Gas and electricity bills to soar

[Cosmos123]

This is worrying as it will push many into fuel poverty.
Rising food prices and empty shelves.
Is anyone worried?

Well i'm worried about furlough ending, increased taxes & higher living costs. Less disposable income will have a knock on effect on the economy.

If any posters are eligible for the warm home discount scheme, keep an eye out for your supplier's scheme opening up around this time of year.

@Helenluvsrob

Just to say this ain’t a Uk thing - so brexit etc has nowt to do with it.

Had a lovely week with my sis in Spain and the monthly bills there are going up by the same as ours - over £100/month.

She has a small shop though and the bills for that are eye watering especially after zircon is used all day at the moment. The cans of pop explode otherwise 😱

Oh yes...Spain has the most expensive electric in the world...its a mafia one company controlling it all...my friend pays a huge amount...spanish govt told company to cap prices so now threatened to shut down the plants and cut everyone off....and the solar panel taxes are so high its now worth it....Here I fixed for 3 years a few months ago so hoping it stays the same price !!

We live in a 3 bed semi and were paying £106 combined. A few months ago they put it up to £200 per month to cover the shortage in our payments. Now they're putting it up to £233 per month, of which £210 is the usage and £23 is the remaining shortage.

It's shocking really.

Worryingly unreported was the French interconnector that caught fire this week, we were scarily close to blackouts but it wasn't even reported.

Gas in particular is going to be very expensive this winter, it's awful that the media isn't covering this and warning people.

@coolhwip

Sorry can someone explain fixed tariffs to me? We’ve always just had standard tariffs.

We are in a 3 bed end terrace and pay £36 for gas and £30 for electricity, although we’ve never given a meter reading since we moved in 2014.

The meters are outside so maybe the companies are accessing themselves?

I'd put a bit aside just in case of a shock.

Mines tripled monthly DD. I will say though, if you don't agree. Contact them, ask for the companies bank details, cancel the DD and set up a standing order. Then they can't help themselves. Then save a chunk to pay off excess every quarter.

We're with Avro energy, paying £95pm for a dual fuel tariff. Got about 6 months to go on it. Prices never seem to go back down once they're raised.
Maybe the government could remove the VAT to help people?

I'm planning on buying my Christmas meat this week and freezing it, also buying the tubs of sweets now, pringles, and anything else I'd normally buy apart from fresh foods obvs. Got my Christmas notebook out very early this year as I think it'll get worse over the coming months. Scary times.

I'm on smart meters. My supplier prices haven't jumped to much (£100 for the year).
I topped mine up in the summer so I have extra in the winter just for this reason.
So many people are going to be choosing food or energy this winter.

I've used MSE for years - guaranteed to get the best deal.

@coolhwip

A fixed tariff basically is when your energy supplier gives a price for your gas and/or electric and that is the price you pay for 12 months or whatever.

I would suggest you look into getting your meters read and not just assuming they have been, 2014 is a long time. You do seem to be paying a low amount for your energy too.

It’s scary. Thankfully I am lucky and I am on a fixed rate until April so safe until then at least.

But like everything it will be the people who are in the worst position hit hardest. Those who rely on pre payment meters are going to be completely fucked sadly. It’s worrying how many people are going to face a cold winter

You’ll feel much better about it when you can pay in pounds, shillings and pence in the good old British way.

The UK now has the highest energy costs in Europe.
www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/electric-power/091321-factbox-uk-electricity-prices-now-most-expensive-in-europe

Gas prices have increased from 28p per therm to 146p in one year

It is a big worry for other sectors too. For example the closure of the only two fertiliser companies in the UK as a result of energy costs is having knock on effects for the production of CO2 which in turn affects the operations of abitoirs and food packaging and storage which may mean food shortages in the next few months.

@Pokhora

The UK now has the highest energy costs in Europe. www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/electric-power/091321-factbox-uk-electricity-prices-now-most-expensive-in-europe

Gas prices have increased from 28p per therm to 146p in one year

It is a big worry for other sectors too. For example the closure of the only two fertiliser companies in the UK as a result of energy costs is having knock on effects for the production of CO2 which in turn affects the operations of abitoirs and food packaging and storage which may mean food shortages in the next few months.

The co2 shortage may also lead to mass pig cullings too - www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/17/warnings-carbon-dioxide-shortage-could-force-farmers-to-cull-pigs

Thanks @Neveranynamesleft @gamerchick

I will submit meter readings asap and ask about fixed tariff.

I'm amazed this wasn't reported more as it's a huge strain on the electricity supply in the U.K. www.theguardian.com/business/2021/sep/15/fire-shuts-one-of-uk-most-important-power-cables-in-midst-of-supply-crunch?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

@coolhwip
Look on moneysavingexpert/ utilities and the cheap energy club for comparisons to get the best deal for your needs / usage if you can.

[quote Neveranynamesleft]@coolhwip
Look on moneysavingexpert/ utilities and the cheap energy club for comparisons to get the best deal for your needs / usage if you can.[/quote]
a lot of companies have suspended switching and new offers from yesterday...!!

I was dithering about getting solar panels but will seriously think about all that now.

It’s worrying for those of us who can’t go back into the office and will have to wfh

Yes it is worrying. I've just signed up to a new fixed tariff. Was £60 a month and now £100 (that's electric only, we don't have gas). So an extra £480 per year. That plus the NI rise is going to bite.

We try to reduce our usage as much as possible for environmental reasons. In the winter we have a warm duvet we have on the sofa, it's really nice to snuggle under it. We wear warm dressing gowns, jumpers, vests.

Warning people now is really important so everyone has a chance to prepare themselves for an expensive and cold winter.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/cheap-gas-and-electricity/

Martin Lewis gives very good advice. I’ve just switched and fixed for two years.

I am very worried. I also use MSE and am religious about switching every year to the cheapest tariff. When my tariff comes to an end I use the MSE site to identify the cheapest one to switch to. I usually either pay around the same for the new fix as for the old one or occasionally it is a little cheaper. Just out of interest I did a comparison on MSE today to find the cheapest deal available - it is £400 MORE EXPENSIVE PER YEAR!!!! WTF??!!! I've never known anything like it! I certainly am not getting paid £400 per year more! Fortunately my current deal is fixed until February, but goodness knows what the situation will be like then!

Just got a new fixed rate. Used to be £160 pcm for gas and electricity... will now be £220. Really worried how we will afford it

I'm gutted, we had a great deal fixed for 2 yrs. We're moving house and the current deals are so expensive.