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Gas and electricity bills to soar

783 replies

Cosmos123 · 18/09/2021 17:33

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

OP posts:
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14
Claudethecat · 21/09/2021 15:30

@BlueberrySugar

Sorry if I sound completely stupid. I don't know much about rates etc I just look at go with what is the best deal.

If you're on a 'fixed rate' will the price go up? Currently in credit with both gas and electric but don't think that will last long.

No it won't go up until your fix ends. Unless your supplier goes bust...
BlueberrySugar · 21/09/2021 15:31

Ah, okay! I'm with SSE so hopefully not!

BarbaraofSeville · 21/09/2021 15:38

@BlueberrySugar

Sorry if I sound completely stupid. I don't know much about rates etc I just look at go with what is the best deal.

If you're on a 'fixed rate' will the price go up? Currently in credit with both gas and electric but don't think that will last long.

The price per unit and daily standing charge won't increase, but they can increase your direct debit if the amount you use is higher than the amount that the direct debit was based on.

This is an important distinction that many fail to understand. Utility company tells you they'll supply your G&E for £80 pm and send you details of their rates and set up a DD for this amount. After you've given them a few readings, their algorithm tells them that you use more than they thought and they want to increase your DD to account for the debt that's built up and to keep up with usage going forward.

Customer feels conned and upset because the payment they thought wouldn't increase has done.

earsup · 21/09/2021 15:44

Today i collected even more wood from all the skips in my road...4 loft conversions going on so plenty of wood....have 3 large bins already full of cut wood...now have enough to last a few years...we still have all our open fire places....i will burn it to keep warm if needed...until they tackle china and the other hugely polluting companies i will carry on.

PattyPan · 21/09/2021 16:01

Be careful what you are burning @earsup, as the damage is more to your own health than the environment. Some treated wood is very toxic when burnt.

GrannyWeatherwaxsHatpin · 21/09/2021 17:34

The price per unit and daily standing charge won't increase, but they can increase your direct debit if the amount you use is higher than the amount that the direct debit was based on.

This is an important distinction that many fail to understand. Utility company tells you they'll supply your G&E for £80 pm and send you details of their rates and set up a DD for this amount. After you've given them a few readings, their algorithm tells them that you use more than they thought and they want to increase your DD to account for the debt that's built up and to keep up with usage going forward.*

Customer feels conned and upset because the payment they thought wouldn't increase has done.

This is an important point. Companies will point to OFGEM's requirement for them to review customer DDs regularly but the cynic in me says they also like a nice buffer in their bank account in case of any defaults. For anyone switching now, which is going into the Winter, DDs are unlikely to cover bills because the DD averages out over the entire year but you're going into a new contract at the highest usage part of the year.

I get round this by giving a monthly meter reading, calculating what my usage was (if the company doesn't tell me, although several do monthly billing including Octopus and Eon) and paying the balance if it was more than my DD. But that relies on having the money available to make the additional payment, which I appreciate not all do.

By making sure my balance is always zero or slightly in credit (which accrues over the Summer months) companies seem to be happy with keeping my DD value down.

GrannyWeatherwaxsHatpin · 21/09/2021 17:34

Bold fail, sorry!

Limejuiceandrum · 21/09/2021 17:51

People are literally losing their mind on this thread.
I think a vast number need some help

Limejuiceandrum · 21/09/2021 17:51

Burning chemically treated wood because you think there is going to be an Armageddon is truly off the charts bonkers

Neveranynamesleft · 21/09/2021 17:56

@Limejuiceandrum

Some people do need help, that's why they come on here.

Claudethecat · 21/09/2021 17:59

@Limejuiceandrum

People are literally losing their mind on this thread. I think a vast number need some help
The vast majority of posters on this thread are not "losing their minds", but are just worried about their gas bills and what will happen if their suppliers go bust. Some posters have offered some good advice and insight.

Granted, burning treated wood is a tad unwise.

FuckYouCorona · 21/09/2021 18:20

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Mumtofourandnomore · 21/09/2021 18:21

I don’t think there’s necessarily going to be supply issues and blackouts. But customers moving from bust suppliers who had offered loss-making tariffs to ‘price cap’ tariffs which are the cheapest out there at present, will be an increase of 40%. And that is a problem for many people. People will think they are being overcharged by the new supplier - they aren’t, it’s just that the little suppliers were offering unsustainably low tariffs.

NothingIsWrong · 21/09/2021 19:03

As I'm currently in the process of being switched from people's energy to British Gas, I was told not to try and switch myself as well. Now I seem to have missed out on any fixed deals, so I'm pretty pissed off and will just have to wait and see what the damage is. Is there anything else I can do?

Limejuiceandrum · 21/09/2021 19:04

@Claudethecat
I’m genuinely not talking about people worried about the price of bills
It’s turned into those early covid threads about people stocking up on lamps and camping stoves.
It cannot be real !!!!

bunnybuggs · 21/09/2021 19:12

@earsup

Today i collected even more wood from all the skips in my road...4 loft conversions going on so plenty of wood....have 3 large bins already full of cut wood...now have enough to last a few years...we still have all our open fire places....i will burn it to keep warm if needed...until they tackle china and the other hugely polluting companies i will carry on.
I do not think that amount of wood will last for 'years'. My previous house had a very efficient woodburner (rural) and I got through a trailer full of wood during a cold winter - if the wood is not seasoned it will burn badly and not throw out much heat from an open fire. Not to mention being potentially dangerous and unlawful in a smoke free zone.
Mumtofourandnomore · 21/09/2021 19:51

@NothingIsWrong there aren’t really any better deals than the BG tariff because it’s priced at the price cap. I think BG/People may not allow people to switch immediately in any case to protect your credit balances, its quite difficult to suddenly transition 300k customers - it’s hard work, with maybe more to come, and I think they want to make sure the credit balances are properly moved over - there will probably be a short transitional period. So you won’t have lost out - if anything the new tariff is probably one of the best there at the mo (although no doubt a fair bit more than you were paying).

Claudethecat · 21/09/2021 19:57

[quote Limejuiceandrum]@Claudethecat
I’m genuinely not talking about people worried about the price of bills
It’s turned into those early covid threads about people stocking up on lamps and camping stoves.
It cannot be real !!!![/quote]
It does all have the feel of the early days of covid. I remember how much mockery there was of people who were anxious about what might happen. I don't think there is any harm making a few basic preparations to try and cut down on bills and to make sure we have torches or whatnot in case there are power cuts, it does no harm.

My feeling is that when No 10 says not to worry it is a good indication that there may be something to worry about!

Claudethecat · 21/09/2021 20:01

I just saw this on the MSE site. Not sure if it indicates these are the suppliers most likely to go this week?

www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/ofgem-orders-five-suppliers-make-payments-government-renewables-scheme

Lahhdjdknwbjshdhb · 21/09/2021 20:28

@Limejuiceandrum fair enough, but I’m one of the posters who asked how to prep for blackouts. I’ve now got a camping lantern, which is a pretty useful piece of kit thanks to advice on here. Not being a camper, I hadn’t heard of these, but it’s brilliant (very bright light, charges an iPhone thrice over and has a clock). We’ll take it on long car journeys. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared. I haven’t invested in a kelly kettle yet, but could be fun when the kids are a bit older to do bushcraft, so might invest in one soon.

Other than that I’ve read up about turning off power sockets if there’s a power cut to avoid surges damaging appliances. Also not to open the fridge/ freezer. I did not know this info before so thankful to those on the thread.

And yes, we are at high risk of blackouts according to official warnings. It’s not the end of the world, but doesn’t hurt to be prepared so you don’t panic when it happens.

Lahhdjdknwbjshdhb · 21/09/2021 20:32

And yes @Claudethecat the government has shown that they can’t be trusted to warn us in advance... I’m not sure it’s for nefarious reasons just that they’re chaotic and not well prepared. I remember the threads on mumsnet detailing what should happen and the government did the exact same things weeks later.

Always said mumsnetters should run the country Grin

Limejuiceandrum · 21/09/2021 20:46

If people can’t cope with the idea of eating a sandwich or a salad for a few odd days then it’s a worry.
Also it’s not going to happen that you’re going to be stuck in the dark for days on end, if IF, the worse comes to the worse it will be controlled, like it was in the 70s, it’ll be late at night. Just go to fucking bed early and have a bloody sandwich for dinner.

Empty shelves didn’t need to happen in covid but it did, because of mass panic. It’s fucking ridiculous

Ijustknowitstimetogo · 21/09/2021 20:48

How do you work out how much your bill is going to increase so you can decide whether to move to a fixed rate or stay on the standard variable?

NothingIsWrong · 21/09/2021 20:54

[quote Mumtofourandnomore]@NothingIsWrong there aren’t really any better deals than the BG tariff because it’s priced at the price cap. I think BG/People may not allow people to switch immediately in any case to protect your credit balances, its quite difficult to suddenly transition 300k customers - it’s hard work, with maybe more to come, and I think they want to make sure the credit balances are properly moved over - there will probably be a short transitional period. So you won’t have lost out - if anything the new tariff is probably one of the best there at the mo (although no doubt a fair bit more than you were paying).[/quote]
OK, I think that makes sense - I've not quite got the hang of how the cap works with fixed and variable - will hang on and see what happens!

I don't think I've got much of a credit balance, just got to start making the kids turn the lights off!

Talktalkchat · 21/09/2021 20:54

@Limejuiceandrum

If people can’t cope with the idea of eating a sandwich or a salad for a few odd days then it’s a worry. Also it’s not going to happen that you’re going to be stuck in the dark for days on end, if IF, the worse comes to the worse it will be controlled, like it was in the 70s, it’ll be late at night. Just go to fucking bed early and have a bloody sandwich for dinner.

Empty shelves didn’t need to happen in covid but it did, because of mass panic. It’s fucking ridiculous

Exactly.

Currently we have three lights on in my house and we are both on our phones…. Plus tv. Waste. We can cut down