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Original poster

My gas bill has just gone up 75%

126 replies

Orangejuicemarathoner · 12/10/2021 18:34

My direct debit has just been changed - I haven't used any more gas this year than last year.

I don't think it will be long before it goes up again..

Sad
OP posts:
whatsthestory123 · 12/10/2021 22:01

it's amazing how you can change your routine to save £££ and its really not a huge effort

im trying to use the electric fan oven less and when i do make a cake or anything to make the best use of it

i have has the heating on but less and down a few degrees but not used much mainly the last 3 mornings,im not good in the morning and heating makes a differrence to my mood (bipolar)

made sure furniture is not blocking radiators
my youngest son loves baths but he still does bathe but a couple of showers instead

but im lucky as my son and his gf were living here all in paid £40 a week for both so i was using my own income to support them so now they are not here im hoping im saving,i must be i did everything all meals all their washing i bloomin hope so

had a new patio door in the summer so no draughts and save on draught excluder i used to use,had a double glazed window fixed again no draught and so nice not to have the wind blowing through

interesting to see what others pay for fuel

ivykaty44 · 12/10/2021 22:01

Looking at the figures, I can't understand why my bill is expected to go up so much!

who is your supplier and how much are they charging you kw per hour? and how much is your daily charge?

loveisagirlnameddaisy · 12/10/2021 22:11

It's not Brexit, it's a worldwide issue affecting countries who use natural gas the most, and the UK is the largest consumer of natural gas in Europe.

Blaming Brexit for everything is lazy and ill-informed.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Cost of living
whatsthestory123 · 12/10/2021 22:13

@ivykaty44

Looking at the figures, I can't understand why my bill is expected to go up so much!

who is your supplier and how much are they charging you kw per hour? and how much is your daily charge?

who is that to?
whatsthestory123 · 12/10/2021 22:14

we out source far to much
lets hope this changes
we can but hope

DespairingHomeowner · 12/10/2021 22:25

I’d be interested to know what the biggest energy users in the home are/what is worth switching off

Hate spending money on heating (though I do). Grew up in a cold house which helps my tolerance! I wear layers, blanket on sofa & on lap when WFH. In winter will use a quilt on top of duvet to keep warm (I put it on the end of bed to keep feet warm)

Re tumble dryer use: I plugged my fan in today in front of clothes horse: that was surprisingly effective so will do again (I looked up energy use, it’s much less than drier, reduces wear on clothes & keeps them from smelling musty if taking ages to dry)

Thanks to PP for mentioning about electric fan oven : I have fan & normal so will try to use the regular oven!

whatsthestory123 · 12/10/2021 22:41

i tried the fan vs regular oven yesterday took exactly the same time but maybe the fan overall uses more energy

whatsthestory123 · 12/10/2021 22:45

good idea about a normal fan we have 3 here could be useful

thanks

Original poster
Orangejuicemarathoner · 12/10/2021 22:47

It was £40 a month, now £70.

That seems an awful lot for one adult living alone

OP posts:
middleager · 12/10/2021 22:54

We are trying to cut down on use.

Electric blankets and throws are so useful and cost pennies to run.

When I've worked from home in the past, I've done it with a laptop under an electric blanket and duvet.

I'm used to this, but my kids have always grown up with central heating and double glazing and so the heating might need to go on soon!

I put my oven on less and use the slowcooker/airfryer.
I rarely tumble dry

Kitkat151 · 12/10/2021 22:55

@Orangejuicemarathoner

It was £40 a month, now £70.

That seems an awful lot for one adult living alone

But that’s not 75%? It’s not even 50% ( although still a hefty increase)
Reallybadidea · 12/10/2021 22:58

But that’s not 75%? It’s not even 50% ( although still a hefty increase)

What is it then?

Hercisback · 12/10/2021 23:00

The PP who said about the dishwasher, surely you only out that on when it's full anyway?

We've gone from green to shell and expecting a high bill. We haven't put the heating on yet this year. No tumble drier here either. Like the tips about using the smaller oven. We've been cooking once and then microwave the next night.

Hercisback · 12/10/2021 23:01

30/40=75% so it is a 75% increase.

Kitkat151 · 12/10/2021 23:09

@Hercisback

30/40=75% so it is a 75% increase.
My bad maths🙄
whatsthestory123 · 12/10/2021 23:43

@Reallybadidea

But that’s not 75%? It’s not even 50% ( although still a hefty increase)

What is it then?

thank you just what we need to know
Kona84 · 12/10/2021 23:54

There is an interesting episode on moneybox (bbc podcast) energy companies are putting money aside so they can buy the energy as they can’t sell it above the cap. Bulb put my d/d to £85pm but I’m 128 in credit and normally pay £60pm so I’ve reduced it back down

Kona84 · 12/10/2021 23:56

A dehumidifier with laundry setting is good for drying clothes in winter

VanGoghsDog · 13/10/2021 00:07

@Hercisback

The PP who said about the dishwasher, surely you only out that on when it's full anyway?

We've gone from green to shell and expecting a high bill. We haven't put the heating on yet this year. No tumble drier here either. Like the tips about using the smaller oven. We've been cooking once and then microwave the next night.

No, I'm a really untidy person who hates housework. I live alone. I found that making a rule to put it on every night meant that I did a quick kitchen tidy before bed and came down to an OK kitchen in the morning and no dirty dishes. Making this "rule" for myself has helped make home working bearable. Honestly I'd get in a real mess otherwise.
But anyway, last week I changed the rule to alternate nights (obviously unless it's full, when it goes on) and I'm already in a bit of a muddle because now I don't need to tidy the kitchen and I keep leaving dirty dishes out. I find myself incapable of emptying the dishwasher unless I'm filling it.

Anyway, if I leave it until it's full then a) it goes on at random times I can't cope with and b) invariably everything won't fit in so something gets left out dirty.

So my rule solved that, even if it meant it went on less than half full.

But I'll have to get used to it somehow.

VanGoghsDog · 13/10/2021 00:09

@Orangejuicemarathoner

It was £40 a month, now £70.

That seems an awful lot for one adult living alone

I'm one adult living alone and mine has always been £67 (combined fuel), for ages. I think yours was low.
CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 13/10/2021 00:10

We were paying £128 per month for gas & electric from Eon. We went into the summer quarter over £200 in credit. A couple of weeks ago we logged in to check our account, and it’s was £300 in debit.

It’s summer. Our energy consumption is much lower; it’s usually the time we build up credit for the autumn & winter quarters.

We’ve changed the direct debit, the lowest the calculator would allow us to set the new figure was £239. That’s nearly a 100% increase!

We can just about absorb this ridiculous figure, but I’m genuinely scared for those who can’t jiggle their finances to afford these rises.

We looked at energy price comparisons - and we’re on the best tariff already!

We’re not putting the heating on until we have frosts and even then it’ll be an hour here & there to take the chill off. Luckily I invested in Oodies last year for everyone. And as I’m a crochet fiend there’s plenty of woolly blankets plus hot water bottles around.

I’m not saying this is due to botched Brexit negotiations with other countries who supply our energy but…

The UK needs to invest in renewable energy, especially nuclear. Wind & solar are great but we’re not the sunniest nor windiest place in the world. Nuclear (especially thorium reactors where transuranic waste could be burned & not become a waste problem) would give us a stable, steady electricity supply. After all, the French electricity we use is predominantly via nuclear, why not increase our own?

VanGoghsDog · 13/10/2021 00:17

Everything that doesn't need to be on is off, washing machine, dishwasher is put on over night.

That only makes a difference if you have a night meter with different rates which are a lot less common these days.

Also, washing machines are a big source of house fires, I would not put mine on overnight (I do sometimes set it on time delay to finish just as I get up though).

CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 13/10/2021 00:18

Just to add; we have cavity & extensive loft insulation, only use LED lighting due to a daughter with a UV allergy, our consumption is higher than average because we have work servers (their wattage is lower than average though) and all of our appliances are from A to A++. Hot water is on for 1 1/2hrs in the morning & evening. I do use a tumble dryer when it’s raining, use a long eco wash programme overnight (they stopped the economy 7 on our tariff a few years ago which is annoying. We have a gas hob & central heating. Had an energy health check a few years ago & we’re very efficient (apparently). And we have a smart meter & current clamp meter you hook onto a power cable to check for energy hogging devices (in another life I did electrical engineering).

It’s ludicrous.

MummytoCSJH · 13/10/2021 00:33

@Kona84

There is an interesting episode on moneybox (bbc podcast) energy companies are putting money aside so they can buy the energy as they can’t sell it above the cap. Bulb put my d/d to £85pm but I’m 128 in credit and normally pay £60pm so I’ve reduced it back down
British Gas have done similar to me but you can’t set it below their ‘recommended’ amount Hmm