UK Water Tariff Inequality: Case for National Social Tariff

Social tariff support for water shouldn’t depend on postcode. As a New Appointments and Variation (NAV) we have witnessed first-hand how inconsistent the current system is for customers. The INA’s Nicola Pitts sets out the case for a national social tariff in Water Magazine, highlighting how comparable low-income households on a social tariff can face bills of up to £534 in Whitby versus £100 in Winchester. Whilst the water sector provides substantial support of around £640m a year for social tariffs, Nicola argues it’s time to use existing powers to create a national social tariff, with contributions pooled across incumbents and NAVs to make eligibility clearer and support fairer. You can read the full article on the INA blog here:  https://lnkd.in/eYR7dG-H Rob Bradley Keith Edwards Michael Blake

Support with your water bill shouldn’t depend on your postcode. Right now, social tariff schemes vary across the country. For customers under financial pressure this can mean confusion, inconsistent criteria and uncertainty about what help is available, simply because of where they live. A national social tariff for water would change that. 💧 One clear framework 💧 Consistent support for eligible households 💧 Greater transparency and fairness 💧 Simpler delivery across the industry At Leep, we support the development of a nationwide social tariff because it would be fairer for customers and easier to understand, while also removing unnecessary complexity for NAVs delivering services across multiple regions. A single, joined-up approach would benefit everyone. Read more here:👉 https://lnkd.in/eYR7dG-H INA (Independent Networks Association) Water Magazine #WaterIndustry #SocialTariff #Affordability #CustomerSupport #NAV

Today Sweden halved the VAT charged on food. Denmark is paying a food cheque to pensioners and qualified benefit claimants to offset the cost of living. Britain is blaming everyone else for profetering although the Government is the biggest profiteer from fuel cost. Time to actively do something

Open message to the Labour Party. Surely it is time you stopped blaming those who went before you. You are in power now, and you have numerous levers available to you, should you genuinely wish to provide assistance to your constituents. You have the ability not only to hold off on any fuel duty increases, you could also remove VAT altogether. At the very least, you could target these reductions at an already burgeoning freight industry that operates on margins that would make your eyes water. Can I suggest you cast your eyes across the water to Ireland, who's government last week passed legislation to reduce excise duty of diesel and petrol 20% and 15% respectively. An increased diesel rebate scheme for hauliers and bus operators was also signed off, along with a four week extension to the fuel allowance season, meaning households will receive €38 per week, totalling €152. That's how you do it, You could also choose to issue licences to increase drilling in the North Sea. Instead of producing just 50% (53 million tonnes) of our requirements domestically, we currently import the remaining 50% (51 million tonnes) at increased cost. Has no one in the so-called “net zero” movement calculated the carbon footprint of shipping that 51 million tonnes? You could make the decision to reduce, pause, or stop foreign aid (£137 billion in 2025). This is not a call for isolationism, but rather a recognition that we must also look after the British people, many who are living from hand to mouth, struggling to afford food and keep a warm, lit roof over their heads. With increasing numbers that are living in tents, in cars, or in cold, wet conditions on the streets. There is a growing list of people in desperate need of help—not charity, but a fair return for paying into a system that you appear to be systematically dismantling. Prevaricating and failing to answer tough, searching questions may work for a while, until the voting public realise that the repeated refrain of “blame it on them” is reminiscent of the boy who cried wolf—and we all know how that story ends.

Open Message to New Zealand’s National Government As global fuel pressures rise, many countries are taking decisive action to protect their economies by temporarily reducing fuel taxes. New Zealand, however, continues to carry one of the heaviest fuel tax burdens. Per litre of petrol, the taxes include: - Fuel Excise Duty (NLTF): ~70.024 cents - ETS Levy: ~14–18 cents - ACC Levy: 6 cents - Local Authority Levy: ~0.66 cents - GST: 15% applied on top This totals around $1.20 per litre in taxes alone. This issue extends beyond fuel; it is an economic pressure point affecting: - Construction costs - Grocery prices - Transport and logistics - Every business and household in New Zealand While other nations are actively reducing these burdens, New Zealand businesses and families continue to absorb the full impact. National Government — this is the time to act. A temporary reduction in fuel taxes would: ✔ Immediately reduce the cost of living ✔ Support struggling businesses ✔ Lower inflationary pressure ✔ Help stabilize and grow the economy This is not about long-term policy change — it’s about short-term relief during a global crisis. We need practical, immediate action to ensure businesses survive and the economy continues to move forward. Please consider stepping in and supporting New Zealand when it matters most. #NewZealand #NationalGovernment #FuelPrices #CostOfLiving #BusinessSupport #Inflation #Economy #SMEs #Construction #Leadership

Okay, let’s call something out. I keep seeing media commentators claim that if the Government had kept taxing tradies’ utes and handing out EV subsidies, we’d somehow be better prepared for what’s happening with the situation in Iran right now. It’s a wild take, and it’s completely wrong. Those EV subsidies were going to people who could already afford an expensive EV - and yes, that even included a Porsche. Meanwhile, who was footing the bill? Farmers and tradies - people with no real alternative - being penalised just for buying the tools they need to do their job. Here’s what nobody seems to want to talk about: National cancelled Labour’s planned 12c per litre petrol tax and the 11.5c per litre Auckland Regional Fuel Tax. If Labour had won the last election, we’d all be paying a lot more at the pump right now. Fuel security is a real issue and Ministers are on it, working to make sure New Zealand gets the supplies we need. But the media needs to do better. Report the facts, not a narrative built around decisions that were never as simple as they’re making out.

The Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) is tightening its grip on the country’s betting and gambling industry, targeting both operators and winners who may not be declaring income, as part of an intensified enforcement drive. The tax authority is relying on a newly signed cooperation agreement with the Gambling Board of Namibia, which will give it access to detailed data on operators and winnings, in a move aimed at closing compliance gaps and bringing more participants into the tax net. NamRA Commissioner Sam SHIVUTE said the agreement signals a shift towards stricter oversight of a fast-growing sector that has remained unevenly regulated from a tax perspective. “We are going to receive data on all players in the industry and compare it with our tax records. Where there is non-compliance, we will raise assessments to ensure the correct taxes are paid,” Shivute told The Brief. https://lnkd.in/dQA8n9Cj #namibia #gambling #compliance #tax 

Australians deserve transparency. As fuel prices surge toward $2.50–$3.00 per litre, families and businesses are feeling the strain every single day at the bowser, in freight costs, and across the entire cost of living. But here’s what’s not being talked about enough: 👉 The Australian Government quietly earns more every time fuel prices rise. • Fuel excise sits at ~51 cents per litre • GST increases with price ,now around 25–30 cents per litre That means close to 80 cents in every litre is tax. When prices jump by 40–50 cents per litre due to global tensions, the Government collects hundreds of millions even billions in additional GST revenue… without changing a single policy. Let that sink in. At the very moment households are under pressure: • Grocery bills rise • Transport costs surge • Small businesses get squeezed …the Government’s tax intake grows. This isn’t about blame it’s about balance. If Australians are expected to absorb global shocks, then there must be: ✔ Transparency in how much additional tax is being collected ✔ Accountability in how that windfall is used ✔ Consideration of temporary relief when pressure peaks Because right now, it feels like everyday Australians carry the burden… while the system benefits in the background. It’s time to have an honest conversation. Please share the post. #FuelPrices #CostOfLiving #Australia #Transparency #EconomicReality

In a free country the government should never take the majority of what a person earns. I would propose a simple amendment to the New Zealand Bill of Rights. No citizen should ever be taxed more than 51 percent of their annual income. At the end of the year every New Zealander should be able to do a simple calculation. Take their total income. Subtract income tax. Subtract GST paid through consumption. Subtract fuel tax, alcohol tax, cigarette tax, and any other taxes collected through daily life. Include local government taxes as well, such as property rates. If the combined total taken by central and local government is more than half of a person’s income, the citizen receives an automatic refund. I would set the limit symbolically at 51 percent. The government can never take more than 49 percent. The individual must always receive the majority share of what they produce. Because free people should receive the primary benefit of their own labour. If the state takes more than half of what you earn, you are not primarily working for yourself. You are working for the government.