Comment by hexbin010

Also, electricity bills going up is partly to blame - our bills in the UK now contain even more tax to write off energy bad debt ! So more people who default, the more bailing out, the more tax in our energy bills...

There are various other taxes hidden in the energy bills, which also have VAT applied to them !:

- Writing off debt of failed energy suppliers

- A £150 energy handout for poorer households and pensioners

- Funding a scheme that encouraged people to get solar panels

- A tax to fund the stupid smart meter roll-out (they get away with calling them 'free' but then you pay ~£15-20/year for it)

Instead of using general taxation, now there are now extra taxes even for the people who can afford it the least. Strikes me as pretty insane.