TV Licensing spent almost £7.8 million on the postage costs of reminder letters in the last financial year.
In a Freedom of Information response to the TV Licensing Blog, the BBC confirmed that it posted 32,325,987 letters to unlicensed properties in 2018/19, each with an average postage cost of 24 pence.
The BBC is the statutory Television Licensing Authority and legally responsible for all activities undertaken in the name of TV Licensing.
The BBC acknowledges that more than 80 percent of these reminder letters are destined for correctly unlicensed properties, which have no legal need for a TV licence.
The 24 pence per letter rate does not include the costs of printing and processing each missive prior to it entering the mail system.
TV Licensing reminder letters have previously been dubbed threatograms for their dishonest wording and menacing tone, which falsely implies the recipients must buy a TV licence to avoid prosecution (for an offence they probably haven't committed).
The BBC additionally confirmed the following information:
- In 2012/13 there were 21,554,240 threatograms sent, each at an average postage cost of 21 pence (total postage cost £4.5 million).
- In 2013/14 there were 25,131,657 threatograms sent, each at an average postage cost of 21 pence (total postage cost £5.3 million).
- In 2014/15 there were 25,825,770 threatograms sent, each at an average postage cost of 21 pence (total postage cost £5.4 million).
- In 2015/16 there were 27,598,228 threatograms sent, each at an average postage cost of 21 pence (total postage cost £5.8 million).
- In 2016/17 there were 28,592,877 threatograms sent, each at an average postage cost of 22 pence (total postage cost £6.3 million).
- In 2017/18 there were 30,032,027 threatograms sent, each at an average postage cost of 22 pence (total postage cost £6.6 million).
- In 2018/19 there were 32,335,987 threatograms sent, each at an average postage cost of 24 pence (total postage cost £7.8 million).
- In 2019/20 (to July) there were 10,846,093 threatograms sent, each at an average postage cost of 25 pence (total postage cost £2.7 million).
Based on the current rate of distribution, around 32.5 million threatograms will be posted by the end of 2019/20 at a total postage cost of £8.1 million.
According to the most recent BBC Annual Report, the annual cost of administering the TV licence fee is £103 million.
A TV Licensing spokesperson said: "TV Licensing has a duty to enforce the law on behalf of the honest majority, and letters are a cost effective way to enforce the licence fee. TV licence evasion is in the region of 6% to 7% and we write several times to unlicensed addresses to check if a licence is needed. Our letters bring in more money than they cost to send and we only use them where we don't have an email address.
"We also offer many ways for people to pay their licence including cash instalment schemes and we also work with almost 350 community organisations throughout the UK to offer information and support and help people understand when a licence is needed."
You can read the full text of our request and the BBC's response here. We'd be grateful if anyone using this information cites the TV Licensing Blog as the source.
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7 comments:
As always they are bloody liars, I know several people who are threatened by both postal and email bullshit. In one case they are still trying to take money from the victims bank account 18 months after she cancelled her license and sending emails to tell her the bank refused to pay the direct debit payment.
Always make sure you cancel your direct debit at the same time you cancel your license.
Funny how the police don't have the authority to enforce the law on firearm licences. I don't own a gun, yet I've never had one single letter from the police to confirm I don't need one or had one of their 'gun inspectors' visit my unlicensed property. Why? because that would be abuse of power in a public office and could potentially lead to a jail term (for the police officer)
I remember someone challenging a TV Licensing goon with the same argument "I don't have a firearms licence either, but the police don't ask me to prove I don't need one".
The response by the goon was quite revealing "the police know you probably don't have a firearm, but everyone needs a TV licence".
Such is the ignorance of TV Licensing.
Since I stopped paying for the second time, Aug 2016, a total of over 30 years without one, I have had only two letters from them. One in June 2018, I sent it back to them, and July 2018, I sent that back as well, although the first had my name on it, the second one didn't. I don't put my name on the open register so there is little chance of them getting my name.
I have had two goon visits and beat them goons on the first in court by asking them to point out the aerial connection on my 22" monitor and the second one ended on his A55 trying to just walk in.Plod did sod all as I wouldn't exit my flat so they could arrest me but talked to them with the door closed.
Even second class letters are 63p so do the BBC get a special rate for posting their Junk to those who do not want a TV Licence? £2,700,000 if they sent them by second class it would be £6,833,000 and if they expect to send 32.5 million it would be £20,475,000 so the mail must be giving them a special rate.
Good to see the numbers increasing - shows that the number of people deciding to do without the BBC is ever increasing.
Interesting conversation with Warwickshire Police today over the threatening letters I keep receiving for BBC TVL. They told me if I have ANY equipment that is capable of receiving TV signals or if my PC has the ability to download from the BBC iplayer (which it has, it's a PC... derrr), then I HAVE to buy a TV Licence. They also said I should let them into my home as it gives me the opportunity "To prove my innocence". Furthermore they said the Police would also support TV Licensing in search warrants and finally they said 'the BBC are allowed to send threatening letters'.
How many wrong statements in one phone call was that! The police, just like the BBC, are completely inept and we're getting another 20,000 of these buffoons....
Consider the costs of disposing all that paper and plastics.
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