BMO6 you've always had to buy a residence book so this is not a new expense. You buy it when you first apply then you can renew 4 times on the same book.
The annual fees are drastically reduced so it's a fantastic gain and not "they will get you one way or another"..
I did my residency in 1.5 hours, with no help, so it's really easy if you follow the instructions and get your copying and pics etc done the day before.