The Spog Blog

The government's measure of inflation seems not to apply to people like me who spend on essentials i.e. proper food made from ingredients, power and fuel. Not clothes, new cars, electronic gadgets, eating out etc.

To illustrate that: from an email last week from EDF Energy:

"Congratulations!
It has been two years since you signed up for the Read. Reduce. Reward Scheme and we are delighted to award you 1000 Nectar points for reducing your annual electricity usage from year one to year two. Your usage is recorded below.
Year 1 annual electricity usage - 015736 kWh
Year 2 annual electricity usage - 007198 kWh"

Yes - that is a 55% decrease - for which we have worked hard.

This morning, the end of year payment review arrived, telling us that our monthly budget plan payment has been changed (i.e increased) from £46 to £70 - a 52% increase.

I think I'll blow the Nectar points on long johns for us to wear in the winter... or perhaps candles to light us after dark.

"The fuel surcharge is £2.50 a leg per car, and 30p per leg for foot passengers".

Thus spake the MD of Wightlink on BBC's Working Lunch today, explaining how increased diesel costs were affecting his business. The web site requires you to know the price of Brent crude in order to see how much you will be paying - now there's a novelty.

From the Uplyme Gazette, June 31st

"Devon housewife Lois Wakeman was expecting a delivery of a new sofa and chair from Tesco Direct last week.

"She was somewhat bemused to be called on the day of delivery by a Tesco rep, claiming that the delivery driver had only just noticed that the sofa had three legs. He then went on to encourage Mrs Wakeman to accept the sofa to see if she could do something with it. Leaving her more lurid speculations aside, suffice it to say that the delivery was declined, and a replacement scheduled.

"That wasn't the end of the story however. The next day, she received a 'phone call from a shadowy organisation calling itself the FDRC, warning her that she was being considered for prosecution, on a charge of unfairly discriminating against a three legged sofa, which with a little attention, glue and a piece of 2x4, could perform a useful role in society.

"She's still waiting to hear if anything will happen on this front, but feels unfairly victimised, as she already has an office chair with a wonky wheel that has not been abandoned, and sleeps in a bed with a missing castor."