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Original poster

Energy bills - in deficit already (no Summer credit)

81 replies

OneFrenchEgg · 08/08/2022 22:14

Four bed house, five adults / teens. Gas central heating. Already £150 in debt (payments set at £200 a month). I switch lights and plugs off all the time. On a variable tariff.
Anyone else not building up the usual Summer credit this year?

OP posts:
lightand · 09/08/2022 14:59

cakeorwine · 08/08/2022 23:10

Lights and plugs won't do it.
You need to know what is consuming your electricity and gas and take some steps.

A good look around the house, identify the activities that are energy intensive - showers are one.

It is going to be really tough this winter - there are things you can do to save energy but I know that you must be dreading putting the heating on

Yes
Think it was @cakeorwine i talked with on another thread.
Buy a gizmo[i will look it up this time what one we have]
Eye opening.

Yes, lights is negligible.

Our main culprits were a heater that was on to heat clothes 7 days a week[cut usage to 2 days]
Computers on a lot
Faulty lid on an old freezer. Now replaced freezer altogether.

And heating [we have switched more to other sources of heat]

lightand · 09/08/2022 15:00

OneFrenchEgg · 09/08/2022 08:10

Hi - yes they use the credit so it will gradually go down. My fuel company email and say you need to pay more if they think the balance isn't right.
I think it's the dishwasher and laundry that's the main thing in our house. And the oven/hob used just for one-two people at a time.
Bloody shower has just broken - the boost light is now permanently on (but not running) so am panicking about that. Going away for a week so not much we can do.

Laundry maybe. But it is not used 24 hours a day. Or 12 hours or whatever.

lightand · 09/08/2022 15:06

geo Minim Energy Monitor
Was £20 . Now £40
And currently unavailable on Amazon
We bought ours about a year ago.
Others may have had the same idea since then.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Cost of living
Greentime101 · 09/08/2022 18:04

FYI I have just cancelled my DD via my banking app & written an email to Shell explaining I will be making manual payments on receipt of each bill

They replied (not an auto reply) almost 😅 instantly thanking me for emailing & confirming DD is cancelled

i just can’t have them having unlimited access to my bank account

cakeorwine · 10/08/2022 22:50

Greentime101 · 09/08/2022 18:04

FYI I have just cancelled my DD via my banking app & written an email to Shell explaining I will be making manual payments on receipt of each bill

They replied (not an auto reply) almost 😅 instantly thanking me for emailing & confirming DD is cancelled

i just can’t have them having unlimited access to my bank account

Since I transferred to Shell a while ago, I just asked them via the online portal to pay by DD on receipt of bill.

So the bill comes and then it gets paid. I have found that companies like to be generous in their DD predictions

Madwife123 · 10/08/2022 22:54

Yep!

We are struggling and in debt by £210 already.

2 adults, including severely disabled adult child that uses far more energy due to medical needs. Plus 2 children. Currently paying £300 a month and this still isn’t enough to cover our usage despite cutting back everywhere we possibly can.

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