Well f*ck!

[TickTockBaby]

We received an email from our current energy provider regarding expecting increase in April.

I feel we are potentially completely f*cked! It's so much more then we anticipated.

We were with a company that went bust so we're assigned to Shell.

We are a family of 4 in a 4 bed house. My DH is fantastic at all things energy saving and we've done pretty much them all to the house. We also already do the usual of wearing layers at home once the D.C. are in bed so don't have the heating in into the night.

Just a despairing grumble really, and wondering how we'll find the extra £800 annually. 😩

Maybe query some of the prices they have given as they seem to be above the price cap level

Yep we had the same email yesterday from shell aswell. 800quid a year more.. it's crazy!

£800 seems to be the figure across the board. I don't think we can escape it

I have solar panels which help a bit. They heat enough water for a days usage....just

I got the sane email with a 500 pound increase.

😪

We have a £600 quid increase with Shell and I saw online over £1000 for sone people.

@dementedpixie

Maybe query some of the prices they have given as they seem to be above the price cap level

Those price cap levels are averaged across the country. There's actually a different level for each of the old electricity board areas.

Could cry at ours! Absolute joke!

Ah right. Didn't know that @FatFredsFriedEgg.

Our standing charge for electricity is going up to 51p a day ... Wtf

I didn't know the publicised price cap levels were an average either. Yet another support measure that, by the time it reaches us, is much watered down.

I got the same email from Shell, same tarriff but they are charging me more on that tarrif for electricity with a lower standing charge. Very weird

They vary depending on payment/charging method as well. The rate for (electricity only) 3100kWh over a year can be anything from £1018.35 to £1,161.37.

Ours will increase by over £1000 and I worry that the problems that Russia are now creating could impact prices even more as many of our power stations are gas fired and 40% of Europe's gas comes from Russia.

We got a £600 annual increase, and we've been balancing on a thin ledge for quite a while now, so I have no idea how we're going to deal with it.

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles

Ours will increase by over £1000 and I worry that the problems that Russia are now creating could impact prices even more as many of our power stations are gas fired and 40% of Europe's gas comes from Russia.

The biggest problem is that our resource extraction is run by private companies who have no incentive to keep the UK supplied.

We should have had a wealth sovereign fund so we could have built up funds for rainy days like today. But nope, Thatcher sold the nations assets.

The high prices affect us more than say France - because France’s government owns a significant proportion of the energy company.

Energy companies are making massive profits. Profits means that they are selling energy to us at a massive mark up.

That’s the beauty of privatisation.

I actually did a 2-year fixed rate deal with Shell one year ago. I'm now wondering what will happen when that deal ends.

@iggly
Oh, it just gets better and better...

I'm with Shell too, ours is going up £941.00

I am shit scared. DH is at home, dying, the amount of laundry I am doing for him alone is through the roof. He feels the cold so I need to have the heating on higher than we usually would, I have carers coming and going who never seem to have heard of an off switch and frequently leave the hot tap running and the stove top kettle simmering away. We are down to PIP and SSP and I have no idea how I am going to afford all the extra bills.

@LER83

Could cry at ours! Absolute joke!

😳 that is eye watering!!

We were expecting a notable increase after our previous supplier when Belly up, as we previously always shopped around and switched regularly to keep our costs down.

I was expecting budget to be tighter but felt we would actually be able to pay to heat our home. But this increase has me genuinely wondering how we'll manage!

We have a comfortable combined income and are fortunate in many ways, I feel so sad thinking about how this will impact people who aren't as lucky as us and the implications for those more vulnerable.

@bloodywhitecat

I am shit scared. DH is at home, dying, the amount of laundry I am doing for him alone is through the roof. He feels the cold so I need to have the heating on higher than we usually would, I have carers coming and going who never seem to have heard of an off switch and frequently leave the hot tap running and the stove top kettle simmering away. We are down to PIP and SSP and I have no idea how I am going to afford all the extra bills.

I don't know you're exact circumstances @bloodywhitecat but wondered if this maybe of use to you both?

www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/benefits-and-financial-support

It's just absolutely shite times that people are facing.

We have heating for an hour in the morning and 4 hours at night. Morning can go soon and night will drop to 2 hours. I'm fanatical about draughts and lights being off. But I also have shit circulation and it doesn't matter how many layers I wear, I'm cold. And I look it- yellow white fingers, blue lips.

It's not attractive.

@bloodywhitecat

I am shit scared. DH is at home, dying, the amount of laundry I am doing for him alone is through the roof. He feels the cold so I need to have the heating on higher than we usually would, I have carers coming and going who never seem to have heard of an off switch and frequently leave the hot tap running and the stove top kettle simmering away. We are down to PIP and SSP and I have no idea how I am going to afford all the extra bills.

@bloodywhitecat put a claim in for UC and check the eligibility criteria for new style ESA, and contact mc millan for a grant, and talk to your local council as other grants may be available

There are ways to reduce electricity usage - without having too much of an impact on lifestyle.

Knowing what devices draw a lot of energy and are used for a reasonable amount of time - such as showers, jet washers, or devices that don't use too much but are on for a long time -and reducing their use - can help reduce usage.

@bloodywhitecat I don't know why you have the extra laundry and I'm not expecting you to say. But in our area there is a council run laundry service for incontinence care. They provide bedding which is taken away for laundering. It's done through Adult Social Care. Worth checking if your area has similar??