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Original poster

My heating was on for two hours yesterday…

345 replies

AchillesLastStand · 02/04/2022 08:30

My heating was on for two hours yesterday, on in the morning for an hour and in the evening. We had one bath yesterday which the boiler heats the water for. We shared the same water. I logged onto Bulb to see the energy costs for yesterday, £4.50 for gas, £3.50 for electricity. It’s unsustainable if it goes up again in October. My 8 year old DS is under his bedcovers with his tablet because the heating has had to go off.

OP posts:
EngTech · 02/04/2022 17:16

If people can’t pay the increased bills, what are the Utility Companies actually going to do?

That is when it will get very interesting and the media will have a field day, not forgetting the political fall out 😳😳

MenopauseSucks · 02/04/2022 17:20

When my fixed rate tariff runs out at the end of May, my bill will rocketConfused

Gas per kWh will rise from 3p to 7p - 130%
Electricity per kWh will go from 17p to 28p - 65%

It'll be interesting to see how it works out....

I wish I fixed for 3 years back in May 2020 - the quoted prices just seemed so ridiculous back then but compared to the new price caps, it was a bargain!

HMSSophia · 02/04/2022 17:22

@HardyBuckette thank you that's really interesting and factual. I appreciate it

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Cost of living
imamumgetmeoutofhere · 02/04/2022 17:22

@lollipoprainbow

Just because we didn't have heating back in the day doesn't mean it's acceptable now in the 20th century in one of the richest countries in the world. Why should we have to live in a cold house ??
This!!

It's 2022 for Christ's sake. We shouldn't have to be cold (and hungry the way things are going) in our own homes

Brownlongearedbat · 02/04/2022 17:25

@VanGoghsDog yes they do. Read the small print at the bottom where it tells you their power comes from the national grid and they cover themselves by buying 'certificates' , whatever that means.
If you are doubting how your power is generated - how do you honestly think they would say "Ah, now the Jones family at 26 high street have asked for renewable only, so let's put in a direct cable to them from the nearest wind turbine (which would guarantee you power about 15% of the time, even if it was possible). Power is a shared resource. I am not on a 'renewable' tariff, and my power is exactly the same as yours. It's all greenwashing bollocks, like so much these days.

HardyBuckette · 02/04/2022 17:29

[quote HMSSophia]@HardyBuckette thank you that's really interesting and factual. I appreciate it [/quote]
No problem! I love talking about voter cleavages. Partially because it's really interesting and partially because of the amusing name.

MurmuratingStarling · 02/04/2022 17:30

@yellowsuninthesky

This is such a bullshit argument. Someone living in 3 bed semi, trying to keep it warm and dry for their family is expected to think about the resources they are “wasting” when towns and cities are full of buildings burning light and heat whilst barely being used

it is possible to care about, and do something about, both.

Lets see if the shops and offices start turning their lights off at night, or bleat about "increased costs".

Lets see if the SUV drivers start turning their engines off while waiting for their kids to come out of school, or bleat about petrol costs rising.

It's entirely possible to see both sides to this. Some people are really going to struggle, but it's also true that others won't change their wasteful habits unless it costs them money.

100% agree @yellowsuninthesky People DO only start to care when it hits their pockets. (Not everyone of course, but SOME people.)

@PriamFarrl

The thing is that there are two different things here.

One is keeping your house an an environmentally responsible temperature and the other is the cost of energy.

This. ^ @ReadyToMoveIt missed my point entirely.

@PriamFarrl

There is a middle ground.

This. ^ And I said this too. The 'let's all go to the loo out in the backyard, and sit here with icicles on our nose shall we, whilst we rub 2 sticks together for a tiny flame for warmth' type posts are just ridiculous. No-one's saying that. People are simply saying it's often unnecessary to have your heating on 23-26 C, when often, just popping a jumper or cardigan on (or popping a fleece over you if you're sitting watching TV) is an alternative to burning off tons of gas!

MurmuratingStarling · 02/04/2022 17:38

I mean of COURSE you need the heating on sometimes, not only if it's very cold, but also to stop the house going damp and manky. But it's not necessary to turn it on - particularly at 23 C or more, every time it's a bit 'nippy!'

Artichokeleaves · 02/04/2022 17:52

Yes of course most people need the heating on sometimes.

The issue is that people are having to leave it off whether they need it or not. It was 11 in here this morning.

TinselTitsAndGlitteryBits · 02/04/2022 17:57

@derxa

FFS. Ice inside houses is BAD AND UNPLEASANT AND A POOR STANDARD OF LIVING It wasn't. I hate overheated centrally heated houses.
So leave your heating off then? You enjoying being cold means nothing to the disabled (like me), the elderly and the families with babies/young children who NEED heat.

In your case, being cold is a choice. CH in many circumstances is not.

PriamFarrl · 02/04/2022 18:07

So leave your heating off then? You enjoying being cold means nothing to the disabled (like me), the elderly and the families with babies/young children who NEED heat.

No one is saying turn the heating off, but they are saying that for some people they should put a jumper on rather than have the heating at 26.
Like I said up thread I did FaceTime calls to families in the January lockdown and they parents were in T-shirts and the kids in just shorts. I was in a jumper and a blanket on my knees.

ToothGrinder · 02/04/2022 18:18

Tbf I think derxa is saying turn the heating off. She said she hates central heating and that ice inside windows is not a bad thing.

TinselTitsAndGlitteryBits · 02/04/2022 18:21

@ToothGrinder

Tbf I think derxa is saying turn the heating off. She said she hates central heating and that ice inside windows is not a bad thing.
Exactly.
VanGoghsDog · 02/04/2022 18:22

[quote Brownlongearedbat]@VanGoghsDog yes they do. Read the small print at the bottom where it tells you their power comes from the national grid and they cover themselves by buying 'certificates' , whatever that means.
If you are doubting how your power is generated - how do you honestly think they would say "Ah, now the Jones family at 26 high street have asked for renewable only, so let's put in a direct cable to them from the nearest wind turbine (which would guarantee you power about 15% of the time, even if it was possible). Power is a shared resource. I am not on a 'renewable' tariff, and my power is exactly the same as yours. It's all greenwashing bollocks, like so much these days.[/quote]
Well, this is a bizarre reply - why are you telling me to 'read the small print' when I actually posted a screenshot of it? How about I tell you to 'read the screen shot I posted of the small print'?

I am not 'doubting how my power is generated', I never said I was. I read their website and posted what they say, which is clear it comes from the grid and is pooled.

"how do you honestly think...." - I don't think that, I'm not stupid, there's really no need to be patronising.

ToothGrinder · 02/04/2022 18:22

MrMrsJones likewise thinks that heating is unnecessary. There are a few such posters throughout this thread.

newnameswhothis · 02/04/2022 18:35

@MrMrsJones

When I was a kid, we only had heating in the lounge.

People have got too comfortable with hot houses

Comments like this boil my piss having a warm home isn't a luxury.

This may not be something that was standard historically, but heating is and right so an absolute basic necessity in the day and age.

Cost's can be mitigated and people can be more considerate and conscious of the energy they use but nobody should have to chose to sit in the cold because heating is unaffordable.

Madwife123 · 02/04/2022 18:56

It’s awful. Our energy bill has doubled. We are foster carers to disabled and medically fragile children so not heating the house isn’t an option. We also use a lot of electricity to power medical devices and a lot of water due to this. We have been told social care are assessing fostering allowances urgently due to this increase but in the meantime it’s completely unsustainable!

derxa · 02/04/2022 19:38

*So leave your heating off then? You enjoying being cold means nothing to the disabled (like me), the elderly and the families with babies/young children who NEED heat. In your case, being cold is a choice. CH in many circumstances is not.
But that's exactly what I'm saying. I hate living in a hot fuggy house. The govt should be making sure the elderly, disabled and people with special medical needs have adequately heated homes. The whole situation has been spectacularly mismanaged.

velvet24 · 02/04/2022 19:40

My house is 18 and i feel cold so gave in and put on 18.5 , didn't have my usual relaxing bath but a 1 min shower instead, things are just going to get harder.

VladmirsPoutine · 02/04/2022 20:01

@MrMrsJones

When I was a kid, we only had heating in the lounge.

People have got too comfortable with hot houses

When I was a kid we only had defrosted gruel to share between the four of us. People have got too comfortable with hot meals.
EmbarrassingHadrosaurus · 02/04/2022 20:12

When I was a kid we only had defrosted gruel to share between the four of us. People have got too comfortable with hot meals. Grin

I remember when there used to be some form of loan/grant for people on benefits when they moved into a property without facilities. It used to be said that adults without young/elderly dependants didn't need a fridge unless they were diabetic and had some justification for a fridge. At the other end of the scale, apparently people didn't need a cooker as there is no physical need for a hot meal.

I really hope we've moved away from that sort of thinking.

HappyWinter · 02/04/2022 20:36

@VelvetChairGirl Could you get a dehumidifier? That might help with the damp and it should make your flat feel warmer. My house feels warmer at a lower temperature since I've started using a dehumidifier in the room where I dry washing.

VladmirsPoutine · 02/04/2022 20:42

@EmbarrassingHadrosaurus I really don't think we have and the tories are really banking on the fact a lot of their electorate will take the attitude of 'well in my day we worked down the mines for tuppence a week and warmed our hands by candlelight.' Anyone who can remotely reimagine a different sort of society will be written off as a 'snowflake' who wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes 'back in the day'.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 02/04/2022 21:07

@velvet24

My house is 18 and i feel cold so gave in and put on 18.5 , didn't have my usual relaxing bath but a 1 min shower instead, things are just going to get harder.
Mine is set at 18 and I'm cold. DH insists it's not cold. DD is wearing short sleeve pj's watching tv. Maybe its me but my hands are freezing. I don't want to give in though as the energy companies are unreasonable
RosesAndHellebores · 02/04/2022 21:13

The issue is the huge increase in standing charges which will have to be paid regardless of whether gas or electricity is consumed. That's what's so unfair and regressive for those at the margins. My understanding is that the regulator has said the energy companies may pass on their fixed costs in this way.

The higher percentage of net income people must spend on non negotiable energy charges (along with rent, food and community charge) the harder hit they will be. It is risible that the poorest will still have to pay significantly more even if they chose not to have the heating/lighting on.

Something has to be done at least about the standing charges because they remove the user's choice unless they chose to disconnect from the grid.

It is unacceptable. I am not persuaded things would be different with a different political party in power however. Some of you may recall how the public brayed for lockdown and how they embraced furlough. Regrettably the reserves have been spent.