Goofy
07-03-2015, 02:49 PM
http://i.imgur.com/96hfD4v.jpg
Are you paying over £100 a year when you don’t need to?
In these days of student loans and massive rents, saving £145.50 might sound like a good idea. That’s the annual price the government charges each household to watch television in the UK – but only LIVE television.
If you only download programmes after they have been shown from services like BBC iPlayer, All 4 and ITV Player, you don’t have to pay the licence fee at all. Hooray!
The loophole even works if you use a television set just to access programmes online, and it includes subscription services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Hundreds of people have been paying out the fee when they don’t need to, so take a look at your viewing habits and ask if this could be you.
The government can sound rather sinister in its surveillance of whether you’re paying, e.g.: ‘We have a fleet of detector vans that can detect TVs within minutes.’
If they catch you watching live TV without a licence they can fine you £1000.
But don’t worry – it is totally legal not to pay as long as you don’t watch live.
Remember though that if you stream programmes from iPlayer at the same time they are shown on normal TV – for example watching Wimbledon in real time – you still need to pay. You’re also liable for the fee if you record shows as they happen to watch later.
This isn’t good news for everyone though – the BBC has announced 1000 jobs will go because they are not making enough money from the licence fee.
The corporation is short of £150 million – and they’re blaming people watching catch-up programmes on computers instead of opting for the traditional TV in the living room set-up.
Job losses are expected to save £50 million, which still doesn’t plug the financial hole so more cuts are likely in the future.
The licence fee has been frozen for seven years and in 2016 the BBC will decide whether it will raise the price.
Are you paying over £100 a year when you don’t need to?
In these days of student loans and massive rents, saving £145.50 might sound like a good idea. That’s the annual price the government charges each household to watch television in the UK – but only LIVE television.
If you only download programmes after they have been shown from services like BBC iPlayer, All 4 and ITV Player, you don’t have to pay the licence fee at all. Hooray!
The loophole even works if you use a television set just to access programmes online, and it includes subscription services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Hundreds of people have been paying out the fee when they don’t need to, so take a look at your viewing habits and ask if this could be you.
The government can sound rather sinister in its surveillance of whether you’re paying, e.g.: ‘We have a fleet of detector vans that can detect TVs within minutes.’
If they catch you watching live TV without a licence they can fine you £1000.
But don’t worry – it is totally legal not to pay as long as you don’t watch live.
Remember though that if you stream programmes from iPlayer at the same time they are shown on normal TV – for example watching Wimbledon in real time – you still need to pay. You’re also liable for the fee if you record shows as they happen to watch later.
This isn’t good news for everyone though – the BBC has announced 1000 jobs will go because they are not making enough money from the licence fee.
The corporation is short of £150 million – and they’re blaming people watching catch-up programmes on computers instead of opting for the traditional TV in the living room set-up.
Job losses are expected to save £50 million, which still doesn’t plug the financial hole so more cuts are likely in the future.
The licence fee has been frozen for seven years and in 2016 the BBC will decide whether it will raise the price.