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.

More questions on this - we're with EOn and DH looked up our quotes (currently on fixed rate, but ending this month) and whilst they've offered two fixed rate options for 1 or 2 years (the cheapest is a double of our current bill pretty much, yikes!), their estimated variable costs are based on the current costs, not costs from April 2022. So how are we supposed to compare them against fixed tarrifs costs, anyone, please? I need to understand how much I'm likely to have to pay on variable rate from April but I don't know where to find this information?

Also Sunak's measures are a joke, we're not eligible for the CTax reduction anyway as we're in a higher band, BUT the £200 offered is a loan repayable over the next 5 years which means from next year our bills will be sky-fucking-high as Ofgem will raise the cap further in October 2022 AND there will be an extra £40 to pay per annum in 'loan repayment'. I'd rather not have the fucking loan, thank you very much.

It's a disgrace. There are no words. Wait for the BoE announcement on rates too, today is a good day, FFS.

@Akire

I read that post as because her friend is on UC she gets CT support and so only pays £8 CT per month not £8 electricity. So the measures won't help those on benefits because many dont pay CT anyway?

My last bill was double what I usually pay. 160 instead of 80. I pay dd every month and hive metre readings. I'm currently 80 in deficit can't afford to increase dd. I'm hoping it will even itself out over warmer months. I'm.notexcessive with heating, lighting etc but I refuse to freeze

Give metre readings

The (even) bigger worry for me is what they are going to do in October when the cap is reviewed again. Isn't there a strong chance they will go up even further just in time for winter?

Already our energy is double the cost it was 18 months ago. How much higher is it going to get???

@MorningStarling what a miserable way to live

@Willyoujustbequiet

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.

So what would you do instead and who would pay for it?

Energy prices are going up worldwide and most of Europe is about to get a kicking.

The French, going into an election cycle, may get away with it simply by forcing EDF into taking a massive financial hit (which may bite them going forward as interventionist governments spook investors).

Personally, it's going to be a thermostat drop. Making sure full loads are washed. Training DS1 to switch the bloody lights off. Turning TVs off when not in use. All the things you really should do but don't because we're used to not bothering.

I've debated having the gas supply cut off any relying on the electric alone. I simply won't be able to afford standing charges for both. The standing charges alone are double what I currently pay, and that is already beyond what I can afford. It's not a case of choosing between heating and eating. I am already doing that. It's a choice of heating & hot water or fridge and lighting. Tough decision. I could manage but not sure about my child.

I wont get any council tax rebate and dont think this £200 loan deal is going to be much help.

I hate the Tories and the energy companies billionaires.

Turn the average flow temperature for your CH and hot water down a bit.

Sorry yes my mistake.

I still think those on benefits will get it as it’s not a rebate on what you have already paid it’s easy and quick way to help those poorer who will be living in worst housing and will have lowest incomes. Benefits claimants will be included in that by default

I know it’s saying those on UC may get extra but I’m benefits not UC so
My Working neighbour will get more as get £200 and council tax rebate and I get the £200. Not exactly fair when I’m at home all day and they are not. Either it’s for
Those lowest income and pay more % on bills or it’s not. We clue have a means tested scheme but they always cost loads to run and be cheaper just give the money from
Council tax records.

My council did a scheme few years back where all households got £25 because council done so well in managing funds and it went out to everyone even those who got part or full discount.

For those of you working from home when everyone else is out during the day, you might consider getting a plug in electric heater/radiator for the room you work in.

My work involves me sitting for hours on end without moving, and I have to be smartly dressed, so fleeces etc won't work for me. Unless it really is extremely cold, I leave the central heating off and use my electric heater (it's a wall mounted Creda and is absolutely brilliant). My office gets so toasty, I don't need to leave it on for very long.

Obviously, there is an initial outlay, but it beats heating the whole house over time.

Sunak's measures amount to a total of £9bn value (his numbers) which include a loan so is already fudging the figures a bit to make it look like hes giving away 9bn when he's clearly not.

The NI rise amounts to an extra £12bn a year. So he could cancel that for a start - and still deliver more help.

The £12bn benefit of the NI rise is already cancelled out for at least 1 year by the £9bn wasted on PPE that will never work (paid to mates) and the £4+bn on covid loans that were fraudulently claimed and written off. That' before we get to £37bn on a track and trace system that doesn't seem to have ever realy done anything useful. So we're going to be paying for the next 4+ years just to break even on those 3 wastes of money.

Even beyond this, other countries have suspended green levies on energy costs to bring down the impact to their people. Something supported by the Tories own Environment Network but ignored by the government. The cynic in me thinks this is because a number of them have shares/investments in the firms being paid these levies....

@MyDcAreMarvel

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.

Why does she need more help if she is only paying £96 annually? Most people who don't get the rebate are paying thousands per year in council tax and they are the ones who need the help, not people who already aren't paying it or paying very little!

@Pazuzu

A windfall tax on the oil companies that have made billions over the recent crisis would have been a good start.

Targeted support for those most in need - increase UC. It's the people at the bottom of the heap that will suffer the most. I dread to think how they will manage, especially the disabled.

Duchess, you're spot on.

Also talk about mistimed announcements, Shell announces their profits today, it's disgusting. The numbers are sickening.

Regarding reducing the costs, please consider keeping your home at steady temperature - IME this is cheaper than heating twice a day. I'd also say be very careful with lowering the temperature as in many house this will lead to condensation and damp issues and rectifying them will costs a lot of money. Not to mention eventually it will affect your belongings and health. I know this doesn't help, but I'm just flagging up that there are potential even worse scenarios, unfortunately.

I'd say if you lower temperature, buy a dehumidifier which costs peanuts to run. Also those wfh - are you claiming the £6 pcm back from HMRC? I think this is still available, anyone pls correct me if not as I'm currently on maternity leave.

@lonelyapple

Not addressed to me I know but the posters friend pays £8 CT not gas and electricity. She will need help because of the increase in the price cap and so will be more adversely affected by the huge rise as will have to pay a far greater proportion of her income ( benefits ).

I pay £27 a m

Posted by accident. £27/month council tax. I will reduce the hot water time for sure and will check the heating times to see where I can cut back. The heating goes off at 7 or 8pm as it is. Dd gets very cold. She has some kind of idiopathic condition where her feet and hands go blue. She has an electric blanket. We use hot water bottles at night.

More cuddles and shags to keep warm in the evening.

@DuchessOfDodo

Sunak's measures amount to a total of £9bn value (his numbers) which include a loan so is already fudging the figures a bit to make it look like hes giving away 9bn when he's clearly not.

The NI rise amounts to an extra £12bn a year. So he could cancel that for a start - and still deliver more help.

The £12bn benefit of the NI rise is already cancelled out for at least 1 year by the £9bn wasted on PPE that will never work (paid to mates) and the £4+bn on covid loans that were fraudulently claimed and written off. That' before we get to £37bn on a track and trace system that doesn't seem to have ever realy done anything useful. So we're going to be paying for the next 4+ years just to break even on those 3 wastes of money.

Even beyond this, other countries have suspended green levies on energy costs to bring down the impact to their people. Something supported by the Tories own Environment Network but ignored by the government. The cynic in me thinks this is because a number of them have shares/investments in the firms being paid these levies....

Sunak's covid spend and writing off dodgy loans has had the desired effect - massive inflation to reduce Government debt mostly built up since the 2008 financial crisis which has never properly been dealt with (just print more funny money). They should increase interest rates much more but they won't as they want inflation. The ordinary people suffer whilst the rich and the banks get even richer. It feels like we have a criminal cartel running the country!

If we think it's bad now wait until the next energy review in October. Most experts are expecting another rise just as we head into rather than out of winter.
As with interest rates. Although they have just gone up 0.25% the report accompanying it suggests further rises coming. It also outlines that we haven't peaked in inflation yet, that's predicted to peak in April.
What a gloomy outlook 😔

Having seen how much my electric shower costs on the smart meter I'm making more of an effort to use the ones at the gym a couple of times a week! It's not much but it all adds up over the year.
Also going back in the office most days particularly to save on the central heating bill over the winter.
I think I'll make more of an effort to fill the oven when it's on, maybe cook double or put 2 meals at a time in that can be reheated in the microwave as that seems to use quite a lot of electric. I'm also conscious my kitchen appliances are now quite old so probably not the most energy efficient but I'm sticking with them until such time as they break down.......and if that hasn't tempted fate I don't know what will! ;)

I'm genuinely really worried about this. We are on a standard tarrif after moving in September, and we had a £450 bill for two months, so we've now agreed a £200pm direct debit which is insane. In my old house on a fixed tarriff, I was paying £80pm.

I'm literally in the process of upgrading to a new boiler, because the one in this house was 45 years old, so that should help with efficiencies. I'm also looking at replacing my windows, because I can literally hear the draught outside, so they clearly aren't very efficient. But that's such an extreme approach to try and make my house as energy efficient as possible.

I saw some amazon ads that were promoting reflective foil to put behind the radiators so heat doesn't go out through the walls. And I also saw an add for some window strips to limit the draughts, so I may invest in those as well in the meantime.

We have 2 heated blankets that were the best things I've ever bought, and I'm trying to conciously turn off all lights where possible as well.

But lets be honest, the BILLIONS that Rishi has wasted in PPE contracts and test and trace could have paid for all of our energy....

We've just renovated our house and the new radiators and new windows and doors should help keep the house warm when it's been heated.

Not planning to change my energy usage, so that will cost a lot more, but I will definitely spend less out and about and reduce my discretionary spend of F&B. I popped into a cafe last week and 1 sandwich and 1 latte came to £9.60!!! That's just ridiculous. And I'm going to stop popping into Costa etc.

I'm lucky as during day I only have one room heated and use a small electric heater too. Bedroom and living room gets heated at night e.g. from 6-7pm. Hot water is on demand so heated when needed and I have a water meter. I also keep lights switched off when not needed.

I boil water in kettle then put on electric/fan oven hobs so it doesn't heat from scratch.

No tumble dryer or heated airer, just goes on one of those French wooden driers in the lean-to which gets sun and then anything else on central heating. Use full loads when need be.

Even with above bills have gone up so unsure what to do. Worst case scenario let one of bedrooms (box and larger).