Background

I always had a licence, but never watched TV very much.

Just how little was brought home to me one Easter. Before going on holiday, I always scrupulously go round the house unplugging everything. That particular Easter I went to unplug the TV, and realised that it hadn't been plugged in since I had last unplugged it at Christmas. The TV sat in the corner of the living room, licensed but unloved.

Then came the analogue switch-off. Now even had I wanted to watch, I could not have without a set-top box. I didn't bother. The TV went off on the rag-and-bone man's horse and cart and I haven't missed it once.

Of course, no TV equals no licence, so when the time came to renew I informed TV licensing. It was a bit of a performance, if I remember, but eventually I was granted the status No Licence Needed.

Scroll forward two years. Apparently my No Licence Needed claim was about to expire. I never realised it was time-limited. So I told them, again, I did not watch live TV.

August 2019. Once again, my No Licence Needed claim was about to expire. But I've already told you twice that I don't need one, I thought, and twice is once too much. I decided to leave it and see what happened ...