[bots]

Originally Posted by Soldier Boy

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]

Originally Posted by Soldier Boy

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.]

[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.]

[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]

[Parmy]

£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?

[Parmy]

Originally Posted by Alf

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!

[Denver]

Originally Posted by 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!

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]

[arista]

[Denver]

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

[Redway]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

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

Who’s your provider?

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Redway

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 ... ... 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 . 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

[user104658]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

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/m...om-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/art...pm-Monday.html



supplies should it be needed.

[arista]

[user104658]

Originally Posted by arista

It doesn't cost £2.10 an hour to run an Xbox ffs . 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 . What a blunder.