Surely they can’t expect us to pay 240 per month for power!

[Ellie198712]

Just read Martin Lewis’s latest email and it’s predicting average bills of £2900 per year!! Surely the government will need to step in and subsidise this cost. Our current bill is about 100 per month, and this just seems untenable for the vast majority

I am pretty sure I saw something on German language twitter about the high fuel prices there (before Putin invaded Ukraine).

There is one small thing that could have been done which would have a helpful impact and that would have been to put the clocks forward last weekend. People use more energy in the evenings than they do in the mornings and having daylight until 7pm several weeks earlier than usual would save on lighting and heating. It could be done next year but it might be closing the stable door by then.

Terrifying isn't it. On the outside we don't look like we're struggling. And we are incredibly fortunate in some ways, but both DH and I earn under £10.50/hour.
If it's heat or eat - eat will always win.

Currently stocking up on fleeces, teddy bear bedding and electric blankets for all beds, praying for a mild winter next year, and job hunting.

absolutely bricking it.
We're about to be moving into a house which is poorly insulated, and has no radiators upstairs..
I 'think' their energy bill will be about £200 a month in April, but all from vague estimates. We currently pay £80, so finding an extra £150pcm while on maternity leave is HARD. (essentially it's coming from the food bill)

We nearly pulled out of the house due to insulation / energy prices..
But, renting a draughty victorian house is kinda worse, and we also don't have the ££ immedietly to use as a deposit.

What's nuts is that we'll be better off if i quit work and then get grants to get all the insulating done.... otherwise we earn 'too much ' But, still don't have enough to pay £15k to insulate and upgrade house.

It's gonna be very, very hard for a few years I think.

If we aren't on a fixed tariff, we should fix, right? The fixed rates are scary but all the predictions say they will worsen?

Of course there's nothing the government can do (other than levy a windfall tax on energy companies which are making huge profits and use that money to subsidise a price cap like some other European countries are doing).

Essentially, it will hit the point when enough people simply can't pay.
The government will have to step in with borrowing to cover the shortfall.

Not convinced, lots of people will be able to pay. The divide will just increase.

@XingMing you can't possibly think that in 21st century Britain that is acceptable.

two ways they could help customers is

the green levy stopped
the huge cpst of standing charges in April

im disabled and my PiP has decreased and alsomy son's sms,it was not alot in the first place (160 pm) now my income has dropped £200 a month

i do have a realfire and have just ordered my logs and coal for a year from now £600 including the sweep at least we will have 1 warm room as it does kick out heat and like that its paid up front

im on a fixed tarriff till August 22 and pay £20 a month but have £300 credit so im not sure what my payment will be in August

ive started using my oven wisely,7min power shower,my son used to be in it 20 mins,pretty savy shopping wise but things are still increasing home insurance/mobile (im sim only,broadband etc etc

i think it would be good if we had a permanent thread about all this as its really good on somany levels

We are fairly comfortable financially so our bills will probably be ok but I know my children will struggle paying their bills so am worried they will all come home again!! Love them all to bits but am just starting to enjoy a quiet,tidy home . We can help them a little bit with bills but not all of them at the same time! I really feel so sad about the younger generations future,financially and psychologically!

@Strawberry0909

Ours is going from £121 to £186, or could fix for £316!

I'm on maternity and didn't budget for such high rises, feel I'm going to have to return to work earlier than planned

Also on maternity - unfortunately no childcare available until July anyway (need to book it about 7m ahead where we are). Hoping to find a part time job to do on weekends and keep it going around my full time job.

I'll hate not seeing baby as much, but needs must.
Praying one of us (DH or I) get a pay rise soon - or it'll be a lot of scrimping.

If we'd saved the North Sea oil money & kept it owned by the people like Norway, instead of selling it off to fund things like mortgage tax relief, we would be fine.

Norwegians aren't seeing fuel rises at all and are raking in the cash. They have a $1 trillion fund that owns 1% of the world's shares. The annual payout on that covers most of their social safety net.

I know hindsight is easy but I do feel robbed by the generation of thatcher voters who benefited from that and now demand low inheritance tax and not to have to sell their home to fund their old age.

I know hindsight is easy but I do feel robbed by the generation of thatcher voters who benefited from that and now demand low inheritance tax and not to have to sell their home to fund their old age.

This is another problem, the NHS is crumbling, same for social care but an ageing population but no one wants to pay for it.

Well we voted to take back control but the trouble is that we also gave that control to a party that has refused to scrap vat or levy a windfall tax which is what some European countries have done because they believe in market forces.

A few years back my house was as cold as 4 degrees as I was out of work and couldn't afford heating and wore multiple layers but it was pretty fucking miserable. Guess I'm going to have to do the same again. God know what people do if they have small kids at home.

If we'd saved the North Sea oil money & kept it owned by the people like Norway,

and yes far too much short term thinking

@rileyhaspiley, I'm just acknowledging that older people die. I am 67. Everyone dies, eventually. It's sad when it happens to you, but we are all going to die. I would like old people to stay warm and comfortable regardless.

@theremustonlybeone

I have been advised by my power company that my monthly DD is going up from 247 to 395. I cant switch as their isnt any cheaper options

Over £400 here. Cheapest to fix is £495 and I am seriously considering it now.

@CheesusWept

What will happen if people can’t pay their bill? Will they have to agree a payment plan with their supplier? Or will they be looking at debt collectors at their door and their supply cut off? I just can’t see how some people are going to manage.

Probably prepayment meters if all else fails.

[quote HereComesSpringAgain]@Changechangychange

well we do....3 mobiles, sky and broadband. and bt sport

everyones situation is different and we will be reducing those as contracts end[/quote]
I wasn’t criticising your spending, just saying that wasn’t a solution for most people.

I think I will cut down on heating costs by taking my laptop to the library or coffee shops to stay warm and work (still WFH) I have stopped doing large supermarket shops and just buy day to day as although it may seem it would cost more, it actually stops me picking up items I don't need, so just get the meal, loo roll etc I need for that day. I do have staples in the cupboard like pasta and tins of soup and am trying to live off those for a while. I have also bought a cheap version of an OOdie and that has meant I can turn the heating off and keep warm too.

Would love to pay £240. I'm being quoted £500 a month from British Gas! So for only that reason, YABU.

It is a joke though.

I was reducing mine anyway due to the £5 a day gas reading on the smart meter, I'm trying to reduce again due to the situation in Ukraine, we do need reduce our gas usage as Putin is using it as leverage. Europeans have been asked to reduce their heating by 1c to help this. It feels a bit like Dig for Victory but with heating.

This is what has helped me:
Heating on short time in the morning and early evening, it is set to 18, I've cut the usage in half.
Hot water bottles in fluffy covers are great for keeping warm
I've found that pure wool blankets and jumpers are best, they work better than synthetic, although fleece is good.
I'm thinking of getting a slow cooker before the autumn.
No more long showers
Thermal curtains and blinds
No tumble drying

Extra loft insulation
Fix gaps in doors, windows etc where heat is escaping, this has made a huge difference. Be careful not to cause damp issues.

Dehumidifiers are good for drying out your house and preventing damp, dry air is easier to heat and it feels more comfortable at a lower temperature. I've found that running a low energy dehumidifier when drying washing is cheaper than heating the house more, I'm running mine for half an hour twice a day. They can be expensive to buy, I know it isn't an option for everyone. I worry about how people are going to cope with the price rises, everything is so expensive already. I'm really worried about people who need higher temperatures due to being ill or elderly, it's extortionate to keep a house warm day and night. I can pay the bills and cope with the cold, but not everyone can.

I bought a window vacuum a couple of weeks ago, they are great for reducing any condensation on windows or in the bathroom, helps make the whole house drier and more comfortable.

Solar panels with a battery are on my wish list, along with wall insulation.

The government should start a scheme to pay for insulating homes asap, this would help with climate change targets too and help wean us off gas, helping with the geopolitical situation. Our housing stock in the UK is not well insulated, we need to change this and now we have three reasons to do it: price rises, Ukraine and climate change.

I'm going to be getting a season ticket for the swimming pool - which costs 70 Euros for 6 months so I'll no longer be showering at home.
Heating has been off since forever as it was too expensive even 5 years ago.
Lights can go off in the middle of April and stay off until October.

I remember when we got central heating put in for the first time when I was young. I don’t remember being very cold before we did. Maybe we will get used to no heating 🤷🏼‍♀️

I'm considering cycling to work. I can save petrol and shower and dry my hair at work. It's uphill on a single lane road, I shall cause traffic chaos, but...

I am 70s child and can confirm it was freezing. I remember ice patterns on the single glazed windows, I could see my breath in the bathroom in the morning. It certainly didn't bother me because everyone I knew lived the same way. I was happy. I think it will be a big shock to younger generations though. We have badly been let down by our govt but complaining about tories now will not help anyone. Take as many practical steps as you can now to reduce your expenditure. Rising energy prices will inevitably lead to rising commodity prices so if you are in a position to put anything away, now is the time to do it. I am well aware that not everyone can do that but if you can knock one thing on the head, do it. @cakeorwine not every house is suitable for insulation, period houses can become riddled with damp.