To be really really worried about energy prices

[Letshaveablackcelebration]

Sorry, this isn’t very Christmassy but it’s been in the news a lot the last few days. I don’t think I had really grasped until the last week how serious the energy price hike is going to potentially be. At the moment we are on some super saver deal with Scottish power that I got through Martin Lewis so we pay around £100 all in for gas and electric. the cheapest I have found so far in comparison is £240 - it’s really horrific and partly because there are very few deals about.

Aibu to be really very concerned about the coming price rises- and the Inflationary pressures that will go with it. It’s a proper shitstorm and likely to bring 50% rises in bills.

JassyRadlett im not sure that many actually know the IB goals and realise that they are protesting to achieve something that would really benefit themselves on a personal level and save them £££.

On the one hand the group has started in September 2021 and made headline news, so everyone is aware of them - but their PR is dreadful and pitted against a right wing media even worse

@ivykaty44

JassyRadlett im not sure that many actually know the IB goals and realise that they are protesting to achieve something that would really benefit themselves on a personal level and save them £££.

On the one hand the group has started in September 2021 and made headline news, so everyone is aware of them - but their PR is dreadful and pitted against a right wing media even worse

It’s a really interesting question about what achieves the most positive change in the long run - do we need the XR/IB/WSPU with their more extreme tactics to shift the ground of debate so that the centre ground shifts? Or are they in the ‘more harm than good’ camp?

When things shift it’s the extreme groups that tend to be remembered but on eg climate change, public opinion hasn’t shifted much since before XR, it was already a stated political priority for the majority.

There’s a huge debate on whether the NUWSS or WSPU was actually the more successful - and whether in fact some of the WSPU activity hardened positions and slowed change. I’m not saying one argument or the other is right - but it’s certainly open for debate (and historians are still actively debating the question - suspect the same debate will be happening in a century over climate campaigning!)

I tend to think that, apart from that broader question, IB’s tactics don’t make sense to people in a way they probably need to to cut through - in the same was as XR glueing themselves to the DLR/occupying the WWF HQ probably created a net negative for them; their other targets made more sense from their POV of their stated goals.

We want more energy efficient homes therefore let’s block a motorway is too much of a leap for most folk I think.

As it happens, I just put £20 on my top up key and into the meter on Friday and its now on 86p, I could throw up!!!! The guy at EDF said its our electric shower that's burning the electric. I doubt it. It's on a couple times a day, each time 10 minutes or less. I feel so angry that now it looks like we will be spending over 100 a month on electric. Looking to switch to Scottish Power, if anyone can recommend!!!!!

No YANBU. This is going to be a serious problem for millions of people and there’s a good case for Govt. intervention.

@MakeMineAdoubleChocolate

As it happens, I just put £20 on my top up key and into the meter on Friday and its now on 86p, I could throw up!!!! The guy at EDF said its our electric shower that's burning the electric. I doubt it. It's on a couple times a day, each time 10 minutes or less. I feel so angry that now it looks like we will be spending over 100 a month on electric. Looking to switch to Scottish Power, if anyone can recommend!!!!!

Many won't let you move atm

I don't really understand how these fixed price deals work! I was with a company that went bust and we were on a fixed price deal and sent them regular meter readings, I've now been told by the new company that I owe over £400 because the price I was paying was not enough
I dread to think how much their new DD is going to be once it's all set up!!

When you have a fixed rate its the price per kWh that's fixed not the monthly direct debit. If you use more energy you pay more so if the direct debit isn't enough to cover your usage then you end up with a debit balance. I have changed my direct debit up and down depending on whether I'm in credit or debit

So they don't amend things when they receive the regular meter readings that they ask for? My account has never said if I was in credit or not, sadly. But I've always paid a similar amount and have never been that much in debt before. The new company have said they have to use estimated readings to get the final bill and it can't be changed 🤷‍♀️

at EDF said

EDF when I looked was charging 27p per unit for electric plus 23p daily charge

octopus is 19p per unit

its an expensive company

I use 55kw between 22nd December and 28th December which cost £12.52

@MumaD

So they don't amend things when they receive the regular meter readings that they ask for? My account has never said if I was in credit or not, sadly. But I've always paid a similar amount and have never been that much in debt before. The new company have said they have to use estimated readings to get the final bill and it can't be changed 🤷‍♀️

Did they never send you a bill when you were with them? That would have shown the balance of your account. They should really have changed the amount if you were getting into debt or you could have if you were keeping an eye on your bills

@dementedpixie nope, I was only with them for a year. I had monthly emails asking for meter readings and in the emails it said the regular readings would help calculate if I'm paying the right amount, but that's it! And obviously they've gone bust now and I can't see any info on my account for previous readings (which I haven't kept anywhere else), but I did submit them regularly. So annoying!!

This is going to be a disaster for loads of families. There's some good advice earlier in this thread for saving money and keeping the house warm.

The debate about Insulate Britain is a side show. They are obviously idiots but that doesn't mean their message is wrong. Insulating the homes of the worst off is a morally good thing to do, will reduce NHS demand, and is an easy green choice. It'll also create a load of jobs of people who actually pay tax and the money will come back round anyway. Who doesn't want more local jobs.

At a larger level, wind is intermittent and that's why we need nuclear. Also, here's an idea... Build three times the wind we need - sell it when the winds blowing to other countries, and when it's not, we'll have enough. Stop selling North Sea gas and oil abroad.

On a local level for those lucky enough to have the cash, solar and solar hot water are options. New builds should have these as a standard.

Draft proofing is a cheap and underrated way of keeping your home cosy. Feel with your fingers around all the places linked with the outside, such as windows, doors and fireplaces. Draft proofing strips and those sausage shaped cushions to go along doors are cheap. My home was well insulated but we discovered an icy blast of cold air down the chimney when we didn’t have a fire. We now block the aperture with an insulated board when the fireplace is not in use. Also watch for drafts through old double glazing or single glazed windows. Until the window leaking cold air in is replaced, we hung a thick velvet curtain with liner to tackle the worst of it.

Well said jetadore! Our government has failed miserably. We have the lowest gas storage in the EU, an inadequate nuclear capacity unlike France at 36%, an ageing distribution network and not enough solar panels. Privatisation has been a disaster waiting to happen - how many companies went bust? Underinvestment is rife (including in the water industry - think about raw sewage discharges into rivers) and lack of government action on house insulation, very limited help for retrofitting alternatives to gas CH, etc. Energy cost will feed into price rises across all markets. Boris has no grasp of the issues and allows a Minister to spend ridiculous amounts of money on lunch. Need I say more?

@Londonnight I am a landlord and have done this for my tenants, worth approaching them about this

Hello. Popping by to say that we're doing a Q&A with fuel poverty charity National Energy Action about these energy price hikes on Wednesday 23rd at 12 noon. The thread is now open for questions here.