To ask what you're doing in advance of gas/elec rises in April?

[irritablehead1]

I feel like I wade through treacle when i try to work out how to try and minimise rise of the gas/elec in April.

Can anyone offer a short cut through all the advise and pretty much tell me what I should be doing to cut the impact?

@LizzieLookAtTheFlowers

We are already paying £245 a month, £1,200 in debit and I cannot even think about it. We are with Bulb. Our gas bill is really low but our electricity bills is through the roof. We cannot figure out what the problem is, and they won't give us a smart meter because previous occupants of the house had one with a different supplier. Why this means they can't give us one I don't know.

An extra 50% will mean we will really struggle. Like, really. That's going to take us to almost £370 a month....

Is the £245 figure one arrived at to claw back the £1200? Because it might be that the whole £245 doesn't reflect your current usage - which will be the only portion of the bill that should increase in April.

Usually big electricity bills are caused by something that is heating something up or cooling down. Do you have an immersion heater or someone who spends a ridiculous amount of time in an electric shower?

Don't know how people will manage but wait until the further increases in October.

there are millions of families who simply do not have an extra 50 or 60 per month, people on DD rely on going into debt over winter and then make good the difference over summer, this wont happen this year.

The direct debits will go up in April, Martin Lewis said, I thought the same that oh it’s a low useage time it doesn’t matter but the bills will go up in April.

It is so bad reading everyone's comments. What kind of world is it where people are not putting on heat due to the cost! The government needs to step in asap!

I'm on a fixed rate until April but I'm worried the longer I leave it to go on a fixed rate it is just going to keep rising.

@Readingtoaster

The direct debits will go up in April, Martin Lewis said, I thought the same that oh it’s a low useage time it doesn’t matter but the bills will go up in April.

Sorry this was in response to someone on a previous page who said it was a low usage time

@Fletchersromancing

It is so bad reading everyone's comments. What kind of world is it where people are not putting on heat due to the cost! The government needs to step in asap!

I'm on a fixed rate until April but I'm worried the longer I leave it to go on a fixed rate it is just going to keep rising.

Why would they step in ASAP now? It's been happening for years and years and years.

I haven't had my heating on in this house since I moved here in 2019.
Before that I had gas powered central heating so it wasn't as bad but even then I'd have it on 2 hours a day when daughter was home, of it was just me, I'd shiver instead.

This is nothing new. The government could have acted and helped many times over the last 10 years. They haven't. They've.made.it worse on purpose by selling off things and becoming more and more reliant on Europe and then 'people' voted us out and they were warned but...
"Der forigners teckon or Jobs"
"350million for.NHS...."

So here we are.
Know a Tory voter?
Know a BREXIT leave voter?

Look them in the eyes and tell them you're freezing in your own home and you can't afford food, it's their fault.

Hopefully, if the tv tax is scrapped,that can be put towards the other bills

Finally getting a smart meter installered so we can keep a better eye on it. From there we’re just going to have to keep an eye on it. I think we’ll all be lulled into a false sense of security, price going up as we go in to warmer months, October/November will be when it really hits

@CynsterBitch

Finally getting a smart meter installered so we can keep a better eye on it. From there we’re just going to have to keep an eye on it. I think we’ll all be lulled into a false sense of security, price going up as we go in to warmer months, October/November will be when it really hits

I think most people have a monthly dd that reflects a twelfth of their annual usage. In April, people in that situation on the standard variable rate will get a bill that is 50% higher than the one they got in March - regardless of the weather and will start to build credit in advance of winter.

There's a good chance that October might see further increase in the cap by another 20%. So they will see another jump at that point too but that's additional to the increase they'll see in April.

(Presuming the government continues to do fuck all)

@FourTeaFallOut

So about 90% increase from Sept 21 to Oct 22, as there was an increase in Oct 21 too.

That's pretty scary for those on fixed incomes. I earn ok but my salary hasn't gone up, so the extra £100 a month on energy will come out of discretionary spending. Less money to spend locally in restaurants, hairdressers, non essential retail.

There's a graph here that shows the recent and predicted increases.

www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2022/jan-2022/chart-of-the-week-energy-prices

It's ridiculous.

Fixed rate here until May 23, but have stocked up on logs for the fireplace. When my rate ends I'm lucky enough to afford the increase, but will use gas and electric less to keep bull down. Husbands has replaced all.lighting, all led in our house which use a lot less electricity.
Not very green, but my fire will roar for most of winter, only use as a novelty or when really cold atm.

My partner and I decided now was the perfec time to make an investment in our home for the future and to help us save on bills, and we bit the bullet and bought into double glazing.

We used a local company Abbey Windows - don't think they cover nationally but they have a good coverage area around Berkshire / Thames Valley area.

We thought about secondary glazing but went the whole way with new double glazing. The next step for us is to get a new front door, which we've been told will help with draughts and losing heat that way. Hopefully that means we don't have to have the heating up all night anymore!

God I wish I'd fixed back in October!!!

I'm now on some variable tariff....

I've just tried to shop around and the best I could find is

Gas: 5.64 Standing charge: 42.3

Elec: 26.79 SC: 42.30

Ends March 23

If I was by myself I'd never have the heating on, I'm warm even on the coldest of days!

However I live with cold people. And they aren't happy about being told to put another layer on or use a blanket when they are just sitting around. Maybe they will get the message when there's no money for treats because all - not just energy - bills have gone up.

Decent slippers, wool vests and a hot water bottle for when I'm sitting still and relaxing. Thick curtains and draught snakes on exterior doors.

@nokidshere

We’ve had this conversation so many times in the last few months. The issue is our own bills are estimated to rise by about £180 a month, more like £200 by the end of the year. Our fixed price proposal is £350 a month, the variable £199 but then that’ll get a 51% rise in April and another predicted 20% rise in October, so by then the variable would be about £350 anyway.

That price difference isn’t ‘treats’ for us - it’s our general food bill for half the month. I don’t get what we are supposed to do? Not eat?

As it is I’ve ditched the tumble dryer, limiting washing, limiting heating, eating frugally, not driving anywhere unnecessarily, reviewing all bills, ceasing hobbies and socialising, and that’s before this big hike.

We both work bloody hard and long hours and it’s utterly utterly depressing that I consider buying a fish and chip supper as a once a month luxury.

They have brought forward the announcement for the new cap in April to tomorrow.

It looks like they intend to unveil a bunch of measures to absorb some of the impact at the same time and this will include a 'rebate and clawback' scheme.

I've had the lift triple insulated, turned the thermostat down, heating is only on for 5 hours a night.
Blocked chimneys, shut doors turned rads off, had double glazing put in.
We live in a cold Victorian house 😬

Think I'm going to invest in solar panels

@tsmainsqueeze

I refuse to worry myself to death over this, i pay quarterly dd and if i have difficulty paying in full when the bill comes i will contact them before they take the money out and make an arrangement to pay . If they can see you are forthcoming with payments there's not much they can do about it , they aren't going to cut you off or get debt collection involved if you keep up the agreement - they have to help you. I'm not going to sit freezing to death this winter and i bet the energy company fat cats won't be either !

Actually, most energy suppliers are losing money at the moment. And yes, they will chase the debt if you refuse to pay it.

I've had the lift triple insulated

Stealth boast

So the government are going to give us 150 off our council tax bills to pay for the increase if we are band a-d? About £12 a month. We can all stop worrying now

And £200 off electricity...from October, when we expect to see another 20% increase on the April cap.

@FourTeaFallOut

And £200 off electricity...from October, when we expect to see another 20% increase on the April cap.

I don't think I quite understand this one.

Is everyone getting a £200 winter fuel allowance for next winter? Is it means tested?