To think they are lying? ... electricity prices won't be going up by 50% in April ...

[Shouldbeworkingnotreadingtalk]

Keep reading that electricity prices are going to sky rocket by "upto 50%"... so I worked mine out whilst doing some house admin . . I'm shocked at the actual figures ...

We currently pay 21p per KWh of energy used. (Viable rate.) . Predictions once the price cap ends are for unit prices in April is anywhere between 40-48p per unit. . (From googling / Martin Lewis ), I could be reading this wrong ...

Or

I can fix a rate today with my current supply eon for 38p.

Is this maths right? (Well, I know it is!)

Say hypothetically we use a slightly higher than average 9,000 unit a year:

21p x 9000 = £1,890 (£157pm)
48p x 9000= £4,320 (£360pm)

Doesn't include standing charge or vat on those prices either!

That feels like a crazy hike, more like 120% increase (?) - so why aren't we being warned a bit more .... We are a ridiculously heavy user, (big house, tumble drier happy, old inefficient freezers in garage etc, no gas so everything electric,,) so this week I've condensed some freezer space, losing a big old girl that leaked ice, and ordered x2 airers for the washing.....
I'm still looking at many other ways to lower my kilowatt useage - (I've warned the fish their pond pump may have to go on timer ... ).

But my AIBU is that I'm miffed at 50%, surely it's much, much more and we are in for a huge shock?
VERY HAPPY (relieved) to be told I've got it wrong and IABU.

[quote Shouldbeworkingnotreadingtalk]@Pluvia - yes, ours is astronomical - but it's normal for us. (We don't have a standard house) have a smallholding, so animal barns to light / keep warm, heat lamps for the newly born animals are huge users of power, several fridges and freezers (I'm talking 8+) as well as a large worship. And of course the sex pond ... on top of all that, we don't pay for heating either as it's all from our own woodland. I know that I'm incredibly lucky. But even I'm feeling the pinch at future possible options - if it goes up to .48p a kw we are going to seriously have to economise on consumption. (Which I've already started to do, sitting here surrounded by clothes on an airer instead of the tumble dryer) ... luckily the log burners on. So whilst they may smell like an old bonfire they are at least drying for free ... [/quote]
That has to be the drip-feed to end all drip feeds. Couldn't you have googled to find out the average UK electricity consumption before posting as if 9000kwh was perfectly normal?

To be fair, at this point, if people don't follow the news and fall onto the cap, they are inadvertently following the likely best solution in any case. Knowing and worrying about it would not change the outcome unless it would have motivated them to change their behaviour. It's a burying your head in the sand win.

That has to be the drip-feed to end all drip feeds. Couldn't you have googled to find out the average UK electricity consumption before posting as if 9000kwh was perfectly normal

Yes, it does seem a bit 'let them eat cake' combined with Viz Top Tips.

Worried about rising energy costs? Simply put your fish pond heater on a timer, turn of one or two of your 8 freezers and only use your hot tub in the summer months.

[quote Shouldbeworkingnotreadingtalk]@Pluvia - yes, ours is astronomical - but it's normal for us. (We don't have a standard house) have a smallholding, so animal barns to light / keep warm, heat lamps for the newly born animals are huge users of power, several fridges and freezers (I'm talking 8+) as well as a large worship. And of course the sex pond ... on top of all that, we don't pay for heating either as it's all from our own woodland. I know that I'm incredibly lucky. But even I'm feeling the pinch at future possible options - if it goes up to .48p a kw we are going to seriously have to economise on consumption. (Which I've already started to do, sitting here surrounded by clothes on an airer instead of the tumble dryer) ... luckily the log burners on. So whilst they may smell like an old bonfire they are at least drying for free ... [/quote]
You're doing well! I have a 6 bed very old house. The under floor heating in the conservatory was on for Christmas Day only so that we can eat in there. The 4-oven AGA is usually on from Nov - March but not this year. We have two oil fired boilers for our heating plus log burners and the local woodland, and a standard electric cooker for when the AGA is off, a washing machine, tumble dryer, American fridge freezer plus another fridge and freezer in the garage and two TVs. I'm fanatical about lights. In the last 12 months we've used 12224kWh and by not turning the AGA on this year we're using about half of January 2020's usage. So no barns, heat lamps, workshops, sex pools etc and yet our usage is still HUGE.

@user1497207191

It was obvious that rising costs would happen alongside us having to become greener. There was a reason that we used fossil fuels - they were cheap and plentiful!

Rising costs are one way to get people to reduce their energy consumption because people simply can't afford it.

At the same time, supplies are more expensive as we move away from fossil fuels.

There's a reason that successive govts have been giving grants and subsidising the likes of cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, etc.

Anyone who thought there wouldn't be a cost implication of going green is deluded.

Nope.

It's our reliance on imported gas that has pushed up our energy costs.

Fossil fuels are no longer cheap and plentiful - unlike sunshine and wind!

Submitted my 6 monthly readings and the new monthly direct debit has increased by 37 percent.

It's frustrating. We bought a house in August and contacted the supplier to set up an account. The supplier was Avro who went bust before they could set up an account for us. We're now with Octopus, but they are still telling us they can't set up our account yet cause they've got to finalise the 'move out' of the previous owner's account. So we've been running up a bill since September which we can't actually make payments for until they set up our account. :(
So prices are high, and we're going to have to pay a large bill all at once. And if prices keep rising we'll have to cut back more. I've been keeping track of our spending and our usage of combined gas and electricity is sitting at around £115 per month which is fine considering it's a 3 bedroom house but I'm worried about how long it's going to take Octopus to set up our account and how big the bill is going to be when they do. My estimate based on usage and tariff is sitting at around £500 already, and rising every day.

@MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry

If you have a fridge/freezer that is over 10 years old, buy a new energy efficient model. The fridge uses more electricity than any other appliance in your home and new models are much, much more efficient.

We can’t all just go out an upgrade our appliances! I’ve just had to replace my washing machine after it started smoking. I’m a LP, been out of work since October, I have no savings, I’m living on credit that is swiftly running out because UC isn’t covering my already slimmed down living costs. I sat and cried when the machine broke. New machine had to go on a credit card that has a 49% apr. (Because yes I have a bad credit score and can’t get anything better) I won’t be able to pay if off in full before interest is applied and I’ve now got less credit available for essentials. Laying out money now to counteract a bill hike later just isn’t an option.

@MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry - agreed with you re updating new energy efficient models - not everyone can afford to do this!

I mean I could afford to do it, but it would involve lots of research, then going to get items, have them installed.

Some useful advice here:

www.uswitch.com/energy-saving/guides/fridges-and-freezers/

@BarbaraofSeville

That has to be the drip-feed to end all drip feeds. Couldn't you have googled to find out the average UK electricity consumption before posting as if 9000kwh was perfectly normal

Yes, it does seem a bit 'let them eat cake' combined with Viz Top Tips.

Worried about rising energy costs? Simply put your fish pond heater on a timer, turn of one or two of your 8 freezers and only use your hot tub in the summer months.

I wish my energy was only 9,000 - but its waayyyy more than that...

The average on google is about 3,500 but I've asked several friends and no one is using less than 6,000. Many are between 6-8,000 - Maybe because we are rural, so no gas, homes are more likely to be 100% electric or with some oil... or maybe because the averages on google were before work from home increased costs, or maybe because at my age my friends tend to be other mums with two / four kids and so live in larger properties. I don't know.

I used 9,000 as a hypothetical and clearly said we use more than average, (its closer to 14,000) but that wasn't the point, my point was that on a % basis, the prices are really, really going up - to much more than 50%.... so whether you spend £40 a month or £400 you are going to be in for a shock. I'm sorry if my post and situation has offended you, genuinely, none was meant.

On the plus side, I'm clearing out one of the freezers today and have already found a nice lamb joint I forgot I had - #winning

"prices are really, really going up - to much more than 50%.... so whether you spend £40 a month or £400 you are going to be in for a shock."

Yy. Regardless of whatever usage it was for, my dual fuel bill has been between £80 and £120 for the last fifteen years. It was fairly stable at £96ish for the past three. Today, the recommended DD is £299.

It's going to be the steep culmination of two years of price growth.

Looking back to the start of 2020, I was using slightly more energy than I am now and it was costing me £120pm.

I am currently using slightly less and it is costing me £160pm.

Projecting forward to a 50% per unit price increase: I will be paying around £230-240pm.

Not offended, OP, but anyone who runs an electric Aga, a hot tub and a shed-full of freezers can't really expect sympathy from the average reader, surely?

What kind of animals are you raising under infra-red lamps? Puppies?

@Pluvia - not puppies, (I wish they are so cute ) ... but I breed rare breed pigs that are on an endangered list ... the piglets need heat lamps. . and we try to grow all our own food - both meat and vegetables and fruit. so lightening in hot houses, heaters in polytunnels etc...all of which can be turned off, stopped, we could just buy our food from the supermarket. It would be cheaper financially to do so. I could probably use 2-3,000 units per year if I had too... maybe when they are charging £2 a unit I'll have to do that. fingers crossed it doesn't go that crazy. .

[quote Shouldbeworkingnotreadingtalk]@HTruffle - it's bonkers isn't it? I wasn't initially overly worried as imagined £40-£60 a month type of increase ... But I am now. I used 9,000 in my OP as hypothetical usage for a lot of houses / families, BUT .. . We actually use 14,000 units a month.

I was too embarrassed to write that. (Yes, we have one of the dreaded sex ponds) ... well, we won't have soon, that will be going off on 31st March!

My actual figures look more like this:

.21 x £2940 (£245pm)
.48 x £6720 (£540pm)

So I'm also reviewing what I can reduce. Sex pond obviously being one of the first to go ... [/quote]
What do you mean by "a unit?"

Energy from electricity is much more expensive than energy from gas.

Tory Brexit Broken Covid Britain

with added race crimes

@LampLighter414

Tory Brexit Broken Covid Britain

with added race crimes

Fixed tariffs do have odd names.

The op is comparing her electricity rates before and after a price hike from 21p/kWh to 48p/kWh with an annual usage of 9k units @pigletjohn but hopefully 48p isn't on the card for a long time yet

It is scary, I did read a story from the USA which said there's been negotiations between countries including UK to come up with a plan as price hikes are expected in many countries. I do think the goverment will need to Implement something as many families will not be able to afford it, and it puts so much pressure on everything else in life. But there's many factors at play here and it's not just happening in the UK

Ah — so you grow your own tomatoes and salad and cute piglets through the winter under heat lamps/ artificial lighting etc.

You obviously have the money to afford those incredibly expensive tomatoes and piggies. It's a bit shocking that you're wasting so much energy/ racking up so much in carbon (because at this time of year a lot of electricity is generated by gas-fired power stations) but there's no law against it.

@PigletJohn - I was working on a unit being a kilowatt hour (kWh). We are electric only. No gas.

I worked out how many kWh we use (according to our bills / meter readings). ... I know you are fab at all things technical so happy to be told I'm doing it wrong.

kWh is .21p according to my app. Today for example I've used 25 kWh according to my meter. So I'm doing 25 x .21 gives me a cost for today so far of £5.25? ... is that right?

@Pluvia - yes, I can afford it (at the moment) .... But def. Take your point about the carbon. Solar panels are probably the way to go - if I can't get the wind turbine past the planning committee ...

@LampLighter414

Tory Brexit Broken Covid Britain

with added race crimes

Have you posted on the wrong thread? What have those thngs got to do with a worldwide gas crisis?

The most effective thing to do is to give cash to those who need it.

The government should restore the uplift to universal credit immediately (and increase it)

The comfortably off can and should pay the market price for power because it should incentivise them to improve their insulation and reduce their energy demand.

If you try and cut prices for everyone, those who benefit the most are those who consume the most - so those with big houses, heated fish ponds, sex pools and so on.

Cash to the poorest is the most efficient thing to do. Anyone in receipt of housing benefit for example could be given a £20 a week cash uplift.

@SweetPetrichor

It's frustrating. We bought a house in August and contacted the supplier to set up an account. The supplier was Avro who went bust before they could set up an account for us. We're now with Octopus, but they are still telling us they can't set up our account yet cause they've got to finalise the 'move out' of the previous owner's account. So we've been running up a bill since September which we can't actually make payments for until they set up our account. :( So prices are high, and we're going to have to pay a large bill all at once. And if prices keep rising we'll have to cut back more. I've been keeping track of our spending and our usage of combined gas and electricity is sitting at around £115 per month which is fine considering it's a 3 bedroom house but I'm worried about how long it's going to take Octopus to set up our account and how big the bill is going to be when they do. My estimate based on usage and tariff is sitting at around £500 already, and rising every day.

Simple solution, open a savings account and put your expected energy cost in each month. You earn a small amount of interest and the money is there when the bill eventually comes in....