'Feeling ripped off for sticking with BT' - your letters, plus Walsall power station seen from the canal, 1964

​Penalising the loyal customer

An email arrived from the company which provides my internet connection and - since I'm an old geezer - landline. BT - for it is they - have some special offers for me, with full-fibre broadband There are various offers, but the top, super-duper, ultra-high-speed 900 Mb possibility will set me back a mere £74.86 a month for 24 months, albeit with the slight catch that it goes up to £78.86 on 31 March 2026 and then another four quid in 2027.

Cue a quick chat with my younger (and more techy) brother, who thinks I'm being royally ripped off. Now I turn to everyone's financial friend, the Money Saving Expert, Martin Lewis. What's this I see before me? Not the cheapest option, but there it is: BT 900 Mb broadband and phone at £40.99 (£44.99 from March), and a £170 cashback "reward". The catch: new customers only. Is anybody - the toolmaker's son and civil rights lawyer Starmer, the working bloke's mate Farage - going to legislate to stop this penalty for disloyalty?

Alan Harrison, Bloxwich

Rain today, ban for tomorrow

Woke up this morning to go to work and it’s raining again, but I’d like to make a bet the come June or July the water companies will be putting out a message to save water and operate a hosepipe ban.

Colin Hubbard, Dudley

Tax burden goes to our councils

The government is shifting the responsibility for tax increases onto local councils.

Starving them of cash, while the cost of social care skyrockets, many are forced to apply to increase council tax way beyond the maximum of 4.99 per cent which in itself, is beyond inflation.

Not only will many people struggle to pay this, they will see a reduction in the public services they depend on.

This is a tax hike however you choose to calculate it, so local councils do the government's dirty work.

Mike Crump, Bridgnorth

Make them fill the potholes!

It seems to me that a lot of potholes are created at old and new service trench reinstatements? When these are obviously identified on site or from records, should any motorists claims be paid for by the relevant service authorities, rather than the poor old council tax payer!

Peter Hassall, Shifnal

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