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Original poster

Shit just got my electric bill!!

587 replies

2anddone · 09/02/2022 21:57

Just got my electric bill it's gone up £200 compared to this time last year....it's going to get worse isn't it!
I have night storage heating which works on a thermostat and is set to low (17 degrees) plus a log cabin which I need to heat for my work (childcare so have to have heat!). I don't leave lights on unnecessarily, don't have my hot water heater switched on, only run my washing machine and dishwasher when they are full. The tv is on every evening but not in the daytime, don't have a tumble dryer.
I honestly can't see where I can save money on my electric bill (was over £400 this month)

OP posts:
FourTeaFallOut · 12/02/2022 18:43

In October the cap is likely to rise again and when it comes down in 2023 it is forecast to come down, slightly below the April cap.

Although if Russia invades the Ukraine all bets are off.

Shit just got my electric bill!!
Original poster
2anddone · 12/02/2022 19:04

Hi everyone
I left the thread for a few days as if I am totally honest I found it really scary to read.
I have just submitted my meter reading and will submit another in 2 weeks time ready for the next bill. Everything that can be off is off. Heating is down as low as I can get away with 15 during day and 18 for a couple hours in morning and evening. When I use the oven to cook I am keeping the oven door open until it's cooled down to get some 'free heat'. The log cabin heating has gone off as I don't childmind in school holidays to spend time with my own children...hoping to be able to afford to keep that going. Hoping the next bill is slightly cheaper.

OP posts:
Fooshufflewickjbannanapants · 12/02/2022 19:17

I turned my heating off last week, simply can't afford it, I'm now sat in four layers and blanket it's blasting me back to the 80's growing up!
Fuck me it's cold 🥶

Interested in this thread?

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Cost of living
PuzzledObserver · 12/02/2022 19:31

I'm not a stupid person, or uninterested, but have never taken enough interest in how much elec and gas I was actually using. Would be a great skill to teach in schools.

I don’t think most people do. There are two reasons to do so. One is awareness of climate change, which is growing. The other is cost, while you can easily afford it, why would you worry if you’re using more than you could? It’s human nature.

The good news is that there are lots of ways of reducing usage. Some cost a bomb, others cost a little, and still others are free.

Ddot · 12/02/2022 19:49

I'm kind of lucky going through menopause so constantly too hot, just got to watch my fingers ( get very cold as house is around 14) I occasionally feel cold and like I said use my heated blanket. Silver linings

Oreo78 · 12/02/2022 19:57

@Leftbutcameback

Thanks to PP who mentioned when prices may fall again - so need to budget for at least a year on current cap. Like a lot of posts on this thread, and the other similar one, it's been illuminating and knowledge is power.

I'm not a stupid person, or uninterested, but have never taken enough interest in how much elec and gas I was actually using. Would be a great skill to teach in schools.

Have you got a smart meter? They show you exactly how much you are spending at any given time. You can work out what is using the most electricity.

Don't count your chickens in regards to energy prices going down next year. The Chancellor is optimistic that it will go down, hence why the government is giving financial aid this year, however, if Russia invades Ukraine the price of gas may go up as we get some of our gas from Eastern Europe.

Check out Martin Lewis Money Expert site for more information on this issue.

Ddot · 12/02/2022 20:18

Smart meters are nasty spawn of the devil devices. Can be hacked can cause health problems, cost over £400 which we all have to eventually pay for.

FourTeaFallOut · 12/02/2022 20:20

Health problems??

cakeorwine · 12/02/2022 20:27

@Ddot

Smart meters are nasty spawn of the devil devices. Can be hacked can cause health problems, cost over £400 which we all have to eventually pay for.
If anything is going to be hacked, it's going to be the energy companies.

I was against one - but I had to get one, and I actually quite like it. It does show clearly what I am using and the usage. I can show DS what his showers cost.

User0458832 · 12/02/2022 20:40

We had a smart meter for about 3 months until I changed supplier and it went dumb, even when we went back to the original supplier a year later it was still dumb, waste of money fitting it.

cakeorwine · 12/02/2022 20:41

@User0458832

We had a smart meter for about 3 months until I changed supplier and it went dumb, even when we went back to the original supplier a year later it was still dumb, waste of money fitting it.
I had to change supplier and it worked fine.

I do know some people with older smart meters that have gone dumb

cuno · 12/02/2022 20:43

@Ddot

Smart meters are nasty spawn of the devil devices. Can be hacked can cause health problems, cost over £400 which we all have to eventually pay for.
Sorry, can you expand on the part about health problems?
Ddot · 12/02/2022 20:45

cakeorwine
You don't have to have one that is a lie, it is optional but companies try that line on a great many people.

User0458832 · 12/02/2022 20:46

I thought when I went back to the supplier that fitted it, it would work again, I asked them to reinstate it and they said they couldn't as I had gone to another supplier in between, the whole thing was ridiculous.

cakeorwine · 12/02/2022 20:49

@Ddot

cakeorwine You don't have to have one that is a lie, it is optional but companies try that line on a great many people.
It was part of the deal with the company I moved to
User0458832 · 12/02/2022 20:56

I think the fact that someone has fitted a smart meter in our house means that box has been ticked, whether it works or not doesn't seem to matter, I just read it like the old meter and submit readings, I seem to get smart meter tariffs ok, nobody asks to fit another one

cuno · 12/02/2022 21:20

I have a smart meter but there is no signal between the meter itself and the little screen thing you use to read the smart meter. It has never worked and I've had someone come out 3 times to try and resolve it, and the energy company say there is nothing they can do. The smart meter came with the tariff I was on and had no issues with my smart meter at my last place, in fact I found it really helpful.

If I want to read my smart meter I need to go on the app on my phone, but even then it only shows how much energy I used 2 days ago at the latest! And sometimes there's an error because the signal is so bad it lumps all my usage across 2 days into 1 day, and then it shows 0 energy used on the day before. So annoying!

PuzzledObserver · 12/02/2022 22:34

I have a smart meter. I chose to have it and I like it. It is also necessary for the time of use tariff which saves me a fortune on charging my EV.

It occasionally misses some data. Then I contact Octopus via Twitter, and they request it manually and it’s fine.

What with the smart meter and all those Covid vaccines, it’s amazing I’m not dead yet.

cakeorwine · 12/02/2022 22:41

I have a smart meter. I chose to have it and I like it. It is also necessary for the time of use tariff which saves me a fortune on charging my EV

I read somewhere about people charging their EV at night with cheap power and then not driving, so they could then use the energy in the EV in their house

The future is fascinating when it comes to how we use power and we can store energy. Unfortunately the present is expensive.

wingscrow · 12/02/2022 22:44

Well, don't vote for the Tories ever again. Simple as that.

Other countries have managed the situation better, our government is just letting energy companies line their pockets at our expenses...

psychomath · 13/02/2022 01:36

Most new deals are going to be way more expensive than the price cap levels.

@cakeorwine (as you seem to know what you're talking about!) I'm really confused, how does this work exactly? I keep seeing people on here and IRL saying their electric DDs have suddenly gone up to 2-3x what they were, but the price cap is only (!) going up by 80% for the standing charge and about 30% per kWh, so why are people's bills increasing by so much more than that?

I'm in a lot of credit at the moment so my monthly payments haven't gone up just yet, but I'm trying to work out roughly how much the costs will increase by come April. By my calculation it should be between a 30% and 80% increase, assuming usage stays the same, with the percentage increase being higher the less you use because the standing charge is contributing proportionally more. I thought the whole point of the cap was that it was a maximum amount that could be charged per unit and the companies weren't allowed to exceed that. But seeing what people are saying here and elsewhere about much bigger price rises is making me wonder whether i've misunderstood something?

platec · 13/02/2022 07:37

@psychomath

Most new deals are going to be way more expensive than the price cap levels.

@cakeorwine (as you seem to know what you're talking about!) I'm really confused, how does this work exactly? I keep seeing people on here and IRL saying their electric DDs have suddenly gone up to 2-3x what they were, but the price cap is only (!) going up by 80% for the standing charge and about 30% per kWh, so why are people's bills increasing by so much more than that?

I'm in a lot of credit at the moment so my monthly payments haven't gone up just yet, but I'm trying to work out roughly how much the costs will increase by come April. By my calculation it should be between a 30% and 80% increase, assuming usage stays the same, with the percentage increase being higher the less you use because the standing charge is contributing proportionally more. I thought the whole point of the cap was that it was a maximum amount that could be charged per unit and the companies weren't allowed to exceed that. But seeing what people are saying here and elsewhere about much bigger price rises is making me wonder whether i've misunderstood something?

I can't speak for other people but mine has increased from about £170 a month to an average of £250 a month for the last 3 months. The reason this has happened to me is because my original provider was one of the ones that went bust, I was moved onto British Gas and their rates were a lot more expensive. I imagine a lot of people are in a similar situation or have had cheaper deals come to an end. I looked to switch to a better deal the other day and everywhere basically says stay where you are with your provider, there are no better deals available.
Alexandra2001 · 13/02/2022 07:41

As i understand it, companies have been losing money in recent months, so bills will raise to make up that loss plus to whatever the price cap will be over the next few months, especially in October.

Whats annoying is that electricity is going up regardless of whether its been produced by a coal fired station or a wind turbine plus electricity is also loaded so fossil fuel generated energy is cheaper.

But even with all this, how the fuck can the energy companies make totally unexpected billions and not pay any extra tax? Pensions and investment in Green energy never expected any of this extra income...

Talk about looking after your own!

FourTeaFallOut · 13/02/2022 07:46

We were one of the high use customers for whom it made sense to fix a month ago. So we moved from a cheap fix to an expensive fix instantly.

cakeorwine · 13/02/2022 08:34

@psychomath

If you are on a fixed deal at the moment (not the price cap), then you are probably getting a good (ish) rate. That will expire at some point.

Your company will then offer you a new fixed deal for a year or 2. Guaranteeing your rates for a year or 2.

If you don't like this deal, then you will go on to the price cap rate. At the moment, fixed deals are above the price cap rate in April. However, who knows what will happen in October.

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