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. 😩

The increases have been well publicised weeks ago, so no-one should be surprised at the scale tbh.

However, avenues of available help have been less talked about, so as well as improving energy efficiency measures where available, reducing usage where possible there could be avenues to get grants or financial help with bills etc.

As well as the £150 council tax reduction for lower band properties, there is to be a discretionary fund that can be applied for (don't know how), but National Energy Action looks like a good place to start for people in fuel poverty.

Our has gone from £1300 for gas to £2100.
DH has had to go back to full time to afford it.

I'm pleased I ignored the advice in September to stay on svr and fixed until December 2023.

Please keep in mind this is reviewed every 6 months (April and October). The indications are it will rise again in October.

@Bloodyshittystorms

I'm pleased I ignored the advice in September to stay on svr and fixed until December 2023.

Yes my fixed term ended in Sep went with BG fixed for 3yrs hope by then things will be better

It's annoying but inescapable and now that Putin has invaded Ukraine energy bills will go even higher as well as other prices. The only answer is a windfall tax on the wholesale energy companies but Johnson prefers to let them make big profits rather than give real help to us consumers.

So the bills are going to be huge, we'll all stop using as much/some people not at all but the energy companies will still be raking it in, win bloody win for them!
I've seen posts on sm advocating plant pot heaters using candles, I'm very worried about increasing fire risks.

@TellMeMoreHellebore

£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

have a look if your dishwasher and washing machine can use the solar warm water.

twitter.com/guardian/status/1496850100663959557?s=21

I am seriously fucked off that the standing charge has doubled from 25p a day to 51p. I am very economical with my energy usage but there is fuck all I can do against a daily standing charge. Mine is going from £1000 a year to £1445. I used to pay £800 a year with my old supplier before I was moved to Shell.

@Pr1mr0se

Iggly - I think you need to get over the Thatcher thing and consider that no government since has provided the UK with a strategy to safeguard our energy supplies. They've all have plenty of opportunities to do something.

Closing the Rough storage facility and relying on imports from Qatar and more recently refusing permission for the Jackdaw gas field aren’t looking like particularly clever decisions right now.

Wholesale gas prices have increased 30% since yesterday. Before there was a genuinely held belief that Russia would invade Ukraine, forecaster were predicting a further 20% increase on the cap in October so I think that figure floated in the guardian tweet is quite unlikely modest if this situation isn't quickly resolved.

@Grantanow

It's annoying but inescapable and now that Putin has invaded Ukraine energy bills will go even higher as well as other prices. The only answer is a windfall tax on the wholesale energy companies but Johnson prefers to let them make big profits rather than give real help to us consumers.

Yep, papers are now reporting the price cap could go as high as £3000 because of Ukraine. Scary.

www.standard.co.uk/business/ukraine-russia-inflation-oil-wheat-gas-petrol-prices-b984436.html

@Grandville

I am seriously fucked off that the standing charge has doubled from 25p a day to 51p. I am very economical with my energy usage but there is fuck all I can do against a daily standing charge. Mine is going from £1000 a year to £1445. I used to pay £800 a year with my old supplier before I was moved to Shell.

This is what has annoyed me too.. I'm with shell shell aswell and like you standing charge has been doubled to 51p.. ours is going up 800 a year.. our rents just been put up 50quid a month .. I had a text from O2 today saying my bill will go up 7% I just don't know what we will do. Obviously make as many cut backs as possible. I just feel so sorry for the kids.. bloody covid and now this shit and all that's happening with Russia.. All getting a bit much for me atm 💔

Honestly .. if it wasn't for my kids I'd sack all this shit off and go live in my van.

......only the start of it - make lifestyle changes - use a slow cooker, adjust your thermostat and reduce the hours the heating is on.

Any other tips for energy saving are welcome.

@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.

But not the UK (and it never has, even pre brexit). About half is domestic from the north sea. And then there is now the new Norwegian pipeline which I think is about a quarter/ third. The rest comes in via ships as LNG and that can be from anywhere, including Russia. Not having a land link to Russia means we have never been as relient on them.

Europe (particularly Germany's) decision to stop nuclear power production about 10/15 years ago has massively increased their reliance on Russian gas (hence the 2nd pipeline project). And it completely nonsensical as they import nuclear power from France instead (and if there was an accidentthere Germany would be one of the worst affected countries), whilst reducing their own ability to be energy independent. But looked good politically.

However, we will pay more for our gas as the market will push the prices up dues to supply effectively dropping (or the risk of) and countries stock pile. The UK has pretty pitiful gas storage capability and has actually been closing down gas storage facilities in recent years (historic lack of investment and relatively low stable gas market prices in recent years meant that refurbishment wasn't commercially viable). We might regret that decision soon!

That's the only thing about being an oldie like me, You have to get used to a bit of suffering, like living in a cold house, and having to finda shilling to put in the elelctric meter,or put some old blankets and some old coats on the bed when its freezing, as no heating upstairs. etc.You can get used to not being wasteful with electric and water. etc.

Before I had a hairdryer in the early sixties, I had longish hair, and had to kneel down in front of our coal fire to dry my hair, before getting dressed to go out dancing. Just a blast from the past from the good old days ha ha.

@1forAll74 I needed to hear this. Thank you 💐

SunnyKlara A commentator was saying exactly this on 5 Live just now. Apparently UK takes just 3% of its energy from Russia, whereas Germany's is more like 35%.

Ive had £600 increase, only one person in terraced house!

Just got mine. £275 a month. We're only a 2 bed house! (Detached though) £3300 a year!

@pupcakes😭

We got the emails from shell as well

Electric is going from 1k to 1.5k

And gas is going from 1.5k to 3k

Dh nearly had kittens

My electricity payments are doubling. When I'm in credit due to low usage not sure how they can justify this.