Energy tariffs/price rises. What are you doing to lessen the impact?

[AlternativelyWired]

Shamelessly posting here for traffic.

I currently pay £140 a month which includes some arrears otherwise it would be £110 a month. If I go on a fixed tariff it would increase by £50 on a 1 year fixed tariff and £80 on a 2 year fixed tariff.

I'm trying to figure out what to do for the best regarding the tariff. I've already stopped using the tumble drier and use a clothes maiden instead (no chance of drying in my garden unless it's summer). The shower isn't electric and just uses the hot water from the tank that gets heated twice a day for an hour. The heating is on minimally with an hour in the morning and 4 hours in the afternoon/early evening. It's set at 18 degrees. There are 3 of us with another dc visiting regularly for a few nights. It's a modern house with double glazing and I have thermal curtains on the front door and patio doors. Curtains are always closed once dark. I'm on UC and I can't see it being increased to allow for the energy increases.

It sounds like your home is well set up with insulation etc. (which is better than many have).

The things I did were to cut the hot water to one hour once per day, lose the morning heating and cut it to two hours in the evening, also lower it to 16C. If my thermometer drops below 13C I might put it on for an hour in the day.

I've got a gas cooker so boil water on that rather than using an electric kettle.

I avoid using the lights except when I'm cooking or washing. The TV gives enough light in the living room and I've learnt where things are so rarely stumble or stub my toe.

It's worse when the weather gets cold in the autumn but by now I'm used to the place being cold.

Turned the heating down. Turning off lights as much as possible.

Job hunting for a job that pays more. The ones available will hopefully provide a decent payrise, which will fund cost of living increases going on (energy, food etc) and the second car we need.

All in we probably won't have more money at the end of the month. We'll probably end up cost neutral. It means the cost of living increses won't have the impact they would have if I stay at my current job.

And we were planning to have another baby this summer, which will need to be pushed back :(

I think things like money saving expert are suggesting the best option for now is to just go on to your providers standard variable rate when your latest fixed rate changes. I’ve looked on my account and it’s going to go up but by the least amount if I go on the variable. We are trying to do fewer baths for the kids and just make sure we aren’t wasting electricity with lights and devices. My bill is reviewed twice a year and the review is just before I’ll move tariff so I might up my payment anyway so it’s less of a hike all in one go.

Anxiously waiting til 11.30 to find out what measures Rishi Sunak will announce to help with the rising costs.

If they are not enough I don’t know what to do, turn to crime maybe?

Sorry can't offer more ideas. I'm dreading it. Our fix ends in April. We have young kids and always have someone wfh. I don't think we're frivolous with the heating, but it's on more than if it was just adults around of an evening.

Anxiously waiting til 11.30 to find out what measures Rishi Sunak will announce to help with the rising costs. has something being announced?

I bought a heated throw. Only a few pence an hour to heat. I have not had my heating on much in the last week since I bought it. When I get up I tend to be doing housework etc. so when I’m sitting and cold this goes on and I’m toasty. My son keeps taking it. So I’m going buy a few more

Yes, there’s going to be funding by way of a council tax cut in April and the autumn, which we will have to pay back over the next 5 years.

Thanks for nothing Rishi!

there are barely any measures to help. A small council tax rebate if you are in bands A-D, a small loan which need to be paid back kicking in later this year (all households as far as I can see)

£150 for houses in band A-D

I don’t know how people are going to manage. It’s awful. Every spare penny is going towards bills. My salary should be going up later this year. And I can’t wait to just have that little bit extra to put away for kind of thing.

A small council tax rebate for lower band homes and a £200 loan in October 🙄

Have no idea how low income households will manage. The Tories are absolutely incompetent.

Minimise use of lighting, only light the rooms you're in.
Use LED bulbs, more expensive to buy, cheaper to run.
Makes sure TV ls off when not in use.
Turn thermostat down a little, and only heat when necessary.
Do you have open fire orblig burner? Collect logs on walls, allow to dry and burn.
Use comparison sites to find cheapest energy bill.

But the increases are coming, so try and make savings elsewhere to compensate for them if you can.

Walks, not walls

How is cutting council tax going to help the people struggling the most financially who already get council tax rebate. I just text a friend who is on UC and she pays £8 a month/£96 annually. A £200 rebate makes no sense.
And for those who will “benefit” from the rebate, how will will paying it back at the same time as having no money to actually pay the current energy bill help? Have I missed something.

I really don’t understand what measures are being put in place. The BBC hasn’t made it clear. Anyone understand more of what it is?

I don't know but I'm worried as moved into our old house pre covid and our bills are astronomical£200 a month. Dh wfh. Now on a smart meter. But we don't have a thermostat for our boiler. Watching for ideas.

Wear a fleece on top of the jumper.
Consider warmer slippers.
Use the heated throw.
Turn things off if they can be turned off.
Ensure the oven gets maximum use each time it's on.
Double check every bulb is a led low energy one.
Ensuring all curtains are shut as the sun goes down.

More complex:
I've been considering getting one of those washing spinners that really gets the extra water out, to reduce the tumble dryer time needed.
Considering extra solar panels on the garage, but complicated as we would have to ask permission from the grid as we have some on house already.
Looking very seriously at insulating under the floors. I think whilst it's costly it'll might help.

@Overthebow

I really don’t understand what measures are being put in place. The BBC hasn’t made it clear. Anyone understand more of what it is?

This seems the clearest

https://news.sky.com/story/live-news-rishi-sunak-announcement-how-much-bills-rise-energy-price-cap-12514080?fbclid=IwAR0MIV9SqX367T6NFBKek_7HisT4fK3LMZkHL4rPNOjbJHFFmJgNmBTtgOU

Thankfully my OH has two second interviews lined up for roles that come with a significant increase in take home pay - we currently don't have any spare cash due to childcare costs so need to earn more.

I spoke to our energy supplier yesterday and they are wanting to increase our DD by £130 a month. We used to heat the water for an hour every afternoon in case we fancied an evening bath. I've now taken that off the schedule and have reduced the amount of time the water is on in a morning by 15 minutes. I've found that when I do want an evening bath I only have to heat the water for 15 minutes, so we were wasting a lot of energy before.

Being on UC gives you no discount with electric costs if your friend is only paying £8 a month she either lives in the dark or something dodgy is going on with her meter. £8 a month wouldn’t even cover a standard charge without any electric being used. Suggest she seeks advice or she have massive bill turning up somewhere.

The council tax rebate is for those in bands A-D as they are cheaper homes and likely have those earning less in them. It’s not a Refund on your council tax so those on benefits still qualify. It’s older cheaper and smaller homes in worst areas are most likely going struggle bills more. So those on benefits would qualify as it’s not a rebate on what you have already paid.

The £200 for all households will come out of bills at rate or £40 a year for 5years. It’s not really a scheme as such it’s just a loan. It’s not being made clear under flashy headlines of a Rishi dishes out £200. You can’t spend it or withdraw it I imagine sit in your electric account you either make use of it or just keeps your account in credit

I have started to boil my kettle with water from the hot tap instead of cold. We have had a smart meter fitted and it's make us more aware of the most costly things we are using so we can try and cut back on them.

The energy increase is going to hurt, nearly every tariff I reviewed yesterday are eye watering. Consider unit prices jump 1.7x and gas prices 3x from this time last year (pre energy company collapses).
Usage is fairly static for most homes without considerable overhaul of usage; heating and cooking, etc. Govt need to encourage homes to invest in alternative renewable sources such as solar energy or off peak power installations.

The council tax rebate is not repayable.

Bands A-D will get it automatically and local councils will also have access to some further discretionary funds for households above band D should there be justified need.

Check that all your radiators are balanced, means you heating will spread throughout your house more effectively. Might have to pay for a plumber to do it but will save in long term