Bill free

[Summergirl5]

Has anyone managed to live bill free ,no gas ,electricity or water bill ,if so how have you done it ,like solar panels ,rainwater to flush ect
are there any houses built specifically ,for being self sufficient with no bills

we can’t pay our bills from November when it goes up ,we are going to have to take out a £3000 loan to get through the winter ,and there’s only so many years we can do this

There are houses up in the hills in Wales (and I'm sure in other places) that are completely "off-grid", with well water and more recently with solar panels. The tend to be a bit inconvenient for normal people with normal jobs.

It may be better to approach your utility companies and ask for advice in reducing your bills. Make sure everyone has cosy house socks and snuggly throws. Turn the thermostat down one or two degrees. Get draught excluders and shower timers. How badly are your bills going up?

was £175 in January gas water electricity a month
now £500 a month
due to double in October
im just thinking If we can manage with no electricity or gas ,

Is it worth changing your direct debit to pay purely for what you use? Get a smart meter from your supplier, and keep really tight tabs on what you use.

Got a smart meter already
they wanted us to fix at £7000 a year ,which we can’t afford
we have already fixed it to only pay what we use

Where are you getting those figures from? There is no reason to believe you will be paying 12000 a year unless you have incredibly high usage.

how much gas, electricity and water are you actually using each month?

The £500 a month is what we are already paying
the engery regulator is estimated we will double ,we are already paying what most people are predicted to go up to .
we have 4 children at home ,so 6 in a house

is 500 your direct debit or what you are paying for your actual usage on a variable tariff? Or are you on a fixed tariff with a dd of 500 per month?

We switch everything of ,don’t use the dryer ,2 of the kids are autistic so don’t use the shower or bath ( sensory issues) so only 4 people showering
washing machine on 15 degrees quick wash ,only takes 10 minutes
don’t know what more we can do
we won’t be having any heating on at all this winter,

In light of this i cannot see how you are currently using 500 worth of energy a month

On variable Tarrif ,not fixed
we can’t afford the £7000 a year to fix it

£500 is gas water and electricity
and I wish to god we weren’t using it
the house is never empty as 2 dc have home learning and don’t leave the house

So you are currently consistently using 500 a month regardless of whether it is summer or winter? That seems odd.

House is 20 years old ,so I think the water system and gas system, the boiler is not economical,

What's your annual usage in kwh for both gas and electricity?

What appliances and devices do you have, and how often/long are they used for?

£175 in January
£475 / £500 per month for last 3 months
green energy went bust ,and we were sent to shell ,where it went up massively

What is your usage for gas and elec in Kwh? I am not doubting you by the way, just trying to work out how you have gone from 175 to 500

Freezer / fridge dishwasher/ washing machine dishwasher cooker 3 computers

I will need to download bill to work out KWH
bill shot up as we were moved to shell

do you do 2 or 3 loads of washing a day and them tumble dry it or anything like that?

Yes 2 loads of washing a day
we were using the dryer / twice a week but not for past month
43p a day just to have the supply
9000 kWh electric
1500 kWh gas

Re the washing machine - do you have an eco cycle setting? Takes ages, but can use less water/power than a quick cycle.

I didn’t know that ,but if it takes longer ,won’t it use more electricity???

9000 kWh electric
1500 kWh gas

Is that your monthly consumption or your annual consumption??

We are a single earner family ,due to dc SEN .so that’s probably why it’s higher due to me and dc hardly leaving house