Energy prices - what are people doing?

[UndertheCedartree]

Last September my Energy company tried to put my DD up £100. I phoned and told them I couldn't afford it as we live on benefits and I'd also just lost the UC uplift. They agreed to increase by £40.

My DD just came up that they want to put it up £100 again. I just can't afford it. The extra £40 was hard enough. I've cancelled the DD in fright! I was hoping as we have barely put our heating on this winter that it would be ok. I don't know what to do. I hear Bojo saying they are doing their best to help people with this but what are they doing? Does anyone know if there is any help available or what I can do?

British Gas run a service for anyone, not just their customers, to help them find sources of help, manage fuel debt and save energy. I haven’t used them, but have seen it advertised a lot recently,

britishgasenergytrust.org.uk/

You might (MIGHT) find it cheaper to be billed quarterly based on actual use, rather than paying by monthly direct debit and potentially building up credit which the energy company then has hold of, rather than it being in your bank account until it’s due to be paid. But this would depend on whether you tend to build up credit, or are behind in the winter.

Don’t just leave the situation with your DD cancelled, though - you’ll default on your payments, and any future credit agreement will cost you more, or they might put you on prepayment meters. Ring them tomorrow, explain the situation, and ask what they can do to help you.

Im mostly feeling cold and wrapping up very warm in socks, jumpers, blankets and hot water bottles.

Have you been submitting meter readings? If you have already been carful they couldbe overestimating your usage. However if you are actually using that amount of energy, then there's not much you can do. Are you definitely claiming everything your entitled to? Is there anything you can cut back on?

Look on the money saving expert website for ideas. It also explains why cancelling a dd is a bad idea as it will cost more. It also tells you about the warm home scheme and other grants
Ask your energy supplier if you can pay by dd but give monthly meter readings. The downside of this is you will be paying for what you use only throughout summer and not building up credit for the winter. This is what I am doing and hopefully I will be able to put a bit aside for the winter.

@FloraPostePosts

British Gas run a service for anyone, not just their customers, to help them find sources of help, manage fuel debt and save energy. I haven’t used them, but have seen it advertised a lot recently,

britishgasenergytrust.org.uk/

You might (MIGHT) find it cheaper to be billed quarterly based on actual use, rather than paying by monthly direct debit and potentially building up credit which the energy company then has hold of, rather than it being in your bank account until it’s due to be paid. But this would depend on whether you tend to build up credit, or are behind in the winter.

Don’t just leave the situation with your DD cancelled, though - you’ll default on your payments, and any future credit agreement will cost you more, or they might put you on prepayment meters. Ring them tomorrow, explain the situation, and ask what they can do to help you.

Thank you for the information.

@bellac11

Im mostly feeling cold and wrapping up very warm in socks, jumpers, blankets and hot water bottles.

We're already doing that

Work out your actual usage and where you can cut back. Pay whatever DD you can afford, and submit monthly readings. But while doing that, cut back anything like blow heaters (swap for a heated throw for example), using the oven unless It’s cooking a couple of meals, like chilli in one pot, bolognese in another and baking potatoes for example. All of which can be frozen or eaten over the next couple of days without masses more oven use. Use a slow cooker instead too. Don’t use the tumble dryer at all, etc etc. It’s not warm at the moment but also not very very cold, so if you can pay your DD, with your energy consumption actually coming in less, you may have more of a cushion for next winter.

@Sprogonthetyne

Have you been submitting meter readings? If you have already been carful they couldbe overestimating your usage. However if you are actually using that amount of energy, then there's not much you can do. Are you definitely claiming everything your entitled to? Is there anything you can cut back on?

I've submitted some but not for a while. That's a good idea. They are probably basing it on my normal usage rather than us not using the heating.

There's not much I can cut back on but I could save a little on food by increasing my food bank usage. I'm trying to claim everything but UC are still not paying me any housing costs (it's a long story I have posted before about).

@tothemoonandbackbuses

Look on the money saving expert website for ideas. It also explains why cancelling a dd is a bad idea as it will cost more. It also tells you about the warm home scheme and other grants Ask your energy supplier if you can pay by dd but give monthly meter readings. The downside of this is you will be paying for what you use only throughout summer and not building up credit for the winter. This is what I am doing and hopefully I will be able to put a bit aside for the winter.

Thank you for that. I was hoping I wouldn't need much extra for winter by not using the heating.

I've turned the heating off and we all wear onesies in the house over our clothes, dreading the bill

@GottaLoveTheCold

Work out your actual usage and where you can cut back. Pay whatever DD you can afford, and submit monthly readings. But while doing that, cut back anything like blow heaters (swap for a heated throw for example), using the oven unless It’s cooking a couple of meals, like chilli in one pot, bolognese in another and baking potatoes for example. All of which can be frozen or eaten over the next couple of days without masses more oven use. Use a slow cooker instead too. Don’t use the tumble dryer at all, etc etc. It’s not warm at the moment but also not very very cold, so if you can pay your DD, with your energy consumption actually coming in less, you may have more of a cushion for next winter.

Thank you for this. I do most of that and I don't have a tumble dryer. I have used an electric heater to warm up my DC's room a bit when frigid. I can't really afford to buy heated throws. I do have a slow cooker that I've not used for ages so I'll have a look for some meals for that, thank you.

@Hohofortherobbers

I've turned the heating off and we all wear onesies in the house over our clothes, dreading the bill

I've only put the heating on for half an hour once a week to try and get some clothes dry! At least it is warming up now! My DC wear their onesies a lot. I put my dressing gown on and we each have a blanket downstairs. It's tough isn't it?

I cancelled my DD and am just paying 40 a month as usual for gas. It's all I can afford. For elec I have a top up meter and not noticed much difference in that.

Heated throws get much cheaper in the summer - try Amazon in the next heat wave. There’s a brand called Schallen that goes down to £6.99 but is £39.99 at the moment. I had a Dreamland Intelliheat that broke in six months and Schallen is better.

Slow cooker does good chilli and one pot curries too.

Sorry - dreadful typo. The Schallen goes to £26.99 not £6.99. Sorry.

Submit a reading, and find out if you are in credit. If you are, then they should recalculate your DDs to a lower amount. Or you can ask for some/all of it back, as a one-off (if it's a lot!).

Keep a close eye on your meter readings, usage, and most importantly your bills when you get them as they will contain a lot of info - how much youre using, cost of that, daily standing charge, tax etc.
I am now tracking all of this on a spreadsheet, but a notepad would work too. I'm doing this for gas, electricity and water.

Aside from that - keeping the heat low/off and wearing a giant wearable blanket i've bought to keep warm.

We’re with bulb. Our DD doesn’t cover our monthly use so I submit a reading and then pay the extra each month. They tried to put our DD up from £50 to £150 but I said no.

I've worked out my heating costs 70p an hour with the radiators only in my livingroom turned in. I've put it on for 2 hours this evening and now have doors closed and dressing gown on. I'm very fortunate that I can afford the increase but for eco reasons this has made me pay more attention to my energy use. I feel for my grandad for example that feels the cold is at home more hours than I am. It'll hit him hard.

I've turned the thermostat down to about 16 for times when we are about and not in bed. If it is too cold I might pop it up to 17 for a little bit. The rest of the time it is down at 12.

The dryer is only being used as an emergency. I'm trying to get my washing outside now, or pop stuff on/near the radiators when it does come on.

I've started to use a bath towel twice before washing them.

I'm constantly telling my dp to turn the lights off. He'll sit there in the morning with a floor lamp on, even though it is light outside.

We've also stopped putting the radio on for our dog when we are out. I don't think he minds much.

I also pay for my gas/elec by dd but it is for what we've used that month. I'm putting a little extra into a savings account for winter, which I'm dreading. So if my gas/elec is about £90 over spring/summer months, I'll pop £30/£40 into the savings for over winter - it'll hopefully help a bit.

@GottaLoveTheCold

Heated throws get much cheaper in the summer - try Amazon in the next heat wave. There’s a brand called Schallen that goes down to £6.99 but is £39.99 at the moment. I had a Dreamland Intelliheat that broke in six months and Schallen is better.

Slow cooker does good chilli and one pot curries too.

Ah, brilliant, thank you

@ICouldHaveCheckedFirst

Submit a reading, and find out if you are in credit. If you are, then they should recalculate your DDs to a lower amount. Or you can ask for some/all of it back, as a one-off (if it's a lot!).

I'll do that.

@IDidntKnowItWasAParty

Keep a close eye on your meter readings, usage, and most importantly your bills when you get them as they will contain a lot of info - how much youre using, cost of that, daily standing charge, tax etc. I am now tracking all of this on a spreadsheet, but a notepad would work too. I'm doing this for gas, electricity and water.

Aside from that - keeping the heat low/off and wearing a giant wearable blanket i've bought to keep warm.

I will, thank you

@Helenahandkart

We’re with bulb. Our DD doesn’t cover our monthly use so I submit a reading and then pay the extra each month. They tried to put our DD up from £50 to £150 but I said no.

Thank you for this. I will have to tell them I can't afford the extra £100. I mean you can't get blood out of a stone!

@redbigbananafeet

I've worked out my heating costs 70p an hour with the radiators only in my livingroom turned in. I've put it on for 2 hours this evening and now have doors closed and dressing gown on. I'm very fortunate that I can afford the increase but for eco reasons this has made me pay more attention to my energy use. I feel for my grandad for example that feels the cold is at home more hours than I am. It'll hit him hard.

My parents came to visit the other day and I had to put the heating on or they would freeze. It will be very hard for some elderly.