (given your location)?

No its Chris Partridge, his family had a nursery which went belly up unfortunately but managed to keep the log business as a separate entity

[Bianco2564]

Got our council tax bill for this year, another 3.7% increase .

You just know it won't lead to improved services, just covering their increased costs of everything.

Edited March 13, 2022 by Bianco2564

[husoi]

There is a "small detail" governments and statistics office (ONS) conveniently always "forget" about is how they lie to the public about the inflation rates.

 

I pass to explain.

 

Products' prices rise normally accordingly to the declared inflation. Or do they?

Lets consider something I'm sure everybody have on a more or less regular basis.

Small, individual bags of crisps.

Apparently the price have stayed the same (in line with inflation) for a long period this according to the ONS.

What they don't say is that 5 years ago a bag of crisps would have 50 or 60 gr and now you're lucky if it goes to 30gr.

This means that not only we are paying twice the cost of the plastic bag, yes the 30gr include the bag, but because the bag is the same size so costumers don't et suspicious the weight ration crisps/bag has with time being dropping which means we are paying for the bag and around 5 crisps slices.

 

Another example.

Last weekend I bought a pack of bacon, another popular product, to find out that instead of the normal 2 or 3mm thickness per slice, if I cover the visor with bacon I would still be able to see through.

 

Same with bread, biscuits and many other products.

 

As conclusion, inflation rate is more 15% than 3% when you do the maths properly..

Of course gov doesn't want us to know it or salaries would start to go up a lot more.

[Mickly]

Had an email from Scottish Power this afternoon telling me that due to the meter readings I gave yesterday, I am in debit to the tune of £187 … they said that my monthly DD has to be increased…
 

This was my reply 

“Is this an April fools joke??

 

The direct debit is paid on the 1st of every month i.e. TODAY!!

And it had already been increased to £195 so covers the deficit.

 

You bunch of useless Muppets, how on earth you were let loose with anything as important as Energy supply, God only knows - I wouldn’t have you in charge of a kids money box !! “

after all the hard work removing all the unpleasantries & swear words I got a “ In box not recognised:[email protected]

which is a shame but I can see why they wouldn’t want the feedback

 

[MikeHorton]

Utility companies are a nightmare to deal with. My DD was increased mid summer by my supplier in all fairness it did make sense I was in credit by next month I'll most likely be only slightly in credit with winter usage. In your case clearly they didn't take into account your impending payment

[S-Westerly]

Scottish Power are dreadful. They tried to double bill us for a year. Apparently we had 2 meters? Then took another year for them to accept we didn't actually owe them money and a final year to get back what they owed us after we dumped them at the end of the 2 year contract period. Really lousy people to deal with and the customer services are lower than whale shit.

[Mickly]

24 minutes ago, S-Westerly said:

Scottish Power are dreadful. They tried to double bill us for a year. Apparently we had 2 meters? Then took another year for them to accept we didn't actually owe them money and a final year to get back what they owed us after we dumped them at the end of the 2 year contract period. Really lousy people to deal with and the customer services are lower than whale shit.

Absolutely, Customer service is utterly shite!!

I had smart meters fitted over 2 years ago & they still can’t get a reading, apparently they are registered to another address so I told them to send the bill there!!

After loads of unsatisfactory phone calls being told how important the issue was to them I got the Ombudsman involved, ScottishPower tried arguing the toss & were eventually told to credit me with £100 compo, they sent someone to look at the meters coz they didn’t believe the pictures I took & here we are … they still can’t take a remote reading & the person at the Ombudsman  I’m dealing with is at a loss as to what to do next …

While this is going on I can’t move to another supplier so am trapped trying to deal with a bunch of utter Cockwombles 

And breeeeathe.

 

[Bender]

On 12/03/2022 at 10:24, rennie said:

We're going to The Pub tonight! Just in case we can't afford to next week! 

Taking your advice tonight  

[GdV]

I only joined the forum a couple of days ago so not sure if I'm out of order or breaking any rules here, so please delete and let me know if I am in the wrong but.... I work with a utility company and would be happy to have a chat / run a quote for anyone interested - no catch, I just give you the info, it's up to you if you act on it, that's the way I work.

[MikeHorton]

9 minutes ago, GdV said:

I only joined the forum a couple of days ago so not sure if I'm out of order or breaking any rules here, so please delete and let me know if I am in the wrong but.... I work with a utility company and would be happy to have a chat / run a quote for anyone interested - no catch, I just give you the info, it's up to you if you act on it, that's the way I work.

More Importantly how's your tempest? 

[GdV]

2 minutes ago, MikeHorton said:

More Importantly how's your tempest? 

Only been out the once so far, the misses dropped hers as she rode in to our drive, well actually she stopped at the curb, the road has an awful camber, and the bike just fell over with her on it. Badly bruised shoulder and pride and broke the brake lever (now replaced).  Hopefully get out for another ride this weekend if it's dry (and not too cold) 

[MikeHorton]

34 minutes ago, GdV said:

Only been out the once so far, the misses dropped hers as she rode in to our drive, well actually she stopped at the curb, the road has an awful camber, and the bike just fell over with her on it. Badly bruised shoulder and pride and broke the brake lever (now replaced).  Hopefully get out for another ride this weekend if it's dry (and not too cold) 

That's  it good but it's important to get back on and build up some confidence. We all like bike pics on here take a snap when ur out! 

[GdV]

On 01/04/2022 at 19:12, MikeHorton said:

That's  it good but it's important to get back on and build up some confidence. We all like bike pics on here take a snap when ur out! 

Will do. This one is in the kitchen, we got the bikes late November so rolled them inside for the winter. Have since built a shed so now they're

outside but protected. This is Kim's,  mines the same but in black.

 

 

[MikeHorton]

Great looking 125 I like the fact you get 2 clocks rather than the standard 1 on most 125s

[manxie49]

Tidy looking bike.  You’re a man after my own heart,  working on the premise ‘if you’re cold, they’re cold, so bring ‘em inside’.  Haven’t sold my missus on that yet though

[rennie]

I've just been to fill the campervan with diesel, it wasn't empty! showing about quarter of a tank,

went to Asda, cheapest around here.

 

£127.50! 

[Bender]

4 hours ago, rennie said:

I've just been to fill the campervan with diesel, it wasn't empty! showing about quarter of a tank,

went to Asda, cheapest around here.

 

£127.50! 

I filled the van on Tue morn, by Wed morn i had less than a third left.