TV Licensing: Maths Fail
Sep. 1st, 2010 11:43 am I went to renew my TV License yesterday.
Given that I figure I will always want a license until I do not any more[1] - and even if you move, you can get it moved over to your new address - I decided to go for the "Direct Debit" option. This will be £145 (ish) per year. You have the option of paying yearly, quarterly or monthly.
The Quarterly option charges a £5 premium. This is a fair and not unreasonable charge for the trouble of waiting up to nine months for your monies.
The monthly option, however, was somewhat more suspect. The system decided that the monthly payments for this year's charge of £145 would be split evenly across the remainder of the calendar year, and that next year's monthly payments would begin immediately come January. So I'd be paying £145 for the August-December period, then £145 for January-December next year. Effectively, for the first 12-month August-July period I'd be paying £217 for the TV license.
It's all very well if you're renewing or setting up your TV license in January, but a leetle bit suspect at all other times.
So I went for the yearly option...
[1] This will most likely occur only when the TV License itself is abolished, or some rich sugar daddy comes along and offers to pay all my bills and expenses for me thank you very much. Whichever is sooner.
Given that I figure I will always want a license until I do not any more[1] - and even if you move, you can get it moved over to your new address - I decided to go for the "Direct Debit" option. This will be £145 (ish) per year. You have the option of paying yearly, quarterly or monthly.
The Quarterly option charges a £5 premium. This is a fair and not unreasonable charge for the trouble of waiting up to nine months for your monies.
The monthly option, however, was somewhat more suspect. The system decided that the monthly payments for this year's charge of £145 would be split evenly across the remainder of the calendar year, and that next year's monthly payments would begin immediately come January. So I'd be paying £145 for the August-December period, then £145 for January-December next year. Effectively, for the first 12-month August-July period I'd be paying £217 for the TV license.
It's all very well if you're renewing or setting up your TV license in January, but a leetle bit suspect at all other times.
So I went for the yearly option...
[1] This will most likely occur only when the TV License itself is abolished, or some rich sugar daddy comes along and offers to pay all my bills and expenses for me thank you very much. Whichever is sooner.