My gas & electric costs is crippling me.

[ColinRobinsonsfamiliar]

I know it’s the same for everyone.
Its gone from £180 per month for both to £490 per month.
3 bedroom semi.
This is more than our mortgage.

I’m planning on seeing how the bills are until January then will reassess the monthly payments.
We have stopped using the dryer, turned heating down, switching off switches, filling a bloody flask with hot water instead of boiling the kettle, only doing one laundry load every other day, drying on the radiators.
Trying to pick up extra shifts.

I don’t know how long we can keep our heads above water.

Is this it now? Is this life for ever?

Thanks to everyone who was kind and helpful here.
This is really stressful so I did very much need kindness and sympathetic advice.

I will contact bulb to discuss with my actual meter readings.

We continue to be as frugal and energy saving as we can.

Very much much appreciative of your help.

squishypumpkin · Yesterday 19:14
Do you have to do so much washing? I have enough clothes to last me two weeks and I put my and dh wash on every fortnight and dd clothes on once a week. I also have a few bedding sets so build up the wash for them once a month too. Works for us anyway.

We are a family of 4, school uniforms, work clothes and other clothes need to be washed and turned around quickly so putting a full load on 4 times a week on the shortest eco mode is a must.
I bought one of those heated clothes airers Reviews say it’s really cheap to run.
Pile of shite reader. They don’t dry shit. Waste of time and money. I just use it as a bog standard airier now.

Do you have your actual meter readings?

If you post them on here from Sep 21 to Sep 22, we can work out if the direct debit is correct or not.

There's also plenty of advice on other links here to how to save energy.
It's much better to be prepared when you contact an energy supplier

Definitely check whether the DD payment of £490 is based on actual usage as opposed to their guesstimate of what you might need to pay to end up with a balance of zero at the end of winter. That's what my MIL's energy provider said they were basing their calculations – they wanted to charge her £411 for a two-bedroom bungalow, when she already had £400+ in credit sitting her in account! I challenged it on her behalf and got it down to £225, which is still high but reflects the fact she's on their variable rate. Our provider, on the other hand, is okay with accounts to go into debit over winter because they know it balances out over the summer when we pay far less.

From the usage you have listed I doubt you are actually using the annual equivalent of £490 per month. We have above average gas and electricity use (about 1/3 over national average) and mine will be just under £400pcm