Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Sheilbh]

Another example first idea to be announced by Reeves is basically a measure that would ensure cost of pre-pay metered energy is the same as people who pay by direct debit. It'll cost about £120 million to reimburse energy companies.

This is good and helps some of the poorest directly. But if this is the line of thinking it's still woefully inadequate.

Apparently it will be one of several policies they're planning to announce. I hope the rest are a lot bigger and more ambitious than that

[mongers]

The UK ship of state is now a bus, a 1962 red routemaster, parked in a lay-by on the A31 out of Guildford, it's locked, the drivers has left his shift early and in a nearby transport cafe, the conductor is arguing with the ticket inspector as to who really deserves to be promoted 1st.

[Josquius]

Another example first idea to be announced by Reeves is basically a measure that would ensure cost of pre-pay metered energy is the same as people who pay by direct debit. It'll cost about £120 million to reimburse energy companies.

This is good and helps some of the poorest directly. But if this is the line of thinking it's still woefully inadequate.

Apparently it will be one of several policies they're planning to announce. I hope the rest are a lot bigger and more ambitious than that

I recently cancelled my direct debit. Thought it'd be nice to take control of payments and just pay my bills as I get them to stop them overcharging my account into credit.
Promptly got a mail from the shit bags to say anything other than direct debit had extra costs.
This should be illegal.
Yes it's more expensive for them. And that's not the customers problem.

[Admiral Yi]

I recently cancelled my direct debit. Thought it'd be nice to take control of payments and just pay my bills as I get them to stop them overcharging my account into credit.
Promptly got a mail from the shit bags to say anything other than direct debit had extra costs.
This should be illegal.
Yes it's more expensive for them. And that's not the customers problem.

Why should it be illegal for companies to give a break to customers who sign up for automatic payment? 

[HVC]

Non political, but I'm irrationally angered by the Brit's use of the term hose pipe. It's like saying car vehicle. That is all.

[Jacob]

Non political, but I'm irrationally angered by the Brit's use of the term hose pipe. It's like saying car vehicle. That is all.

A hose is a leg-covering.

A pipe is a rigid tube, frequently used for conveying liquids.

A hose pipe, presumably has the characteristics of both of those objects. Perhaps it has the floppy flexibility of hoses, while the liquid conveying ability of a pipe?

Later, when the use of the word hose to describe leg coverings fell out of use (but is still used in terms like pantyhose) some folks shortened "hose pipe" to "hose" in their usage.

Yet later again, HVC got irrationally angry about the fact that not everyone uses that shortened form.

[Josquius]

I recently cancelled my direct debit. Thought it'd be nice to take control of payments and just pay my bills as I get them to stop them overcharging my account into credit.
Promptly got a mail from the shit bags to say anything other than direct debit had extra costs.
This should be illegal.
Yes it's more expensive for them. And that's not the customers problem.

Why should it be illegal for companies to give a break to customers who sign up for automatic payment? 

They don't.

[Admiral Yi]

They don't.

What am I misunderstanding?

[Josquius]

They don't.

What am I misunderstanding?

I guess you're assuming for direct debit it's the price - x.
In actuality for non DD it's the price + x.
Nobody is getting a break. They're just punishing people whose bank accounts they don't have control over.

[The Brain]

 

[Admiral Yi]

I'm assuming Mr. A with automatic withdrawal pays less than Mr. B without.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Nibbles on popcorn...this is a promising disagreement 

[Tamas]

They don't.

What am I misunderstanding?

I guess you're assuming for direct debit it's the price - x.
In actuality for non DD it's the price + x.
Nobody is getting a break. They're just punishing people whose bank accounts they don't have control over.

Why do you insist on making your life harder?

Being in credit its fine, that way you pay a predictable fixed amount each month. Sure they get to hold your money and profit from it, but that's not really different from the receiving a windfall from you each winter and then profiting from all that cash of yours.

[Josquius]

I'm assuming Mr. A with automatic withdrawal pays less than Mr. B without.

Yes. But this is down to punishing B with a higher than standard price rather than rewarding A with a lower than standard price.
Incentives and punishments are different things.

[Admiral Yi]

Yes. But this is down to punishing B with a higher than standard price rather than rewarding A with a lower than standard price.
Incentives and punishments are different things.

Empirically this is not my experience, which is that my phone company, for example, quotes a standard price and then informs me that I can get a price reduction for signing up for automatic withdrawal.

For the sake of argument let's say your company does it the other way.  The standard price they quote is the lower one, then they say there will be a surcharge if you insist on getting billed.

Why should this be illegal?  The customer of your company has not been defrauded.  They weren't lied to.  They were informed of the two payment options and their respective prices. 

They are not being punished any more than a woman is punished for having more hair and therefore paying more for a cut than a man.  The two groups have different costs of servicing, and it is reasonable to charge groups with different costs different amounts.  Airlines charge more to passengers with excess baggage (I guess any at all these days).  That is not punishment, that is passing on the added cost of fuel and baggage handling.

A price break is mathematically the obverse of a surcharge.  One is lower and one is higher.  To call one punishment is simply a framing exercise, a narrative.  The facts haven't changed.