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Original poster

To be really concerned about energy prices

81 replies

Idontlikeworms · 28/12/2021 18:46

I have locked my deal I until 2023 but paying so much more now. I work with vulnerable adults. Most can not afford heating now and are on pre payment meters. What the f is going to happen when the prices increase by 50% ?? It's horrible.

OP posts:
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7
stairgates · 28/12/2021 20:26

@dementedpixie

Have you been making payments in the months where you were being moved?
Yes, have been paying £100 a month and I thought I was over paying! I will keep an eye on it and see how much I am actually using.
stairgates · 28/12/2021 20:28

@Anythingbutsnow

We have just moved to octopus. One thing I like about them is that you can put both meter readings in and they will generate a bill immediately, which can be paid immediately. I'm planning to do this weekly so I can really keep on top of what I'm using and pay straight away if I can.
This sounds good as I don't like building up a balance with them and know straight away what I owe
stairgates · 28/12/2021 20:41

I looked through my bill and none of payments have gone through to them since the move in September so thats £300 of the debt!

Anythingbutsnow · 28/12/2021 20:43

Yes I always think I don't mind being skint, so long as I know exactly how skint I am!

MyDcAreMarvel · 28/12/2021 20:46

@NewYorkDiamond
We're on a prepayment meter (our housing association insist on them to prevent tenants leaving debt if they move out) and am trying not to think about it. that’s not legal it may be there preference abs it may even be n your tenancy agreement but it’s not enforceable. Just ring your energy company and get it changed.

MyDcAreMarvel · 28/12/2021 20:48

@NewYorkDiamond from citizens advice
Having prepayment meters removed or installed

Your landlord can’t stop you replacing a prepayment meter with a normal meter that lets you pay after using energy rather than in advance. You don’t need your landlord’s permission to do this.

NeverForgetYourDreams · 28/12/2021 22:11

We've just used 252kw electricity and 1764kwh gas in November. Octopus Avro flexible rate. £80 gas and £50 electricity charged.

KissKissButtCheek · 28/12/2021 22:29

We're with Octopus after Arvo went bust.
Didn't hear anything from them for a while and checked our account on 1st December - we were £550.54 in credit as the DD's were still going through.

Submitted a meter reading and on the 5th December we were charged £397.44 from 1st October to 5th December. We are now approx £264 in credit with the next DD to be taken out today.
Our monthly DD is £127.99 which appears to be enough for now. We are on Flexible tariff and will be submitting a meter reading every month so we can stay on top of where we are.

It does worry me though that it could all change as months go by

Player20868 · 29/12/2021 00:41

@GiveMeMyKeys it's not our energy costs that are on a fixed term contract (God, I wish); it's my job contract! Plus as the other half is on agency contracts our income is variable.

Which is why we're putting all the energy saving options we can think of in place. We're just as worried as everyone else!

Original poster
Idontlikeworms · 29/12/2021 07:08

Average family faces £1,200 hit to their budget www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10351327/Average-family-faces-1-200-hit-budget-soaring-bills-tax-rises-inflation.html?ito=native_share_channel-home-preview

OP posts:
Original poster
Idontlikeworms · 29/12/2021 07:09

Sorry about thr mail link above, but it is worrying

OP posts:
GalaPie · 29/12/2021 08:24

@stairgates you're right, it is quite a high figure but fair enough for this house. It's a big house, hot water is on electricity rather than gas (tho economy 7 tariff), we are 5 adults and effectively live as 3 households as the adult DC do their own cooking/washing etc. I sure you can imagine the myriad of devices in use at any one time what with studying/wfh/entertainment.
We are on flexible tariff, I only ran the options as a comparison for this thread - quite an eye opener.
I also round up - I think Octopus recommend a dd of about £241 but I round up to £250 in the hope of building up some credit 🤣, as if!

stairgates · 29/12/2021 09:04

@GalaPie Ours has come up very similar and it did surprise me, Ive made my cup of tea in the dark this morningGrin Ive been meaning to look into as I see these threads pop up and am glad I did as the Daily Mail seem to have got our house right with a extra £1200 gonna be going out this year, I think I will do a tour of the kids bedrooms later and see what they have sitting on standby, I am ow the standby policeGrin

GiveMeMyKeys · 29/12/2021 09:17

[quote Player20868]@GiveMeMyKeys it's not our energy costs that are on a fixed term contract (God, I wish); it's my job contract! Plus as the other half is on agency contracts our income is variable.

Which is why we're putting all the energy saving options we can think of in place. We're just as worried as everyone else![/quote]
I see I misunderstood, I did half wonder why your partners job was relevant to a fixed energy contract but assumed that was what you meant in the context of the thread Grin

GalaPie · 29/12/2021 09:50

I need to make more use of my Economy 7 tariff. I have a separate washing machine and dryer so may have to start setting an alarm for 3am to move washing into dryer to take advantage of the cheaper electricity.
Maybe cooking stews etc overnight in the fan oven then reheating on gas hob at dinner time rather than having the oven on 4/5 hours in the day.
But then I run the risk of finding myself eating beef stew and dumpling at 3.15am as a little snack after moving the laundry over. It's a minefield.

stairgates · 29/12/2021 10:34

Do you have a pressure cooker Gala? Ours was about £20 in Argos, doesnt have to be a fancy one, it cooks what would take hours in a slow cooker in about 45 minutes, I should dig mine out and dust it off I think, but I wonder if it uses more electric in the 45 mins than a slow cooker would in 6 hours as may use a higher blast amount? Off to find out!

MaryAndHerNet · 29/12/2021 10:43

So i got an email this very morning from octopus giving me my.new quotes etc.
One said "Do nothing" and it'll go up to about £85 a month.

But it got me looking at my account, at my usage and at my smart meter.

I'm supposed to be in a dual tariff, getting night rate and day rate, but the meter and little in home display both only have one tariff of 17p and one reading..

My bills however have night and day info. The night readings on my bills are all in the 100s of KW used, the day readings are much lower... But nothing is on over night, TVs in standby and a phone charging, that's about it so I really don't understand how night is higher and where the info is on the meter or read out etc.

To be really concerned about energy prices
Showpan · 29/12/2021 10:50

I don't think I have the option to switch to octopus variable rate. Our supplier ceased trading and when u switched to octopus, only the fixed and loyalty options were available. I'll try emailing and see what they say.

We've been really conserving fuel, heating barely been on at all. Such a bad few months ahead.

dementedpixie · 29/12/2021 10:53

@MaryAndHerNet

So i got an email this very morning from octopus giving me my.new quotes etc. One said "Do nothing" and it'll go up to about £85 a month.

But it got me looking at my account, at my usage and at my smart meter.

I'm supposed to be in a dual tariff, getting night rate and day rate, but the meter and little in home display both only have one tariff of 17p and one reading..

My bills however have night and day info. The night readings on my bills are all in the 100s of KW used, the day readings are much lower... But nothing is on over night, TVs in standby and a phone charging, that's about it so I really don't understand how night is higher and where the info is on the meter or read out etc.

Do you have economy 7 heating with storage heaters? The heaters charge overnight and release heat during the day
GiveMeMyKeys · 29/12/2021 10:54

@MaryAndHerNet

So i got an email this very morning from octopus giving me my.new quotes etc. One said "Do nothing" and it'll go up to about £85 a month.

But it got me looking at my account, at my usage and at my smart meter.

I'm supposed to be in a dual tariff, getting night rate and day rate, but the meter and little in home display both only have one tariff of 17p and one reading..

My bills however have night and day info. The night readings on my bills are all in the 100s of KW used, the day readings are much lower... But nothing is on over night, TVs in standby and a phone charging, that's about it so I really don't understand how night is higher and where the info is on the meter or read out etc.

It looks like maybe it's the words on the bill that are wrong not the costs. The night rate will be the cheaper one so even though it says "day" next to the lower useage and lower rate that must be the night time figures.

Worth checking with them though

dementedpixie · 29/12/2021 10:54

@Showpan

I don't think I have the option to switch to octopus variable rate. Our supplier ceased trading and when u switched to octopus, only the fixed and loyalty options were available. I'll try emailing and see what they say.

We've been really conserving fuel, heating barely been on at all. Such a bad few months ahead.

Whay rates are you on? Did you get put onto a tariff that ends on a particular date rather than choosing a tariff?
OldWivesTale · 29/12/2021 10:55

EDF have just increased our monthly payments from 100 to 300 pounds based on our predicted usage over the next 4 months! It's awful. We live in a tiny house at the moment. We can afford it but many people can't. The government need to step up and sort this out. Where the fuck is Johnson again??

GiveMeMyKeys · 29/12/2021 10:56

@Showpan

I don't think I have the option to switch to octopus variable rate. Our supplier ceased trading and when u switched to octopus, only the fixed and loyalty options were available. I'll try emailing and see what they say.

We've been really conserving fuel, heating barely been on at all. Such a bad few months ahead.

I don't think you can be stopped from going onto the variable rate but the one you were switched to might have been the cheapest at the time when your original supplier went bust.

The issue is with people starting fixed tariffs now not being moved onto them in the past when they could well have been the best option.

What actual pence per kWh are you paying?

GiveMeMyKeys · 29/12/2021 10:59

@OldWivesTale

EDF have just increased our monthly payments from 100 to 300 pounds based on our predicted usage over the next 4 months! It's awful. We live in a tiny house at the moment. We can afford it but many people can't. The government need to step up and sort this out. Where the fuck is Johnson again??
Was the 100 based on actual meter readings or estimates? There could be an element of catching up if you were underpaying.

Did they refuse to reduce the DDwhen you queried it? Ime if you do your own estimates and come up with a lower figure they will reduce it as long as it's reasonable

MaryAndHerNet · 29/12/2021 10:59

Do you have economy 7 heating with storage heaters? The heaters charge overnight and release heat during the day

We have 3 of those and 3 instant heat convection wall electric heaters. We don't use them, they're all off at the wall, as is the immersion water tank.

It looks like maybe it's the words on the bill that are wrong not the costs. The night rate will be the cheaper one so even though it says "day" next to the lower useage and lower rate that must be the night time figures.

I didn't even spot that. I must get.my eyes looked at FFS. Thanks though, that might be it. Now I'll worry that I'll get in touch and my.readings have been wrong and I owe them 100s..