How on Earth do people intend to cut back to meet these new energy bills?

[MissMediocre]

I plod along saving a little cash but it's going to be nigh on impossible now and I'm going to have to look at cutting back. I've a professional job in the software industry but bills of £300+ a month are going to bite.

How is everyone else planning to cut back?

I have already started reducing the length of time heating is on.

I'd suggest that those who will not walk even short distances but use a car for them and are able bodied, or anyone with a Chelsea Tractor, have a way of reducing their fuel expenses.

We are pretty good on our usage and have been for years. Household of 8 Inc a baby so keep it warm, we're on £160 per month now for both (based on suppliers estimate, we have a smart meter).
Fuel will have a big impact on us... it cost me almost £1.90 per litre when I filled up this week, I will be doing more school runs on foot when I've not got errands to run. DH has a 4.5hr commute, I don't think he will be coming home as often as he'd like to unless he can get a car share deal with a collegue.
Insurance is the other extra that has hit us, our dogs insurance doubled to over £1k a year . Had a car accident (no fault) last year so expect premiums to increase on that too, I have been saving extra to cover it though (always pay full year at start).

@frustratedashell

I try to look on it as a challenge! I think a different mindset helps. That's not to say it won't be difficult! It makes you realise how much money you've been wasting. I batch cook, sit with a blanket over my legs and turn the fire off. Etc . Plus walk more and drive less. Which is healthier too. I realise that that's not always possible for some people

Not being able to afford basic neccesities like food and heating is not some kind of fun challenge. Cutting back might be a challenge when there is slack to cut, but for many people there is nothing left to cut except essentials to live. A change of mindset isn't what someone being dragged into victorian poverty needs, what they need is the government to do something

I've turned my heating off now, so I can start saving - I'll put it on for a few hours if it's really cold but I haven't missed it the last few days it's been off.

I'm buying some thicker curtains plus one to cover the front door to keep some heating in next winter.

I will take cold showers through the summer so I'm not heating the water through those months - I fully appreciate lots would hate that but I like them, they're actually really good for your immune system and it's an opportunity to save a bit more money, I suppose. I've done it in a few other lean summers as a student and it was doable. I'll make fewer cups of things like coffee too over the summer.

I have a heated blanket - I'd really recommend getting one if you can afford it. It was 1p an hour to run, but I don't know now costs are rocketing. But if your house is cold and you can't afford to turn the heating on, you can at least get under it and feel cosier for a bit. It does help warm you through and you don't have to get up to boil a kettle to get it warm again like a hot water bottle.

I am also looking at getting a lodger just to build more of a buffer with my savings for next winter.

I am actually also changing my (very small) garden - getting in strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants where there were flowers. I'd been thinking of doing so for a while, it's not just down to Putin, but it is reassuring to think of growing some treats and having the ability to make nice jams etc. The cost of food will be going up by a lot so growing what I can will help psychologically even if I can't grow lots. It's time to be planting seeds now if anyone is interested in doing the same and if anyone hasn't done so before, it's really straightforward as long as you have a bit of space - there are lots of YouTube tutorials that will walk you through it. Raspberries and blackcurrants in particular you can get very heavy crops from the second year, courgettes are easy to grow as are potatoes and apples and there are plants you can get that are better for smaller gardens like this if you're thinking fitting fruit trees in is impossible

I hate that more vulnerable people with health issues will be sitting struggling next winter, it's so rubbish. Fucking Putin - he's caused such suffering.

I don’t put the heating on in the morning. Last time i did that was Christmas Day!

Heating on for a couple of hours at teatime then its off. We have a log burner in the living room so we use that if were both home. DS and DD spend their tine in their rooms so that means under the duvet so they are warm.

I charge my Garmin watch and headtorch at work, plus my phone and power bank.

I meal plan, sometimes i don’t eat tea as im not hungry.

Really cut down on alcohol. Haven’t had one for 2 months.

And same as you, blankets and hot water bottles.

We fixed back in January so although we have been paying over the odds since, we'll be slightly below the April rates and insulated from other price hikes until March '24.

We also sold our caravan to get solar panels and a home battery. Our electric usage is really high and this should make a big difference.

We have cut out some little used subscriptions and cut down on takeaways. We also reduced the flow on our combi boiler. It's too cold here (n.e.) to turn off the heating yet - at least for us.

Sky, Netflix etc have been cancelled

Going out for lunch on the spur of the moment, cut back

This will all have a knock on to small businesses and their supply chain

Methinks time for the Govt to ditch the agreed Levy 👍👍

We should be able to swallow the energy/food/fuel rises but we will have to put less in savings.

I will cancel any subscription things we don’t use but I was always too lazy to cancel before.

We’ve already switched the heating off.it was horrible at first but we’re getting used to it. Next winter is going to be a challenge if we can’t have any heating though!

We’ll have to eat cheaper, less healthy foods. No takeaways and definitely no meals out or lunch time treats.

Getting rid of Sky, thank god I’ve been nagging DH to do it for at least 10 years.

No non-essential journeys.

No trips to attractions etc.

No new clothes except for DS who is a teenager and growing fast and those will be Primark.

No life basically, just working to survive. Oh and of course that also means no supporting local businesses.

I've brought us all electric blankets, air fryer and omelette maker to save using the oven so much. I keep going round switching lights off as the kids don't 😫
Less eating out and will now take packed lunches to work more

I'm still hoping that by January 2023 the bills will be back to more normal amounts.... I won't be able to afford any increase really.

I'm getting a new job, frankly. I have been job hunting for a few weeks now because I can't afford not to.

We’ve started cutting back already....heating been on only 3 times ( for 3 hours each time) in the last 3 weeks....just have the log burner going( my DP gets free logs from work) ...which heats the family room and kitchen.....batch cooking....no takeaways.....my DP is car sharing to work.....packed lunches to work ......not bought any clothes this year ( tbf I don’t need any) .....Delay buying a new car....no more brand buying of foods..... having a coffee at greggs instead of costa when out....I will not be cutting back on my holiday/trips away....although I will choose cheaper hotels and air bnbs.....I will still be eating out at least once a week and going the cinema/theatre.

I know that usually electric heaters are more expensive but considering our decent fix on electric and the probably +50% gas rise in October again I wonder if it would actually be much cheaper? I have a little convection radiator which heats the room within 20 minutes, so you only need it on for less than an hour. Alternatively an oil filled one will stay warmer for longer.

There are actually small things we can all do which we don’t always realise make a difference. E.g.

Turn off plugs you’re not using

Make sure the dishwasher/washing machine is set to off when finished.

You can eat salad rather than extensively cooked meals which take a lot of time.

Have a health grill which takes around a quarter of the time it would take to cook something in the oven.

Hot water bottle plus duvet at night so no heating required.

We're in a position not to have to cut back, but we've always been keen to keep unnecessary costs down. We have thermostatic valves on all the radiators, buy our oil in bulk when the cost is low, smart meter and constant shifting to different providers, also charge the car at night on cheap rate electricity.

Yip; we’re up to about £400 a month now. Pre Covid we were £150 a month April to oct, £200 a month oct to March.

We’ve turned off the heating completely. I’m working back in the office: so not using a lot of electricity.

Only allowed light switched on in a room if we are actually in the room.

We are not poor, but we’ll need to tighten out belts

Very worried about the impact on small businesses locally. It’s been a shit few years already due to Covid. But now most folk will need to cut down on luxuries like take Aways, meals out and beauty treatments

We have oil heating and it’s been off for over a few weeks only on when it’s - something, we can’t afford 500l so no heating and no hot water! Have been using electric blankets at night to take the chill off, I was scolded as a child so won’t use a hot water bottle, I do have an electric throw which i can use when it gets really really cold.

I have enough wood for the log burner (thanks to the storms) which is currently drying out so 🤞🏻 It will be ok for next winter.

I’ve cut down on electric as much as I can, I can’t see how we are going cope 😒 I’ve got a timer for the electric shower 3 mins each, I switch everything off only things left on are the fridge, wifi and ring alarm everything else is off if not being used. I can’t wait to some warmer weather so I can get clothes line dried, and means we can go outside more eg bike rides etc, I’m only doing full loads on the tumble dryer. Only boiling the kettle once a day and using thermos instead. It’s all very depressing 😒

Council tax has gone up 3.1% and I’m not in a band which will get help!

Seriously debating on a 2nd job but I’m not sure I’m well enough health wise but might just have to shut up and put up

Honestly dont know how hospitality will survive! I work in a hotel and we are currently in 'quiet season' and out of the 8 years ive worked in hotels ive never seen a 'quiet season' so quiet, trying to get hours in on a 0 hour contract has been a struggle, its going to be a domino affect! I think the reason we are so quiet is a mixture of peoples covid fears still, rising costs of living and uncertancy of whats going on in ukraine making people not want to travel and go on holiday! Im about to go on maternity leave and im currently weighing up the pros and cons with returning as its a half an hour drive each way to work and back and its costing so much in petrol, im trying to pick up full 8 hour shifts as the 4 hour half shift isant worth the petrol to get there anymore!

Weve also had people recently asking to return part time on the side of their full time jobs!

We've never been on holiday, we don't drive, I cut me and DH's hair, we don't have evenings out, I have no idea what we'll do. We need to find almost £200pm extra, taking fuel/NI/CT and rent increases into account. We only have DH's income which is well below the average salary. I need dental work doing but dentist visits will have to go. We do have a £15 takeaway a month which is pretty much our only treat, I'd hate to give it up and tbh it won't touch the sides anyway. We also have Prime but again I'm reluctant to give it up - I'm disabled and it's indispensable on days I can't get out/need shopping urgently.

I rarely use the oven now. Heating only on a couple of hours in the evening.

Will need to cut down on shopping for anything non-essential. I've also just taken on a couple of hours extra work on the side so that will help a little.

Trying to sell clothes I don't wear but no one is buying really, I guess everyone is skint.

Changed jobs to one walking distance from home last September apart from that not a flipping clue!

I've invested a lot of time in learning about and setting up a budget in the YNAB app and I'm hoping that will allow me to find the extra cash. Ours is fixed until October so I've got a bit of time to trim expenses and also hopefully build up a fund.

I'm a single mum and currently doing a degree. I work when I can but I'm doing nursing so uni is full on.

I'm already only just making ends meet, I'm not sure how I'm going to find the money