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UK Cost of Living Increases: Who Should Reeves Support…and How ?

  Once again, Rachel Reeves has a thorny problem on her hands…and it's a significant one, and not one she can ignore.... We’re all starting to feel the pinch as a result of the latest economic shock – Trump’s ill-advised Iran War.  We all knew the economic pain it would cause; even before it started, a large slice of our population, on low wages but not entitled to benefits were really not able to make ends meet without taking out additional high-interest loans or cutting their outgoings to the bone. For some of them, yet another economic shock will bring them to the brink of bankruptcy. The excessive electricity and gas price rises imposed by the supplier ‘cartel’ to maintain their profit margins, and sanctioned by a compliant OFGEM, have been particularly injurious. Many consumers have been left with large personal debts in the form of unpaid utility bills, just because they opted to keep themselves and their kids warm and fed this winter. With a large hike expected i...

No Standing Charge Electricity Tariffs: OFGEM says they’re coming, but will they save us money ?

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A Warning to low Electricity and Gas users:   If you are anything other than a high user of both fuels, don't be tempted by offers from your supplier to fix your tariffs now.... Suppliers are now piling on the pressure to fix with a plethora of different and highly confusing offers, few if any of which include a reduction in the standing charge . These offers have been coming in thick and fast since the Iran war made a hike in prices in the July price cap almost inevitable. What's more, OFGEM are effectively 'co-conspiring' with suppliers to try to get you to fix now, by soft-pedalling on a final decision on the precise details of any SC reductions. It has allowed the supplier cartel to get away with promises of Low SC 'pilots' rather than an across the board Low SC tariff offer. OGFEM's own website gives little indication of any timescale for a future switch, merely referring to a 'consultation' on tariff revisions. There is also a nasty rumour that...

The Iran War: What are Trump’s Options and How Bad Could It Get ?

    Editor's Note: Please see recent update below the text... --------------------------------- Donald Trump has a problem on his hands…and the USA as a nation now has an even bigger one.... Having been persuaded by Netanyahu, and advised by his own White House advisors, that an all-out attack on the Iranian regime and its military wing, the IRGC, was the best solution to the ‘Iranian problem’, Trump was clearly expecting the war to be over in a matter of days. Somewhat surprisingly, this still seems to be his 'default' position for any campaign he starts, despite the lessons already provided by the Ukraine war and the continued attacks by all 3 of the Iranian proxies in the face of the massive bombing campaigns meted out to all 3 since the October 7th HAMAS attack. All this does beg the question of how closely he is really being kept informed, and who is actually driving US foreign policy... Despite the intense battering his military and the Israelis administered ove...