Getting value for money for my council tax money
5 April 2009
Council Tax
It is April, which in England means we have to start paying a tax to the local government. This tax is called 'Council Tax' and it is levied on each house. Since everyone has to live somewhere, it is basically a tax on everyone, except full-time students, poor people and so on. Sadly I do not fall into any the exemptions anymore so will have to find the thousand odd pounds or arrange installments.
The city government ('council') has lots of other income, but this is the most visible as you have to organise the payment yourself. Just under 3.8% of the payment goes to the Fire station, fair enough, I do want to be rescued in the event of a fire; and 7.8% goes to the local police force who have proved their value to me already, catching and locking up the person who robbed my house a couple of years ago.
Half of the rest goes towards schools and other services for the city's children. Now I don't have any children, so I don't personally benefit. Well perhaps indirectly, schools keep the local tearaways rounded up in school, giving a few blessed hours on the bus and in shopping centres without the little darlings - that has got to be worth something per week.
Where the rest goes I am not sure. So since I cannot avoid the council tax, I decided to see whether this year, I could get better value for money out of my council tax. I will look into what useful services they have that I don't currently take advantage of. By the end of the year, I will decide whether the council is a huge rip-off or whether I have gotten good value for my money. Of course, I will take a special interest in services I can access digitally. Starting with a spring declutter.
Bulk Item Collection
In my city, the council take away our rubbish each week. However, they cannot take large or heavy items in these weekly collections.
For large items, you can drive them yourself to the 'recycling centre'. Previously when I wanted to get rid of larger things, I would get a visiting relative to drive me to the dump (what a pleasant experience for them).
However, for people like me who do not own a car, the council provides a service called 'Bulky Waste Collections'.
It worked pretty well, I filled out an online form which automatically booked me an appointment. All I had to then was bung all my heavy crap into my front garden and then the council crew came yesterday with their truck and picked it all up.
You are allowed six things per appointment, so I decided to get rid of:
- An electric Fire, which went somewhat rusty in damp student digs.
- A VGA monitor circa 1992, still worked
- A hoover, Broken
- An HP printer, the plastic cog was broken, couldn't find a replacement, cost to get the cog fabricated was greater than cost of new printer.
- An Apple Power Macintosh Performa 6420 and monitor.
Having men in a truck take away your old heavy crap is a useful service, I will certainly use it again. It certainly feels liberating to throw out stuff, I am already eying up stuff for my next six items.
1 Andrew West says...
Good to see you are making the most of you council tax, just two points.
Not all councils provide this service for free. Last time I used Leicester City councils bulk waste collection there was a fee ( around £30 I think ) also had a maximum amount of lifts ( 3 ). I think the lifts part was to stop people abusing the service asking them to take sofas and the like, so I'm not sure if there are exceptions for smaller items.
Secondly, some of the items you mentioned still seemed to work. Was there a reason you didn't freecycle them? People will come pick them up for you and give them a good home where they will continue to be used. Even the items that don't work are worth offering, there are people ( I'm not one of them ) that can turn there hand to repairing anything, like a modern day McGyver.
Posted at 10:35 p.m. on April 16, 2009