A British game show is highlighting just how bad Europe’s energy crunch has gotten by offering payment of contestants’ heating bills as a prize.
The show, called “This Morning,” features a segment called “Spin to Win,” where the hosts spin a wheel to win prizes on behalf of callers. In the past, contestants vied for cash, but now there’s a wedge on the wheel that provides for payment of heating bills for the rest of the year.
“This week we’ve got our usual cash prizes, but you could also win some extra cash to pay your energy bills until the end of the year,” host Phillip Schofield said. “That’s four months of energy bills taken care of.”
Co-host Holly Willoughby then chimed in, “Wow, that’s very important right now.”
people are going to freeze to death this year because of energy crisis. turning it into light entertainment is beyond bleak. pic.twitter.com/xxrS90jgGG
— Ben Smoke (@bencsmoke) September 5, 2022
All of Europe is grappling with spiking energy bills while the Russian invasion of Ukraine has sent natural gas prices skyrocketing. Sanctions on Russia, which has long provided much of Europe’s natural gas, and Russia’s efforts to retaliate against Europe have driven the bills of homeowners and shopkeepers up ten-fold in some cases.
Germany has also been hit hard, and last week, Russia announced that it would be cutting off its gas supply via Nord Stream 1.
“This is not normal at all. It’s incredibly volatile,” Fabian Rønningen, a senior analyst at Rystad Energy, said of high energy prices throughout Germany on Tuesday. “These prices are reaching levels now that we thought we would never see.”
RIP Europe
"At current forward prices, we estimate that energy bills will peak early next year at c.€500/month for a typical European family, implying c.200% increase vs. 2021. For Europe as a whole, this implies a c.€2 TRILLION surge in energy bills, or c.15% of GDP" pic.twitter.com/8LUpt1iEn9
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) September 5, 2022
Soaring bills were on the mind of the television show’s first caller since the new prize was added.
“I’ve got one of these prepayment meters and it’s absolutely murder,” the man said.
When the wheel landed on energy relief, he was ecstatic.
“Oh my God! Thank you! Fantastic, what a relief, thank you very much!”
Some viewers said the new prize was a “sad reflection” of the nation’s energy crunch.
“‘This Morning’ having ‘energy bills’ as a prize on their ‘Spin to Win’ is the most dystopian and sad reflection on society right now,” tweeted one. “How did we get to this point? Madness.”
Another viewer tweeted that the show proves the UK is doomed.
“When you can win the prize of having your energy bills paid and they pretend like it’s a good thing, that’s when you know this country is f***ed,” the viewer wrote.