UK Cost of Living

[yalimart]

Cost of living: Fuel duty cut wiped out as diesel price hits new record high

Petrol prices have also nearly returned to the level seen before the recent reduction by Rishi Sunak, amid growing pressure on the government to do more about the cost of living crisis.

news.sky.com

£1.707at Costco Edinburgh for Diesel and £1.539 for normal unleaded

 

[Mushroom]

The UK cost of living is exposing something that isn't new but it's growing.

Two examples of how scams are on the rise and I believe the economic situation has played a part in both.
My daughters paid £250 deposit for a voucher to hire a motorhome in January 2021.
Valid for 2 years with a company which was receiving rave reviews.
Today, I went on their website to check for an available motorhome for autumn and they had gone bust.
Nothing new in that but this company has been taking deposits, even final balances and fobbing people off with cancellations and changes since October last year from what I have since found out.
It went bust at the beginning of last month. There are loads of examples of people paying up front and in one case a family of four had paid for a 10 day rental to go to Cornwall at Easter, turned up at the premises on day one to collect their vehicle, only to find the place closed down and as they had paid by BACS, like my daughters, they have lost their money.
My take on this one, is that the sole director of this company has no doubt had some serious debt on a dozen almost new motorhomes, has had a brilliant 2021 with the boom in staycations and then has read the economic situation posed for 2022, coupled with inflation putting up prices for sites, fuel prices going up, especially when Russia went into Ukraine and has decided to sell all he could, take his money and run as 2022 wasn't going to be anywhere as good as the previous year.

The second one I have just heard about from a friend who owns a Porsche and as such is on an owner's forum.
There is an independent Porsche car sales company, somewhere in our neck of the woods who has seen that 2022 is not a good year to own a gas guzzling sports car and as owners are starting to bail out, he has been offering a service to sell their cars on their behalf and take a commission for doing so, on a sale or return basis.
Trouble is, he has been selling them, failing to tell the owner in a timely fashion or return their proceeds and after accumulating thousands of pounds selling the cars on, he has done a runner.
As the 'new' buyer has bought in good faith, it is leading to loads of legal arguments and still no dosh for the original owners.

Had everything in the UK garden been rosy, I doubt if either of these scams would have happened?

 

[Maisie]

In the second example. Surely, the 'new' owner has purchased what is in essence stolen goods, and as such, the vehicle belongs to the original owner. This is the same as selling a vehicle whilst still owing payments to a finance company and not paying the balance from the proceeds.

Maisie

 

[Mushroom]

In the second example. Surely, the 'new' owner has purchased what is in essence stolen goods, and as such, the vehicle belongs to the original owner. This is the same as selling a vehicle whilst still owing payments to a finance company and not paying the balance from the proceeds.

Maisie

The bought in good faith bit leaves everything up for legal arguments at court. The court case will come at cost and someone will be well out of pocket.
Can the car be deemed 'stolen' ?

 

[Kanga]

The bought in good faith bit leaves everything up for legal arguments at court. The court case will come at cost and someone will be well out of pocket.
Can the car be deemed 'stolen' ?

Quite likely if the taker of the car 'intended to permanently deprive the owner thereof'. He cannot say he didn't intend to deprive the owner/seller if he ran off with the money he received for selling the car.

 

[Mushroom]

Quite likely if the taker of the car 'intended to permanently deprive the owner thereof'. He cannot say he didn't intend to deprive the owner/seller if he ran off with the money he received for selling the car.

The problem comes when you entrust someone to sell your car for you. It isn't subject to theft at that time.
If the car is sold, and at that time it is with the prior approval of the owner - no crime.
It's only when the 'broker' does a runner with the cash, it's the cash that is subject to theft as it hasn't gone to the original owner. The new buyer has bought it in good faith and the previous owner has not got his money from the sale.
The legals about who owns the car is the question. It wasn't stolen at the time of the sale if the broker says he was going to give the proceeds to the original owner, but changed his mind.

Theft Act 1968

A person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it.

The car was never dishonestly appropriated.
No-one can say without an admission to the contrary what the 'broker' was intending at the time of
handover, sale etc.

 

[yalimart]

 

[Maisie]

I don't think that J.R. Hartley will ever find that particular publication however extensive his search may be.

Maisie

 

[Camden]

 

[juco]

They say 10% inflation by end of year, on a personal basis (both retired, no mortgage) without sitting down and accurately working it out I reckon its probably above 20% just now for us as the bulk of our outgoings are Energy, Petrol,council tax & food.

 

[yalimart]

They say 10% inflation by end of year, on a personal basis (both retired, no mortgage) without sitting down and accurately working it out I reckon its probably above 20% just now for us as the bulk of our outgoings are Energy, Petrol,council tax & food.

Similar here, we are using a lot of diesel at the moment travelling over to East Lothian twice a week, 95 mile round trip, @40 to the gallon, approximately £35 to £40 per week over and above our normal fuel costs

 

[Mushroom]

My journo daughter got herself a promotion yesterday and with it came a new title and a 10% pay rise.
You can't spend a title and 10% inflation will wipe out the pay rise.
The one positive for her is that she has fully worked at home for 2 1/2 years now, saving time and travel expenses to and from her Leeds office 5 days a week.
The bad news for us is that her office and accommodation is with us !!

 

[Akasya]

View attachment 28046

self entitled TORY scum.
steve

 

[juco]

This is getting bl..dy ridiculous!
Last year for May (full month) I used 254 kWh of elec and cost £43.67.
This year and only half of May gone I have used 104 kWh and the cost is £44.34 !

 

[429nufc]

self entitled TORY scum.
steve

Don’t hold back just say it like it is!

 

[Mushroom]

This is getting bl..dy ridiculous!
Last year for May (full month) I used 254 kWh of elec and cost £43.67.
This year and only half of May gone I have used 104 kWh and the cost is £44.34 !

I'm looking at being in credit by £72 on our dual fuel bill. Only problem - What used to be £120 is now £200 per month and we already had £230 in credit before our energy provider went bust.

 

[yalimart]

Great news for some.

Saudi oil giant Aramco's first-quarter profits surge 80%

Oil giant Saudi Aramco says its profits soared more than 80% in the first three months of the year, as the state-backed company cashes in on the volatility in global energy markets and soaring oil prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

uk.news.yahoo.com

 

[yalimart]

 

[Mushroom]

Just reviewing the 'deals' for EV charging at home with my current supplier EDF, and comparing with Octopus energy.
Both companies are basically offering cheaper off 'peak rates' (night time) but what I would save during that time is then at the cost of increased electricity unit rates during the day, so no advantages there.
EDF has the cheek to offer 3 packages for electricity, but it would charge for dual fuel as a condition.
The gas daily standing charge would be exactly the same as it is on the variable tariff, but the unit charge is almost double.
Octopus are showing a reduction in my yearly home and car charging bills of nearly £1000 on an estimate based on the size of house etc against EDF, but I don't think it is achievable.
I would be grateful for any insights as to the quality of service from Octopus?

 

[enoch]

Just reviewing the 'deals' for EV charging at home with my current supplier EDF, and comparing with Octopus energy.
Both companies are basically offering cheaper off 'peak rates' (night time) but what I would save during that time is then at the cost of increased electricity unit rates during the day, so no advantages there.
EDF has the cheek to offer 3 packages for electricity, but it would charge for dual fuel as a condition.
The gas daily standing charge would be exactly the same as it is on the variable tariff, but the unit charge is almost double.
Octopus are showing a reduction in my yearly home and car charging bills of nearly £1000 on an estimate based on the size of house etc against EDF, but I don't think it is achievable.
I would be grateful for any insights as to the quality of service from Octopus?

My daughters mates have been with octopus a few years no problem that's why my daughter went with them no problem upto now.