That stab of worry everytime the boiler fires up, even if I can probably afford the higher bills.

[flashbac]

Anyone else started getting this? I can only fully relax if the heating is off and its comfortable in the house (like today, because the sun is warming the rooms).
Dd using fan heater, having a (long) shower or boiler firing up, and I'm on edge.
I can probably afford the bills by cutting back but it's just crappy being on high alert when our usage is normal.

(Before anyone pipes up about putting on a jumper, I wear two sometimes, so please stand down pal)

I'm exactly the same. My house was 15 degrees this morning. I like 18. Nothing too tropical. So my heating is on now and I'm twitchy. I don't know if I can afford it or not with the increases. I'm going to have a shower (using my newly purchased shower timer) and switch it off. It won't go on for the rest of the day. Hopefully it will be off for 6 months soon anyway.

I live in a new build which gets cold very quickly. I’ve changed the boiler settings to come on for half an hour, 3 times a day, first thing, when we get home and again later in the evening. This is a change from being set by the thermostat, and it’s often chilly. I’m also wearing jumpers, and using a blanket. I use a fan heater to heat the room I’m in (while DS is in bed upstairs playing on his PlayStation).

I’ve started to take a hot water bottle to bed with me to keep me warm rather than taking the fan heater to heat the room.

We’re on a pre-payment metre and I think we need to cut down further as I just can’t justify spending so much per week.

God yes. I’ve had my heating off the whole time Dd has been at her dads, house was 12 degrees

Put it back on for an hour last night to warm the house up before she got home and just felt sick the whole time. I’ve bought a load of the large, fluffy £10 blankets from Wilko and we spend a lot of time wrapped up in those!

Yes, currently sat under a huge blanket because it’s freezing when I come out!

My house is currently just over 13 degrees, but I’m the only one here at the mo so wearing my Oodie & doing housework is keeping me warm enough.

Our direct debit had already doubled before the recent rise, and the house is never more than 19 in winter. It is now ridiculous.

We’ll be ok, but it will impact how we spend/what we do, which then has impacts elsewhere (ie money that might have gone on discretionary spends/treats is going on fuel).

It’s massively stressing me out.

My smart meter was at £4.70 yesterday teatime BEFORE I put the heating on for an hour last night. It’s not sustainable and I’m totally dreading the winter.

Yesterday I only had a quick shower, Dh had a bath and I did 2 loads of washing on eco wash (didn’t use dryer) then used hob for 20 minutes to make tea. We were out for 4 hours during the day. Yet we were still at nearly a fiver at 5pm with no heating on at all by this point.

(For reference, prior to the rises, I would never use anymore than £3 a day on smart meter and that was using heating and not being a stingey mad woman like I am now turning everything off!)

I’m at the point where it’s cheaper to buy cashmere and merino (spendy stuff) than turn on the heating!😂

I’m in the far north of Scotland and woke up to snow… I’ve adopted a devil-may-care attitude and until it stops fucking snowing I will continue to heat ONE room.

I've started to look at everything I can do extra that helps. I worked out that the I crease in my utility bill is an extra 3.30 a day. So I aim to make that a day. This has really helped mentally worrying as you describe.

So firstly I complete surveys for an hour day while watching telly, I usually make at least a tenner a week. You can use my link here if you want to try it and you get 40p to start you off with.

I'm inviting you to join AttaPoll. Get paid to take surveys. Download the app here: attapoll.app/join/skawm

The other app I use is Airtime Rewards which you register your cards with and then any time you use one of their preferred retailers eg boots, you get a little cashback. You can only use the cashback off your mobile phone bill but I have been able to discount my mobile bill by a tenner a month since I started using it. This is my referral code that you put in the promotions section which gives you a pound boost.

Do you want to reduce your phone bill?

Download Airtime Rewards for free with my code KAVJXMCJ and save money off your phone bill every time you shop with brands like Boots, Greggs, Wilko, Argos and loads more: airtimerewards.app.link/PTcbZ52Ptob

The other thing I would recommend is to make sure you are signed up to cashback sites, I use quidco. Do all your online shopping via this and collect cashback, but also each year renew your various insurances through it to make 100s. For example, I just compared and changed pet insurance provider and got 70 cashback. It takes ages to clear, so I save it all for Xmas. Make around 400 a year.

You can use this referral code and it gives you a 5 pounds boost when your first 5 pounds cashback clears.

app.quidco.com/raf/1qnW

This is over 1000 extra a year for relatively little effort and usual spending. Hope it helps x