Gas & Electricty Prices Crises (Poor got £650) 11:30AM Live

[bots]

We've pretty much decided that we're not going to put up with being cold over the winter and will just swallow £100 each out of our pay for the gas bill on top of the regular bill. It's looking to be about £320 a month. But that's for actual usage, direct debit is cancelled and we're paying on bill - which means bills will be tiny by comparison over summer (we basically use no gas at all between April and October).

I do appreciate that we're in a somewhat privileged position to be able to just swallow £200 a month but I just can't be doing with the stress of watching every tick round of the utility metres so **** it I guess.

I feel somewhat aware that this is "what they want to happen" of course... they want people to accept this as the "new new normal" but there are too many other battles to stress over to keep worrying about this one.

It's not good for mental wellbeing looking at the minute details of energy usage. Do sensible things to be as efficient as reasonable for your situation, but then leave it at that. I have smart meters, but i just don't look at them. It gets cold in winter, your gas usage goes up, thats all you need to know

[Gusto Brunt]

We've pretty much decided that we're not going to put up with being cold over the winter and will just swallow £100 each out of our pay for the gas bill on top of the regular bill. It's looking to be about £320 a month. But that's for actual usage, direct debit is cancelled and we're paying on bill - which means bills will be tiny by comparison over summer (we basically use no gas at all between April and October).

I do appreciate that we're in a somewhat privileged position to be able to just swallow £200 a month but I just can't be doing with the stress of watching every tick round of the utility metres so **** it I guess.

I feel somewhat aware that this is "what they want to happen" of course... they want people to accept this as the "new new normal" but there are too many other battles to stress over to keep worrying about this one.

I know what you mean. There's cold, and then there is very cold. Only 1 degree C up here in the North East last Wednesday. Even though I was wrapped up and with a hot water bottle, the intense cold just got me and that '******* it' attitude comes into play.

But I am still cutting back a lot. I had the heating on for just one hour and that was my treat. Terrible when you have to look at being warm and avoiding hypothermia as a'treat'. :(

[smudgie]

Hubby has bled the radiators, they were ok before but it does boost it somewhat.
Heating goes on whenever I get up, normally turn it off at 9/10 so it’s not too hot in bedroom. Still sleeping with the summer quilt on and the fan on all night.
If it feels really cold then I pop a little throw on top.
Will be changing the bed to Xmas/winter bedding this week so winter quilts will come out of storage.

[arista]

[The i leads with an exclusive on energy firms
targeting the homes of customers in fuel poverty.
It says companies are using contentious
"utility warrants" so they can force entry
into the homes of struggling customers.]

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/7D9E/production/_127885123_imonfront-nc.png.webp

[arista]

Sky news text :
[The Daily Telegraph has a story on
energy companies hoarding customers' money,
saying that many are hiking direct debits
even if a customer's account is in credit.]

https://liveblog.digitalimages.sky/lc-images-sky/lcimg-2461d7cc-0adc-4f43-806a-247984b941c7.jpeg

[Gusto Brunt]

This is what I love about New Year. The days are getting longer and it's only about 8 weeks before we SHOULD be going back to better milder weather.

[arista]

https://liveblog.digitalimages.sky/lc-images-sky/lcimg-24950d8b-4460-449c-8119-9beb2739741c.png

[Beso]

£100 quid a week for me.

[Alf]

Get yourself a Onesie, you may look like a dick, but you'll save a fortune

[Crimson Dynamo]

i got a letter from Eon yesterday saying my bills will go up from jan one

turns out i will pay an extra £5.73 in 2023?

[Beso]

Get yourself a Onesie, you may look like a dick, but you'll save a fortune

I've got a onesie.

It's not a cow, a horse, deputy dog or anything..

It's a onesie of a onesie..price is still the same..wish I had gone for the reindeer foot covering one instead.

I did get one of those new hot water bottles though, that are about 3 foot long and very thin..a bit like Marco sabas. Much better than the traditional kettlenfilled ones that are square

[Vanessa]

Just been to the post office to redeem my voucher.
They refused to do it.
They said the barcode is not good.
I think they're lying to me.
They redeemed my October voucher, that looks exactly like this one. They're taking the piss! :rant:

[Denver]

Just been to the post office to redeem my voucher.
They refused to do it.
They said the barcode is not good.
I think they're lying to me.
They redeemed my October voucher, that looks exactly like this one. They're taking the piss! :rant:

Go to another one or contact your provider, they should be able to tell if its not been used and faulty and may send another

[arista]

https://liveblog.digitalimages.sky/lc-images-sky/lcimg-a99e6aa1-77f4-4265-820d-65789a790664.jpeg

[arista]

https://liveblog.digitalimages.sky/lc-images-sky/lcimg-dd68b6ce-21c0-47e4-be16-357d2101e60d.jpeg

[Denver]

Energy prices are expected to fall to £2200 in July, £800 under the £3000 cap set by the government

[Redway]

FFS My energy bills already went up 40% last month when my fixed tariff ended :fist:. Though my bills are like 80% electricity. We seem to use like 2x the average for a house of the same size :think:.

Who’s your provider?

[Quantum Boy]

Who’s your provider?

One of the crappy little ones that will probably go bust. Everywhere has the same rates currently so I don't think it matters all that much.

I solved the electricity usage issue though, started using the heated airer only during the day and turning it off over night since it was probably a massive fire hazard anyway, and stopped leaving the desktop PC on all day, switched to laptop for work. Those two changes cut our electricity use by 2/5 ... :umm2: ... I don't really want to think about the money I've been throwing down the drain for years.

Gas bill is through the roof though :joker:. Paying on receipt of bill, not spreading it with Direct Debit... and it's been a cold winter. Still - it means my summer bills should be pretty nice, we barely use any gas from April to November.

[bots]

it's going to be grim when the winter payments stop for the pay monthly people. An extra £70 a month will tip a lot over the edge

[Quantum Boy]

it's going to be grim when the winter payments stop for the pay monthly people. An extra £70 a month will tip a lot over the edge

Yeah my thinking on going to "pay on bill" was that - been forking out so much on gas over winter that even when the £70 stops and bills (possibly) go up 25% when they change the cap, it'll still be less overall over the summer.

I think next winter is going to be the big one though. We can afford the increases but it's getting to be a ludicrous chunk of disposible income even for those who can at least afford to take the hit. For those who can't the whole thing is a disaster.

I suspect though that they're hoping for prices to have come down by next winter, and if they haven't there's likely to be yet another "emergency budget" to offer help over winter.

[Cherie]

There is a 1000 cost of living payment being rolled out think it starts in April so I dont think there will be any further help for the masses the squeezed middle will just continue to be squeezed some complained that everyone got the 400.00 payment whether they needed it or not ,..pensioners will also get the winter fuel payment so it does feel like they are at least looking after the most vulnerable ..

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-low-income-households-to-get-new-cost-of-living-payments-from-spring-2023

[arista]

Energy UK
starts their Discount

For those that reduce 5PM - 6PM usage

SkyNewsHD Live

[arista]

[A spokesman from National Grid's electricity
system operator said: 'Our forecasts show electricity
supply margins are expected to be tighter
than normal on Monday evening.*
We have instructed coal-fired power units to be
available to increase electricity]


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11664197/National-Grid-activates-Demand-Flexibility-Scheme-5pm-6pm-Monday.html



supplies should it be needed.

[arista]

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/10/17/63707821-11413485-The_network_operator_which_revealed_the_service_as _part_of_effor-a-1_1668101045468.jpg

[Quantum Boy]

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/10/17/63707821-11413485-The_network_operator_which_revealed_the_service_as _part_of_effor-a-1_1668101045468.jpg

It doesn't cost £2.10 an hour to run an Xbox ffs :joker:. I think they meant to put 70w not 70kwh - only a 100x difference - although 70w is the low-end for consoles idling it's more realistically about 100w.

which works out as 3p an hour not £2.10 :laugh:. What a blunder.

[arista]

You must have a working Smart Meter
Many Energy Companies are doing this Discount

For those that use less from 5PM - 6PM.

[Vanessa]

I finally got my vouchers. Now I've got plenty of gas to keep the house warm :dance:

[Quantum Boy]

You must have a working Smart Meter
Many Energy Companies are doing this Discount

For those that use less from 5PM - 6PM.

If they're going to charge £2 an hour to play my PS5 I think I'll skip it!

In all seriousness, newspaper maths errors aside, I'm refusing a smart meter until they kick in my door and pin me down while they install it. I don't want one in the slightest. I want to take my own readings and enter them on the app - they don't need my electricity meter sending data via the internet.

[Vanessa]

If they're going to charge £2 an hour to play my PS5 I think I'll skip it!

In all seriousness, newspaper maths errors aside, I'm refusing a smart meter until they kick in my door and pin me down while they install it. I don't want one in the slightest. I want to take my own readings and enter them on the app - they don't need my electricity meter sending data via the internet.
Same, I don't want one. My regular meter works just fine..

[bots]

if people look at their electricity bills, if they delay cooking for an hour or delay using the dishwasher, the cost is something like 20-30 pence, so the discount received will be something like 5 pence :laugh:

[Cherie]

I have been doing this with my energy company they pay varying rates today is £3.37 for every unit cut...I dont find it very onerous just turn off everything for an hour and by just opting in you are put in a draw to win 500.00 credit :dance:

[bots]

i get put in a £2k energy draw for viewing my energy usage every month :laugh:

[Cherie]

i get put in a £2k energy draw for viewing my energy usage every month :laugh:

:oh:

[arista]

1617570990287994880

[Cherie]

Dear Cherie

Yesterday’s Saving Session was a monumental effort: more than 400,000 homes pitched in to avoid coal power when it really counted. Tonight between 4.30-6pm, I’m asking you to do it again.


Coal-fired power stations are once again warming up to deliver extra power, should it be needed to balance the grid this evening. That means any electricity you save tonight directly reduces the need for dirty coal.


It’s also your biggest opportunity to earn rewards yet: an extra long Session with nearly double the normal reward, 3,200 OctoPoints per kWh saved.


If you’ve not already, there’s still time to opt-in to today’s session:


Opt-in to today's session


If you possibly can, I urge you to join in: together, let’s prove we don’t need dirty coal.


One last thing — our octobot got a little over-enthusiastic and sent a few of you more than one opt-in email for today’s Session. Sorry about that. You can disregard any extras, and as always you can see if you’re opted in for the upcoming Session on your dashboard.


Love & power,

Peter Miller

Co-Founder, Octopus Energy

[Quantum Boy]

Coal-fired power stations are once again warming up to deliver extra power, should it be needed to balance the grid this evening. That means any electricity you save tonight directly reduces the need for dirty coal.




Getting hot under the collar reading that... 50 shades of dirty coal :smug:.

Dirty... filthy coal... with its filthy fumes... Aw ye...

[hijaxers]

Same, I don't want one. My regular meter works just fine..

I will never get one, they tried to force me when they first came out ! i refused then and all this get money back is a complete con to try and get more idiots to sign up.

[Quantum Boy]

I will never get one, they tried to force me when they first came out ! i refused then and all this get money back is a complete con to try and get more idiots to sign up.

I agree I'm massively sus about the "turn off your leccy to help out oh but you need a smart meter" stuff. Offering a little sweetener for people to install a smart meter.

I guess there are still a lot of peoe who think the companies have a magical ability to "cut you off" remotely and always have - they don't. On a traditional supply, someone has to physically come to your house, with a court order to gain access, and manually disconnect you.

With a smart meter they can cut you off with an app from anywhere in the world. Your whole street at once. Your whole town.

WHY would anyone willingly give a company that sort of power over their home, I have no idea.

I suspect they'll make it mandatory eventually but like I said... Thats what it'll take for me to agree to one.

[bots]

i have smart meters, but i do agree that there needs to be legislation put in place to protect consumers

[arista]

Tonight between 4.30-6pm

90mins

Hope you get more discount

[arista]

[Love & power,

Peter Miller

Co-Founder, Octopus Energy]



Do not say Love to Cherie

You dirty CEO

[Cherie]

I love my smart meter :laugh: weirdly the amount of money we were spending on gas has reduced by about 5.00 a day despite having the gas on for the same amount of time :think:

[Cherie]

[Love & power,

Peter Miller

Co-Founder, Octopus Energy]



Do not say Love to Cherie

You dirty CEO

:joker:

[Quantum Boy]

I don't even see the purpose - I will admit, I wasn't the best at submitting readings pre-crazy prices and got some wildly off piste estimated bills, but once you get into the habit it takes literally 2 minutes on a Saturday morning to submit the readings weekly.

As for having a little screen showing the pennies and pounds evaporating through the day, no thank you :joker:. Its bad enough seeing the bill once a month without a daily reminder :laugh:

[Quantum Boy]

Peter Miller getting his rocks off by emailing "Love and POWER!!" to all of his customers :worry:

[bots]

I love my smart meter :laugh: weirdly the amount of money we were spending on gas has reduced by about 5.00 a day despite having the gas on for the same amount of time :think:

i did some tests on my property and i found that it was costing the same to have the heating on 24 hours as switching it off overnight, so I just leave it on now :laugh:

Its going to depend on your insulation etc for your particular property, but thats what I discovered

[Cherie]

I don't even see the purpose - I will admit, I wasn't the best at submitting readings pre-crazy prices and got some wildly off piste estimated bills, but once you get into the habit it takes literally 2 minutes on a Saturday morning to submit the readings weekly.

As for having a little screen showing the pennies and pounds evaporating through the day, no thank you :joker:. Its bad enough seeing the bill once a month without a daily reminder :laugh:

Dunno it’s like paying by DD just one less thing to do and I am weirdly fascinated by the little box ...and you can turn it off tbf :laugh:

[arista]

Peter Miller getting his rocks off by emailing "Love and POWER!!" to all of his customers :worry:


Yes a lot of Spunk there

[Zizu]

I keep hearing about all these government rebates we’ve supposedly been getting …. Yesterday it was £400 !!

Trouble is the wife changed to one of those companies who supposedly find you the best deal and we’re paperless !!

I have no idea if we have had the benefit of ANY of those damm rebates


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Zizu]

https://liveblog.digitalimages.sky/lc-images-sky/lcimg-a99e6aa1-77f4-4265-820d-65789a790664.jpeg


We’ve had two firms out doing SmartMeter surveys but our cupboard was too small !!

I was initially disappointed but maybe it’s worked out for the best ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Quantum Boy]

i did some tests on my property and i found that it was costing the same to have the heating on 24 hours as switching it off overnight, so I just leave it on now :laugh:

Its going to depend on your insulation etc for your particular property, but thats what I discovered

We had a perfectly timed incident of our heating timer/switch or whatever breaking the week before Christmas and the engineer being like "I can't get parts until the 5th of January"... We could still turn the heating on and off at the mains switch on the wall... But (being lazy) inevitably we were just leaving it on all day from about 7am - 11pm.

Usage for the month was less than 10% more than the previous month when it was only on half that time, AND it was during that insane -7/-8 cold spell.

:shrug: I dunno.

To be fair we hopped on the air fryer trend and I love the stupid little thing so pretty much never use the gas oven any more which will help.

[bots]

We had a perfectly timed incident of our heating timer/switch or whatever breaking the week before Christmas and the engineer being like "I can't get parts until the 5th of January"... We could still turn the heating on and off at the mains switch on the wall... But (being lazy) inevitably we were just leaving it on all day from about 7am - 11pm.

Usage for the month was less than 10% more than the previous month when it was only on half that time, AND it was during that insane -7/-8 cold spell.

:shrug: I dunno.

To be fair we hopped on the air fryer trend and I love the stupid little thing so pretty much never use the gas oven any more which will help.

since getting my air fryer, the oven goes on about once a week now, i still dont see a massive reduction. The thing that stands out for me as using a ton of energy is the dishwasher. I tried turning my tv off for most of the day, putting my computer on sleep etc, but the difference was pennies :shrug:

[Cherie]

the different is price if from the cold snap before Christmas and the cold snap last week, gas on for about the same number of hours but 10.00 a day rather than the 15.00 that it cost before Christmas...not complaining but its very odd

[bots]

the cold spell after Christmas has been cheaper for me too, maybe it is a different type of cold .... like less windy or something :laugh:

[Cherie]

the cold spell after Christmas has been cheaper for me too, maybe it is a different type of cold .... like less windy or something :laugh:

how strange :laugh:

[Quantum Boy]

since getting my air fryer, the oven goes on about once a week now, i still dont see a massive reduction. The thing that stands out for me as using a ton of energy is the dishwasher. I tried turning my tv off for most of the day, putting my computer on sleep etc, but the difference was pennies :shrug:

Modern (flatscreen) TVs, games consoles, laptops etc. use very little energy. A TV usually about 100w, consoles about 90w, laptops from 70w anywhere right down to about 35w.

I mean for perspective - before LED/"energy saving" bulbs became a thing, the "big ceiling light" was 100w!

You'll also see all sorts of nonsense about not leaving things on standby but realistically you're drawing maybe 2 or 3 watts, it's literally next to nothing even at "new" prices.

Desktop gaming PC is a bit of a different issue... with the graphics card drawing power the whole thing can be burning through 650w easily, which can stack up. It's like... 10 laptops :joker:.


The things that really eat electriciy are anything that makes heat. I actually have remembered the other thing I cut that has clearly made a huge difference in my electricity usage ... ... ...

I had a terrible habit of turning on the electric shower and then getting distracted by my phone for half an hour+, every day, before getting in. It must have been EATING electricity. A simple committment to... erm... not turning on the shower until I'm actually going to use the shower... has clearly made a big difference. Who woulda thought.

[Quantum Boy]

As a nice bonus it also means I don't have to repaint the bathroom ceiling every 3 months :joker:.

[bots]

Under the existing rules, energy retailers - the companies that supply electricity to firms and households - are forced to pay the highest price for wholesale electricity, no matter how it has been generated. That cost is then passed on in bills.

That means they have been paying for all their wholesale electricity at the price of gas-fired generation, which only represents about 40% of all electricity generated for the National Grid.

Because of elevated wholesale gas prices, that type of electricity generation has been much more expensive than nuclear power and up to three times as expensive as renewables such as wind farms.

That's also meant windfall profits for renewable energy generation, which have been paid much more for their power than it costs them to generate - one reason the government has imposed a windfall tax.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64471262

--------------------------------------------------------------

This is scandalous

[Cherie]

Under the existing rules, energy retailers - the companies that supply electricity to firms and households - are forced to pay the highest price for wholesale electricity, no matter how it has been generated. That cost is then passed on in bills.

That means they have been paying for all their wholesale electricity at the price of gas-fired generation, which only represents about 40% of all electricity generated for the National Grid.

Because of elevated wholesale gas prices, that type of electricity generation has been much more expensive than nuclear power and up to three times as expensive as renewables such as wind farms.

That's also meant windfall profits for renewable energy generation, which have been paid much more for their power than it costs them to generate - one reason the government has imposed a windfall tax.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64471262

--------------------------------------------------------------

This is scandalous



Yeah I cannot understand that at all ....prices are set by the gas price so when they are banging on about renewables it desnt matter as it still costs the same :shrug::shrug:

[bots]

it means that the energy retailers have no incentive to buy green energy either if they are always paying the maximum price, which seems incredibly stupid

[Quantum Boy]

They've been talking of de-coupling electricity prices from wholesale gas prices for years but it never happens - which means that, someone (powerful), somewhere, has it in their best interests for them not to be de-coupled.

It's going to have to happen eventually, my gas engineer was telling me last week that the plan seems to be to completely remove domestic gas supplies and gas electricity generation eventually.

I was worried for poor Dave but he assures me that he gets more plumbing jobs than gas heating jobs these days anyway so his business won't go under. Whew!

[Quantum Boy]

...yes our boiler is so old and **** that I see the local gas/plumbing fella quite regularly... :joker:.

[Zizu]

...yes our boiler is so old and **** that I see the local gas/plumbing fella quite regularly... :joker:.


Our old boiler is over 50 years old and going strong ..

We have it serviced when it fails :)

The old engineer told us to keep it as it’s practically bombproof and rarely has problems but the last guy said that he thought we should get a new boiler for about £1,500 ….

We are keeping it for the moment although I’m not sure how efficient it is financially speaking


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[arista]

https://liveblog.digitalimages.sky/lc-images-sky/lcimg-4aebddb0-763a-434b-b163-44b51340558a.jpeg

[arista]

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[arista]

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[arista]

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[arista]

BBC News Text:
[Plans to raise the cap on energy bills
would be a "national act of harm",
reports the Daily Mirror.
The paper says the finance guru was taking
aim at Conservative plans to increase
the limit on a typical family's energy costs from
£2,5000 a year to £3,000 in April.]


https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/1258C/production/_128584157_mirror-nc.png.webp

[Zizu]

How do we know of we’ve been getting all the government’s money off our bills if we are paperless with one of those companies who find you the best deal ??

The wife moved ours to one of them years ago though I’ve never really approved


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Cherie]

How do we know of we’ve been getting all the government’s money off our bills if we are paperless with one of those companies who find you the best deal ??

The wife moved ours to one of them years ago though I’ve never really approved


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

paperless shouldn't mean no access to bills, you should be able to access your bill online

[bots]

Households are unlikely to get extra support with energy bills from April, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said.

Energy bills for a typical household are set to rise from £2,500 to £3,000 a year.

The government has been under pressure to offer additional help for people to cope with high gas and electricity costs.

Consumer finance expert Martin Lewis said that allowing the bill increase would be a "national act of harm".

The government's energy price guarantee reduces what households pay per unit of energy they use.

From April, the typical household bill will be allowed to rise to £3,000 per year. The scheme will run until April 2024.

A £400 discount applied to most households' energy bills from October is also due to end at the beginning of April.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64594707

----------------------------------------------------------------

Thats when the tory party will really feel the weight of peoples anger so come the next local elections, they will get a hammering

[Quantum Boy]

This is basically the reason I went to paying in full on receipt of bill rather than direct debit spread across the year - I've paid the "real amount" for what we used monthly over winter, minus £67 every month. Our gas usage is currently about £170/month but we use (bascally) next to no gas at all from April - October, so should be paying a good chunk less than now overall over summer, even without the £67 discount and cap increase.

Next winter could be a fun one though if prices don't fall :joker:.

As always grateful that we can afford it regardless, I know that's not the situation for everyone, but :shrug: it still massively sucks. It's a large chunk of money that could be spent on my kids (or on ME! :oh:) just going up into the air.

[bots]

My gas bill is tiny because i got a fixed deal, i am basically basking in warmth. Even with the fixed deal on electricity its still higher than i ever dreamed it would be, and when i get an sms to tell me it's been paid i always have a few choice swear words ready

[Cherie]

This is basically the reason I went to paying in full on receipt of bill rather than direct debit spread across the year - I've paid the "real amount" for what we used monthly over winter, minus £67 every month. Our gas usage is currently about £170/month but we use (bascally) next to no gas at all from April - October, so should be paying a good chunk less than now overall over summer, even without the £67 discount and cap increase.

Next winter could be a fun one though if prices don't fall :joker:.

As always grateful that we can afford it regardless, I know that's not the situation for everyone, but :shrug: it still massively sucks. It's a large chunk of money that could be spent on my kids (or on ME! :oh:) just going up into the air.


You are charged more per unit for not paying DD, and people on prepay are charged the most...criminal really

[Quantum Boy]

You are charged more per unit for not paying DD, and people on prepay are charged the most...criminal really

The difference with my supplier works out as less than 3% so I'd rather pay the extra than let them "guess" at what my usage is going to be for the year - which they always MASSIVELY over-estimate. Also means that if, for example, you go away for a week your next bill will be 25% less, because you used 25% less, rather than exactly the same as every other month.

Basically it's paying a small premium for them to have no hold whatsoever over me :joker:. They can't estimate my usage, they have no access to my bank account, I'm never in debt or credit with them. I order energy from them, they send me the bill, I pay the account to £0 and we have nothing else to do with each other whatsoever :hmph:.

[Quantum Boy]

My gas bill is tiny because i got a fixed deal, i am basically basking in warmth. Even with the fixed deal on electricity its still higher than i ever dreamed it would be, and when i get an sms to tell me it's been paid i always have a few choice swear words ready

What per-unit prices did you fix on?

[bots]

not sure, but i pay £180 for electricity and £60 for gas

[Quantum Boy]

not sure, but i pay £180 for electricity and £60 for gas

Definitely seems like a good fix on gas - ours was sitting at about £170 (Dec and Jan bills) but should be down a fair bit this month, maybe even half, the heating was on literally 18 hours a day during those cold snaps and it's only maybe 6 or 7 hours now. Like I said over summer it's generally off permanently from April - October, it'll be great :joker:.

Pretty hefty on the leccy there though ours is only about £130 now, which is down significantly by cutting a few key things... but I'd say we're still a high-usage household, with me WFH and youngest currently homeschooling 4 days out of 5 so there's always someone here, usually two people, with various devices and whatnot running. Plus when not at school my eldest is usually sat similtaneously on the PC, phone plugged in, VR on, little mini-fridge humming away full of skincare products that "have to stay cold" :idc:...

So £180/month does sound pretty hefty. Not growing anything in your attic are you bots? :hehe:

[bots]

yeah, i need to switch everything off and then bring things back gradually to see whats hitting the electricity, i'm more inclined to do that when the weather gets a bit milder and the days get longer

[Cherie]

Our last gas bill was 224.00

Leccy was 115.00

So your leccy sounds well out BotS...60.00 for gas though ..what a bargain :fist:

[Quantum Boy]

To be fair... If I remember rightly, leccy was looking to be something like 60p/unit on the October cap before the govt. limit was set. It's around 35p/unit with the govt cap so on fixed deals taken before that was announced, I can see it being maybe 45p/unit. Fixed deals don't get the government cap, I believe.

[arista]

BBC News Text:
[The price of European natural gas falling
to its lowest level since
Russia's invasion of Ukraine - giving a boost
to the UK and EU economies.]


https://liveblog.digitalimages.sky/lc-images-sky/lcimg-1347b74b-6bf6-45e2-ad0a-2dfe8845e7a2.png

[arista]

Meanwhile,
Over in the
French EDF Company

EDF: French energy giant posts worst-ever results

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64674131

[EDF 2022 was a miserable year with record
annual losses of €17.9bn (£16bn).
A price cap on energy for French consumers
hit EDF profits hard
but so did the enforced closure
of many of its of nuclear power
stations for repairs.]

The losses are the third biggest
in French corporate history and the
worst for more than 20 years.

EDF's debts have spiralled to €64.5bn.]

[Zizu]

Soooo how much should we have had back from the government since the ‘system’ started .. .. last year ?

Just one £400 lump ??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Zizu]

Our last gas bill was 224.00

Leccy was 115.00

So your leccy sounds well out BotS...60.00 for gas though ..what a bargain :fist:


That’s per month presumably .. on DD


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Cherie]

That’s per month presumably .. on DD


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I pay 200.00 a month DD plus the 67.00 from the government

The above is the actual usage for Jan

[Cherie]

Soooo how much should we have had back from the government since the ‘system’ started .. .. last year ?

Just one £400 lump ??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

400 but split into 67.00 payments from Oct to March

[Zizu]

400 but split into 67.00 payments from Oct to March


Thank you !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Vanessa]

Just got my February vouchers. Thank you :dance:

[arista]

https://liveblog.digitalimages.sky/lc-images-sky/lcimg-b5028be8-c0dd-4960-ab02-aa813f38f30a.png

[Quantum Boy]

I honestly think the impact upcoming is being over-inflated because the cap raise coincides with summer... bills for anyone paying for actual usage (which includes pay-as-you-go) will be lower over the summer, even with the unit price increase, and people paying a fixed DD the amount they pay already SHOULD already reflect the predicted increases in the DD calculation as they do it as a projection over the whole year.

November '23 - March '24 is the time span to worry about, if prices haven't come down further/more help isn't introduced by then as it'll be this winter all over again, but with 20% higher prices.

[Cherie]

Can someone do the maths on this for me because for me it doesnt end in a 500.00 increase, so the pricecap will drop by a 1000.00 but we lose the 400.000 support surely bills should still be 600.00 less rather than 500.00 more :conf:

[Quantum Boy]

Can someone do the maths on this for me because for me it doesnt end in a 500.00 increase, so the pricecap will drop by a 1000.00 but we lose the 400.000 support surely bills should still be 600.00 less rather than 500.00 more :conf:

Dunno where you're getting the price cap dropping from - the price cap is increasing from £2500 to £3000 and the £400 payment isn't being repeated, which has the net result of bills being £900/year more overall.

Also important to remember that the flat value £2500 "price cap" is meaningless, the actual cap is on unit rate prices, e.g. currently I'm paying about £350/month which works out as £4200 a year. It will be less as I'm paying actual usage and gas use will be tiny over summer, but it'll still be well over £3000 despite the £2500 "price cap".

[Cherie]

Dunno where you're getting the price cap dropping from - the price cap is increasing from £2500 to £3000 and the £400 payment isn't being repeated, which has the net result of bills being £900/year more overall.

Also important to remember that the flat value £2500 "price cap" is meaningless, the actual cap is on unit rate prices, e.g. currently I'm paying about £350/month which works out as £4200 a year. It will be less as I'm paying actual usage and gas use will be tiny over summer, but it'll still be well over £3000 despite the £2500 "price cap".



its just been announced on the news? and its dropping from 1st April, I am fully aware that the cap is meaning less and it is all about what you you! it still doesn't make sense though as gas prices have fallen and yadda yadda about buying in advance, our bills when up regardless of when the bladdy thing was bought...channelling Zizu

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/energy-price-cap-drops-but-bills-will-still-go-up/

[Quantum Boy]

As a fun twist - I forgot to put in my readings last month and they over-estimated my gas use by nearly £100 :idc:. Whole system is a scam.

"Oh you spent £170 a month on gas, actual usage, over the freezing months of December and January? Well, we estimate that this shorter-and-milder month you used over 1/3 more than that."

Sigh. They also over "estimated" my electricity use by a full 100 kwh despite it having been practically the exact same number for the last 6 months straight. "We suddenly estimate you used 1/4 more leccy for no reason whatsoever right?"

On the plus side - my March bill will be tiny :laugh:.

[Quantum Boy]

its just been announced on the news? and its dropping from 1st April, I am fully aware that the cap is meaning less and it is all about what you you! it still doesn't make sense though as gas prices have fallen and yadda yadda about buying in advance, our bills when up regardless of when the bladdy thing was bought...channelling Zizu

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/energy-price-cap-drops-but-bills-will-still-go-up/

That's the Ofgem cap which is currently irrelevant to the consumer as it's over-ridden by the government cap.

All it means is that the government won't have to pay out as much. Which is potentially good overall - as they MIGHT be more inclined to offer further help over winter 2023 if they've saved on the cap subsidy.

[Cherie]

That's the Ofgem cap which is currently irrelevant to the consumer as it's over-ridden by the government cap.

All it means is that the government won't have to pay out as much. Which is potentially good overall - as they MIGHT be more inclined to offer further help over winter 2023 if they've saved on the cap subsidy.

I dont think that is going to happen, it will be targetting now and they have already pledged 900.00 to the poorest from April 2023 to March 2024, welcome to being a middle income earner where you get no help whatsoever, just get squeezed and squeezed :laugh:

[bots]

the amount payable will rise by £500 per annum in April which means that those on DD will pay an extra £41 a month if they are a "standard" user. We also wont get the £60 a month rebate, so those on a standard tariff will be paying over £100 a month more. However, what that means is that the government is only subsidising the bill by about £250 per annum, and, in 3 months when the cap is re-evaluated again, the cap will likely be lowered again due to falling wholesale prices. So, we might only be paying that extra £100 per month for something like 3 months. I'm of course, still ok, because i have my fixed price deals and they reckon the fixed price deals will be available again by the middle of the year

[Gusto Brunt]

the amount payable will rise by £500 per annum in April which means that those on DD will pay an extra £41 a month if they are a "standard" user. We also wont get the £60 a month rebate, so those on a standard tariff will be paying over £100 a month more. However, what that means is that the government is only subsidising the bill by about £250 per annum, and, in 3 months when the cap is re-evaluated again, the cap will likely be lowered again due to falling wholesale prices. So, we might only be paying that extra £100 per month for something like 3 months. I'm of course, still ok, because i have my fixed price deals and they reckon the fixed price deals will be available again by the middle of the year

I'm not on benefits but I understand Universal Credit pays just £74.00 per week to a single man ow woman, with no children. How is he or she expected to pay the extra money? In fact, I don't know how anyone pays any of their bills on just £74.00 per week. I'd expect the food bill alone to be over £50.00.

[arista]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FqIWzPOWIAAn1b8?format=jpg&name=small


https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/feb/23/drax-power-station-profits-nearly-double-call-for-subsidies-cut

[Quantum Boy]

I'm not on benefits but I understand Universal Credit pays just £74.00 per week to a single man ow woman, with no children. How is he or she expected to pay the extra money? In fact, I don't know how anyone pays any of their bills on just £74.00 per week. I'd expect the food bill alone to be over £50.00.

It isn't really possible for a single, work-capable adult to live alone on benefits. They would need to live with family or share accommodation. It would, for example, be much more possible for 3 unemployed adults to share a 3-bedroom flat... Splitting bills and possibly even combining food budgets.

Disabled people get more as do people with children.

Not that I think it's a good situation but really there's no reason for someone who isn't disabled and doesn't have childcare responsibilities to be long-term COMPLETELY unemployed. If they have a learning disability, mental health issue or addiction issues then they'll most likely be able to claim disability benefits not just rock-bottom unemployment UC.

Again I'm not defending our benefits system here - it's woeful - but just that it's a very unusual situation for a single "unencumbered" adult to be long term unemployed for no reason.

At least, not one who chooses to or has to live alone. There are of course many unemployed adults who live with family.

AGAIN not really judging - I technically was one of them for 18 months at age 18 to 20... Dropped out of my first attempt at Uni at 18 and a half, went back for my second run at it when I was 20.

I did literally **** all in the 18 months between those dates :joker:... :umm2:.

[Vanessa]

Yes, when I was unemployed it was really hard to manage to pay my bills. That was 10 years ago.

[Quantum Boy]

Yes, when I was unemployed it was really hard to manage to pay my bills. That was 10 years ago.

I've only been "properly" unemployed as an adult once, for about 5 months when my wife was expecting our first, as we made the (as it turns out, ill advised) decision to move to England to be near her family. We were also a very low income household for I'd say the first 2-3 years of parenthood (one full time minimum wage income).

I remember it being extremely tough paying rent and bills - and our rent was pretty cheap (we were in a coronation street-chic Lancashire redbrick terrace :joker: ) and I swear gas and electricity was only something like £75 a month.

I have no idea how people in that situation survive now. We're happily on a much higher income now but Wtf does a young family on minimum wage do with a £400 gas/electricity bill? I think I'd have been off a bridge somewhere :shrug:.

In fact... My wife's aunt had a huge house and lived alone and kept offering to move us in. Realistically, if this situation had been happening back then, I think we'd have had no real choice but to take her up on that.

[Vanessa]

I've only been "properly" unemployed as an adult once, for about 5 months when my wife was expecting our first, as we made the (as it turns out, ill advised) decision to move to England to be near her family. We were also a very low income household for I'd say the first 2-3 years of parenthood (one full time minimum wage income).

I remember it being extremely tough paying rent and bills - and our rent was pretty cheap (we were in a coronation street-chic Lancashire redbrick terrace :joker: ) and I swear gas and electricity was only something like £75 a month.

I have no idea how people in that situation survive now. We're happily on a much higher income now but Wtf does a young family on minimum wage do with a £400 gas/electricity bill? I think I'd have been off a bridge somewhere :shrug:.

In fact... My wife's aunt had a huge house and lived alone and kept offering to move us in. Realistically, if this situation had been happening back then, I think we'd have had no real choice but to take her up on that.

I have prepay on electric and gas. I find it a lot easier to manage that way.

[bots]

Two old coal-fired power plants have begun generating again as the UK expects to see its coldest night of the year so far.

The plants had been put on standby in case of shortfalls, but started feeding power into the grid this afternoon.

National Grid blamed high demand and a shortage of electricity from other sources.

The coal plants began operating in 1966 but were due to close last September.

However, operators have kept them open for an extra six months at the request of the government, amid fears of possible power shortages.

Temperatures are expected to drop to -15C (5F) in some parts of the UK on Tuesday evening, with snow sweeping parts of the country.

The cold snap is expected to last for the next few days, with weather warnings in place across the UK.

[arista]

[The energy rebate scheme - paid direct
to customers in six instalments of
£66 and £67 a month -
has not been extended
and will end this month.]

SkyNews Site

[Cherie]

[The energy rebate scheme - paid direct
to customers in six instalments of
£66 and £67 a month -
has not been extended
and will end this month.]

SkyNews Site

Extending this would have actually helped people as it would have put people in credit ahead of next winter ...the price cap is meaningless

[bots]

the idea was that it helped people over the winter months when they used most electricity, but as most people pay monthly DD and always pay the same amount, it's completely stupid

[Quantum Boy]

the idea was that it helped people over the winter months when they used most electricity, but as most people pay monthly DD and always pay the same amount, it's completely stupid

Its arse-backwards, people turtle up in Winter and (Christmas aside) actually have more money available for things like bills. In the warmer/summer months people actually want to do more with their money.

Sensible Sallies like me will have no gas at all to pay over the summer because we've swallowed those huge winter bills in a defiant show of strength.

[joeysteele]

Extending this would have actually helped people as it would have put people in credit ahead of next winter ...the price cap is meaningless

I agree.

I think this was an important across the board help to all.

That £60+ monthly help was urgently needed when the prices rose.
Those costs still remain now.

Had they gone ahead with the price cap increase.
A need for more to be added to that £60+ monthly assistance would have been more likely needed.

So to scrap that assistance completely now is a very bad move I agree.

[Vanessa]

Hopefully we will have nicer weather in April and won't need to put the heating on that much.

[arista]

Sky News Text
[Suella Braverman has been using taxpayer
money to pay her energy bills.
The paper alleges the Home Secretary has claimed
nearly £25,000 in expenses for her London home,
while living with her parents
when she isn't staying there.
There is no suggestion any
of this is outside the rules
around claiming expenses].

https://liveblog.digitalimages.sky/lc-images-sky/lcimg-5292da89-66b2-42d5-82a5-7d4486182c85.png

[smudgie]

So she claims £5 grand a year on her London (work) home but she lives at home with her parents when not in London for work.
Where exactly is the ruddy story here. :shrug:
Where do her husband and 2 little kids live?
Maybe she doesn’t want to live on her own when in London for work.

[Quantum Boy]

So she claims £5 grand a year on her London (work) home but she lives at home with her parents when not in London for work.
Where exactly is the ruddy story here. :shrug:

Sounds to me like she claims that her parents address is her permanent residence and her place in London is work accommodation and thus eligible for expenses claims ... when in fact her "work home" is in reality her main residence and she just goes to her parents house to collect her mail at the weekend.

There should be stricter criteria on what can and can't be considered a work expense. Either that, or the govt. should provide University Halls style residences for all MP's free of charge, and if they want anything more than that then it's out of their own pocket. Quite amusing the thought of them all having to fight over the toaster :laugh:.

[bots]

i have no problem with them tightening up on loop holes exploited by mp's

[smudgie]

Sounds to me like she claims that her parents address is her permanent residence and her place in London is work accommodation and thus eligible for expenses claims ... when in fact her "work home" is in reality her main residence and she just goes to her parents house to collect her mail at the weekend.

There should be stricter criteria on what can and can't be considered a work expense. Either that, or the govt. should provide University Halls style residences for all MP's free of charge, and if they want anything more than that then it's out of their own pocket. Quite amusing the thought of them all having to fight over the toaster :laugh:.

She has two kids aged about 2 and 5 and a husband, can’t see them all shacking up with her parents as a permanent address.:shrug:

[Vanessa]

This is not right :fist:

[Quantum Boy]

She has two kids aged about 2 and 5 and a husband, can’t see them all shacking up with her parents as a permanent address.:shrug:

Exactly but apparently there are no rules against her calling it her main address, e.g. she probably gets banking/financial/vehicle registration and other official stuff sent there. A lot of students do that while at Univeristy for example; barely set foot in their hometown for 4 years but parent's address will still be their official address (for their GP, voting, banking etc.).

For MP's I reckon it should be simple enough; if you spend 51% or more of the days in a year at one address, that's your main residence.

[arista]

SkyNews text :
[New rules governing what energy firms can
and cannot do with domestic customers' meters
is The Guardian's lead.]

https://liveblog.digitalimages.sky/lc-images-sky/lcimg-1ff66e45-534a-47f2-aa2d-30904df094cd.jpeg

[arista]

BBC News Text :
[The government's plans to develop hydrogen gas
as part of its net zero drive will add nearly
£120 a year to the average household's energy bills,
according to the Daily Telegraph.
The scheme, which is expected to cost £3.5bn
a year between 2030 to 2040, could add
£118 to household bills, the newspaper reports.]

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/0FD9/production/_129775040_telegraph-nc.png.webp

[arista]

https://liveblog.digitalimages.sky/lc-images-sky/lcimg-09cf3e18-3fba-4f83-a185-e3212c80e82b.png

[arista]

https://liveblog.digitalimages.sky/lc-images-sky/lcimg-3cb8a9c0-2580-4714-8d46-11705da991ce.png

[Alf]

If the Tories want to send me some money, then they can buy my vote if they want. I know Labour won't give me anything.

[bots]

Energy bills for a typical household are expected to fall by nearly £450 from July, according to new forecasts.

Consultancy firm Cornwall Insight predicts bills could drop by as much as £446 under a new official price cap set to be announced by Ofgem on 25 May.

A typical user pays no more than £2,500 a year for their energy because of the Government's Energy Price Guarantee.

Analysts predict the new price cap will be set at £2,054 for July.

Then it is expected to fall further in October to £1,976.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65655866

[Cherie]

Energy bills for a typical household are expected to fall by nearly £450 from July, according to new forecasts.

Consultancy firm Cornwall Insight predicts bills could drop by as much as £446 under a new official price cap set to be announced by Ofgem on 25 May.

A typical user pays no more than £2,500 a year for their energy because of the Government's Energy Price Guarantee.

Analysts predict the new price cap will be set at £2,054 for July.

Then it is expected to fall further in October to £1,976.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65655866

Good news for a changec

[bots]

if it drops by about £40 a month, i will be back to paying £10 a month more than i was before this mess began

[Zizu]

I’m hesitant..

These people( much like petrol companies) are very quick to increase third prices but are extremely reluctant to reduce them ..,

We will never get anything close to the old prices .. sadly


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Quantum Boy]

if it drops by about £40 a month, i will be back to paying £10 a month more than i was before this mess began

Thought you took a fixed tariff Bots.

[bots]

Thought you took a fixed tariff Bots.

i dumped that cause i figured i was paying too much. When i secured the fixed tariff, it was before the government came up with the assistance package. Also, i found a couple of pieces of equipment that were using lots of electricity in supposed "sleep" mode. When i sorted that out, my monthly bill came down considerably.

So, i'm not comparing like with like situations, but the monthly outlay should become much more realistic when the cap is next revised.

My gas is still fixed tariff, and has saved me a fortune over the last 18 months

[arista]

BBC News Text:
[ i focuses on small businesses across
the UK planning to launch legal action
against energy companies over high-cost deals
that added thousands of pounds to their
annual bills through undeclared
commission fees. The paper says energy firms
now face huge payouts after
brokers "exploited" a loophole that raised tariff bills.]

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/1376/production/_130028940_thei.png-nc.png.webp

[Gusto Brunt]

Just got my Utilita bill in for June 2023.

I keep all records, meter readings, etc.:hee:

However, despite using only half the electricity from my previous electricity usage, my June summer bill is £15.00 more. :fist:

Looks like they are trying to pull a fast one. I will refuse payment until I get some other to look at it, and work it out for real.

Rather than being £15.00 more, it SHOULD be £20.00 less.

[arista]

So this is a low, amount.


Not like you need Martin Lewis

[Gusto Brunt]

So this is a low, amount.


Not like you need Martin Lewis

They're still trying to rip me off.

I worked it out the bill should be around £37.00 for June. But I need someone in the know to get it to the exact figure.

I'm not sure many people would like to flush 20 quid down the loo.

[arista]

They're still trying to rip me off.

I worked it out the bill should be around £37.00 for June. But I need someone in the know to get it to the exact figure.

I'm not sure many people would like to flush 20 quid down the loo.


So long as you are right

[Gusto Brunt]

So long as you are right

I went to a electricity usage website that has all the companies on there.

I put in my personal electricity units in and the VAT. The meter reading previous and the one submitted to the bill.

Total worked out as £34.37. The bill Utilita sent me was £58.47.

[bots]

you need to add on the daily standing charge to your usage

[arista]

you need to add on the daily standing charge to your usage


Yes keeps going UP

[arista]

That £34
is too low

You have missed some costing of it.


You need the Full Breakdown

[Gusto Brunt]

That £34
is too low

You have missed some costing of it.


You need the Full Breakdown

No, it's not because my May Bill was just £43.00, and I used far less electricity for the June bill, hence the figure calculated.

I live alone, and don't use much electricity. I don't even have the fridge or freezer on. :hee:

[Gusto Brunt]

Yes keeps going UP

There's not standing charge with Utilita.

[Gusto Brunt]

you need to add on the daily standing charge to your usage

Utilita don't charge a standing charge.

[arista]

Utilita don't charge a standing charge.


There must be,
it just means they have hidden it


Sneaky buggers

[arista]

[Yes, you pay an electricity standing charge
and a gas standing charge if your home is supplied with both.
They should be listed on your dual fuel energy
bill at a daily rate.

Because gas and electricity are supplied
to your house through different networks,
the costs can also change.
It also varies depending on which part
of the UK you live.

Typically, more rural locations or areas
where the gas or electricity supply has to travel
further from where it is generated have
higher standing charges.]

https://www.moneysupermarket.com/gas-and-electricity/standing-charges-explained/

[arista]

[Utilita has a long-standing partnership
with Secure Meters, an Indian supplier of smart meters.
In 2017 it was reported that Secure Meters
held roughly two-thirds of the company's shares,
while Bill Bullen retained 20%.
The registered offices of Utilita Group,
Utilita Energy and Secure Meters (UK) Ltd
are in Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Since December 2018, Bullen has had
control of the group although
"a preferred supplier" has unexercised options
giving it the potential to take control.]



The Naughty Buggers, Gusto :

In October 2020, Utilita agreed to pay
£500,000 in compensation and refund
the affected customers,
after the company reported itself
to industry regulator Ofgem.
Almost 40,000 customers had been
overcharged a total of £125,000 during 2019]


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilita_Energy

[Gusto Brunt]

There must be,
it just means they have hidden it


Sneaky buggers

It's included in the unit price. You pay a 'little' more for your electricity per unit, but you're right the 'service charge' is hidden. That said, I've always found Utilita a good company and their prices quite good.

HOWEVER, this June 2023 bill makes no sense. I've calculated it four times, gone over the figures several times and it always comes out £24.00 less than what Utililita say the bill is.

I rang them up and I said, 'look I am not trying to cause trouble here but this bill makes no sense to me. I cannot understand how I have used one third less of electricity from my last bill, but the new bill is £15.00 more.'

I've checked their latest unit price, it's on my account. All figures and meter readings are correct. I've used THEIR unit price to calculate my June 2023 bill.

One final thing, Utilita have been fined in the past for overcharging its customers and they have had to pay that money back.

[Cherie]

sounds like they have overcharged you, and they are probably doing it to loads of people who are not paying such close attention, take it to the Ombudsman if you get no joy for the company, write to them and put everything in writing to you have a record of contacting them yourself rather than relying on their records

[Quantum Boy]

Total worked out as £34.37.

Not my leccy bill being literally almost 10x Gusto's :joker:... :umm2:

[Gusto Brunt]

Not my leccy bill being literally almost 10x Gusto's :joker:... :umm2:

Wow, I think you need looking at that.:shocked::shocked:

I sent £40.00 to Utilita yesterday so show good will, but I still want them to tell me why my June bill is £15.00 more than my May bill when I used 20 units of electricty LESS. Doesn't make sense.:shrug:

Still no reply.

[Quantum Boy]

Wow, I think you need looking at that.:shocked::shocked:

Nah I just have teenagers and I work from home. 4 PC's on most of the day, TVs, games consoles, long showers ... my eldest has a little dedicated fridge for her skincare regime :umm2: ... it all adds up fast to pretty high usage. On the plus side, we've barely used any gas whatsoever since April. This month's bill was £209, which is down significantly from the peak of winter (biggest bill was about £390, and that was after the £66 deduction :omgno: )

[Cherie]

Nah I just have teenagers and I work from home. 4 PC's on most of the day, TVs, games consoles, long showers ... my eldest has a little dedicated fridge for her skincare regime :umm2: ... it all adds up fast to pretty high usage. On the plus side, we've barely used any gas whatsoever since April. This month's bill was £209, which is down significantly from the peak of winter (biggest bill was about £390, and that was after the £66 deduction :omgno: )

still alot of money though, I am home all day, 5 bed house (before we moved) PC going, boy on playstation plus all the other stuff and our electric bill at peak is around 110.00 ....what are you guys doing with the leccy :omgno:

[Quantum Boy]

still alot of money though, I am home all day, 5 bed house (before we moved) PC going, boy on playstation plus all the other stuff and our electric bill at peak is around 110.00 ....what are you guys doing with the leccy :omgno:

Like I said this month's was £209 of which about £50 was still gas (cooker) so leccy about £160 and we're a tech-heavy family. It's always been high, my combined DD was £160/month way back when gas n leccy were still reasonably priced :joker:.

Over winter the gas bill was huge because the boiler is efficiency rated like... H or something...

[Gusto Brunt]

I had an email from Utilita this morning, and they said that June bill was ESTIMATED because their computer system had lost my recent meter reading. :rolleyes:

Proved I was right. No fridge, freezer running. Sometimes I am hardly in the property.

I don't watch TV, so no TV running either. :hee: I don't even pay a TV licence. :p And the TV licence people know that and I have signed their 'I don't watch live TV form'. :p

My bill has to be around £38.00-£40.00. Could be lower. No way is it £58.47.

My advice to the guys on here. Don't just accept what the energy companies tell you what you owe.:fist:


I've already paid them £40.00. Let's see what they do next. :p

[Cherie]

I had an email from Utilita this morning, and they said that June bill was ESTIMATED because their computer system had lost my recent meter reading. :rolleyes:

Proved I was right. No fridge, freezer running. Sometimes I am hardly in the property.

I don't watch TV, so no TV running either. :hee: I don't even pay a TV licence. :p And the TV licence people know that and I have signed their 'I don't watch live TV form'. :p

My bill has to be around £38.00-£40.00. Could be lower. No way is it £58.47.

My advice to the guys on here. Don't just accept what the energy companies tell you what you owe.:fist:


I've already paid them £40.00. Let's see what they do next. :p

well well, good for you Gusto for keeping a tight handle on it all, how do you manage without a fridge though especially in summer

[Quantum Boy]

I got a wee letter the other day saying that my gas prices are going down by nearly 1/3 and leccy by about 1/5 from July; think this "more or less" applies to most people because they're changing the cap, but my supplier is reducing an extra 5% for existing customers. Whup tee too!

Standing charge is increasing slightly but that matters less for higher-usage folks.

[Quantum Boy]

I had an email from Utilita this morning, and they said that June bill was ESTIMATED because their computer system had lost my recent meter reading. :rolleyes:

Proved I was right. No fridge, freezer running. Sometimes I am hardly in the property.

I don't watch TV, so no TV running either. :hee: I don't even pay a TV licence. :p And the TV licence people know that and I have signed their 'I don't watch live TV form'. :p

My bill has to be around £38.00-£40.00. Could be lower. No way is it £58.47.

My advice to the guys on here. Don't just accept what the energy companies tell you what you owe.:fist:


I've already paid them £40.00. Let's see what they do next. :p

Are you a vampire gusto? You have no telly and... No fridge? :umm2: do you literally just sleep there?

[bots]

i'm the same as soldier boy. I work from home. I have a fridge and a separate freezer, which I use :laugh:

I have computers running constantly and loads of electronics, so my base running costs are £150 a month for electricity. Quality of life is an important factor for me, so I use what is required. If that ends up being expensive, then so be it. I think when households are obsessed with reducing costs it has a very negative impact on mental health.

[Quantum Boy]

i'm the same as soldier boy. I work from home. I have a fridge and a separate freezer, which I use :laugh:

I have computers running constantly and loads of electronics, so my base running costs are £150 a month for electricity. Quality of life is an important factor for me, so I use what is required. If that ends up being expensive, then so be it. I think when households are obsessed with reducing costs it has a very negative impact on mental health.

This is more or less our position; at the start of all the utility prices stuff we went down the "Oh let's reduce what we use" route but quite quickly decided to just carry on as normal and swallow the bills.

Lucky enough to be in a position where we can do that. An extra £300/month over winter obviously wasn't "nothing" but not a massive issue. I'm very aware that a lot of households have little choice but to obsess over it, would have been me 10 years ago, it would have been a very real and constant source of stress.

[Gusto Brunt]

Bill updated DOWN from £58.47 to...

...£42.32.

:D

I'll pay that £2.32 now. :p

[arista]

https://liveblog.digitalimages.sky/lc-images-sky/lcimg-2830b4e9-9068-4249-9e63-2bc9eb916087.jpeg

[Zizu]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJbFY8E5/


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Gusto Brunt]

I have a real coal fire in the house, but the smokeless 'coal' is very expensive to buy.

So yesterday, I was clearing out some old newspapers and letters and put them in a bag. Then I had a thought. I wonder if I made paper logs they'd burn like wood. After all, paper is wood. I'm just reversing the process again. :p

So I went on YouTube and saw a guy who does just that and he says one log will burn for up to 3 hours. :D

FREE heating. :D

So I am gonna make some paper logs. :D Stay warm. :p

[arista]

I have a real coal fire in the house, but the smokeless 'coal' is very expensive to buy.

So yesterday, I was clearing out some old newspapers and letters and put them in a bag. Then I had a thought. I wonder if I made paper logs they'd burn like wood. After all, paper is wood. I'm just reversing the process again. :p

So I went on YouTube and saw a guy who does just that and he says one log will burn for up to 3 hours. :D

FREE heating. :D

So I am gonna make some paper logs. :D Stay warm. :p


Yes there is a Metal Compressor
You wet the NewsPapers
pack them in
Crunch it down

Remove the brick
Leave it to Dry

It then burns slow in a Fire.

[arista]

https://images.saymedia-content.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cq_auto:eco%2Cw_760/MTc0MzU0NzcyMzcwMDA3NDAw/how-i-make-quick-and-easy-newspaper-bricks-for-burning-in-my-fire.webp


Compressed Paper Bricks or Logs

[arista]

BBC News Text:
[Lead focuses on mounting anger at
green power firm Drax - which has been accused
of exploiting an energy subsidy loophole
to avoid paying £639m back to cash-strapped
households.]

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/307C/production/_130621421_page1_page-0001.jpg.webp

[Gusto Brunt]

I'm with Utilita and I just want to mention here what they're like when it comes to me paying the monthly bill.

They'll send an email and a text to say the bill is out and ready to pay. They've told me I can pay within two weeks of receiving the bill but that does not stop them emailing me every day saying I haven't paid my bill yet. They do this one day after getting the bill. :rolleyes:

And I always pay it within a week anyway so I don't know what's with all the panic. :rolleyes:.

[Quantum Boy]

I'm with Utilita and I just want to mention here what they're like when it comes to me paying the monthly bill.

They'll send an email and a text to say the bill is out and ready to pay. They've told me I can pay within two weeks of receiving the bill but that does not stop them emailing me every day saying I haven't paid my bill yet. They do this one day after getting the bill. :rolleyes:

And I always pay it within a week anyway so I don't know what's with all the panic. :rolleyes:.

They are largely toothless if you don't have a smart meter, so long as your balance is zero every few months all you'll get is letters and calls.

[Gusto Brunt]

They are largely toothless if you don't have a smart meter, so long as your balance is zero every few months all you'll get is letters and calls.

They wanted me to get a smart meter, and I gave in. They set a time and date and I was in when the meter man came.:hee:

Problem was he didn't have the smart meter with him. :shocked: A complete waste of my time.:fist:

Good job I don't have direct debit either. THAT has a very bad reputation for taking too much money.:fist:

:hee:

[arista]

They wanted me to get a smart meter, and I gave in. They set a time and date and I was in when the meter man came.:hee:

Problem was he didn't have the smart meter with him. :shocked: A complete waste of my time.:fist:

Good job I don't have direct debit either. THAT has a very bad reputation for taking too much money.:fist:

:hee:


I am with British Gas
They wanted me to have Smart Meters

I said NO
100% NO.

As I am using very little gas


I use Electric Plug In Radiators
in any zone, we need to keep warm.(Not with British Gas)


It has saved us Thousands of Pounds.

Electric Shower
no Poxy Gas needed

[Vanessa]

They want to install a smart meter in my house. There's no way I'll let this happen.
I'm happy with the one I have. I can manage it very well. :fist::nono:

[arista]

They want to install a smart meter in my house. There's no way I'll let this happen.
I'm happy with the one I have. I can manage it very well. :fist::nono:


You are Most Wise Vanessa

[Zizu]

They want to install a smart meter in my house. There's no way I'll let this happen.
I'm happy with the one I have. I can manage it very well. :fist::nono:


Yes we have fought against it on three occasions thus far


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[bots]

i like smart meters, i have cut my bill dramatically by monitoring my usage

[Quantum Boy]

My issue with smart meters is that with some, they can cut you off remotely. Press a button and literally kill your power supply.

There used to be myths that power companies had this mystical power all along and could selectively "cut people off" - in truth they had to send an electrician to literally cut your supply. With smart metres myth became reality... Someone can click a mouse in London and your house anywhere in the UK goes dark. No fanx.

I have no issues paying my bills but I'm not naive enough to assume I'll definitely never be in a crisis situation... I don't want them having the power to cut me off entirely if the **** hits the fan for a few months.

[smudgie]

We have had a smart meter since we moved to the bungalow.
Never took much notice until the energy crisis.
Hubby and I play guess the amount at bedtime.
It’s quite easy to work out how much the heating costs an hour etc.
Roughly £1 an hour. £12 a day approx.

[Vanessa]

We have had a smart meter since we moved to the bungalow.
Never took much notice until the energy crisis.
Hubby and I play guess the amount at bedtime.
It’s quite easy to work out how much the heating costs an hour etc.
Roughly £1 an hour. £12 a day approx.
I feel I have more control with a normal meter. I'm worried they could cut me off with a smart meter.

[Cherie]

We have a smart meter for the electric and a normal gas meter, tbh I quite like having a smart meter

[bots]

i don't do anything with the gas smart meter. It needs to be on when its on. It uses more in winter than summer. That's basically it.

Electricity usage can be managed because of the sheer number of devices plugged in

[James]

I see that Einstein smart meter advert on YouTube all the time.

I am with British Gas
They wanted me to have Smart Meters

I said NO
100% NO.

As I am using very little gas


I use Electric Plug In Radiators
in any zone, we need to keep warm.(Not with British Gas)


It has saved us Thousands of Pounds.

Electric Shower
no Poxy Gas needed

What electric heaters do you use? I keep buying quartz heaters that stop working after about a month. I don't know if they all do that, or are these really cheaply made or what?

They look like this picture.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71JrKII1kML._AC_SX522_.jpg

[arista]

What electric heaters do you use?


NO James

Radiators on wheels


Saves you Mega Cash and they are Safe
You get total control of the heat

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71JFxga1XVL.__AC_SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg

[Vanessa]

I have a small electric one. I only use it when it's freezing.

[arista]

Bollocks to Gas

Standing charge sometimes

[arista]

I have a small electric one. I only use it when it's freezing.


You are Most Wise

[arista]

That Heater
James - Costs much more than my one, in heating costs, I mean.

The Radiators are much more Safe
and last for years,

Stick them in the Cupboard
in the mid summer
they are on wheels


I have been doing this for years


British Gas Hate Me

[arista]

On Amazon UK only £55


Aldi and Lidl
also sell them at times

[Quantum Boy]

British Gas Hate Me

I counter that they don't give a ****, arista.

[Gusto Brunt]

What electric heaters do you use?


NO James

Radiators on wheels


Saves you Mega Cash and they are Safe
You get total control of the heat

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71JFxga1XVL.__AC_SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg

I used to use them but ever since electric prices went up, it feels like burning £10 notes every hour or so. :shocked:

I make do with extra clothes and hot water bottles. :p

I'm also using my REAL fire in the front room. I don't have it on every day - only when it gets really really cold.

And it'll be on Christmas Day all day as a Christmas treat. :D :hee:

https://socialistworker.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Christmas_Fireplace_wp.jpg

[Zizu]

I used to use them but ever since electric prices went up, it feels like burning £10 notes every hour or so. :shocked:

I make do with extra clothes and hot water bottles. :p

I'm also using my REAL fire in the front room. I don't have it on every day - only when it gets really really cold.

And it'll be on Christmas Day all day as a Christmas treat. :D :hee:

https://socialistworker.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Christmas_Fireplace_wp.jpg


Isn’t boiling kettles for hot water bottles not extremely expensive though ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[bots]

i was on a fixed term gas contract throughout the energy spike which meant i had no issues paying my gas bill and it was a steal compared to electricity costs. My new fixed contract is half what i was previously paying so there are good deals to be had out there

[arista]

"I used to use them but ever since electric prices went up"


You were using them wrong then
You set a temperature for when it comes on.


They are saving me Mega Cash

British Gas can Piss Off