How the f*** are you all managing your electric bills?

[cofingalthetime]

I don't have gas...
Electric has gone up from 139 per month, to 225, and now the latest is 450...

I don't know how I'm supposed to manage.

Do you all pay by DD. I don't want a meter, I had one before, and it was a nightmare, so expensive.

If 450 goes out of my account next month I won't be able to buy food or petrol or clothes

I got the 150 from the council, and paid it immediately into my electric ,b ut that's a drop in the ocean. How are you all managing.

I'm really really scared.

No, but I work from home meaning the laptop is on.
We were paying £320 a month as an average but that was repaying half a years bills through furlough as zero hours contract meant no furlough and no work so no money.

We were just at the point of being back to where we were pre pandemic, which is good in a way, we should be able to ride it out.

I don't really have much confidence it's correct as the agent I spoke to told me the reading was wrong, and then started talking about a type of meter that I don't have
I'm going to phone their specialist team tomorrow, making sure I have a coffee flask at the ready as they said today there was a half an hour wait. It's all good though, they told me how much the phonecall will cost per minute!

It's good to know the energy companies, like Sunak and Johnson, are all in it together though.

OP, what type of electric heating do you have? If it is Economy 7 heaters, then you should be on an Economy 7 tariff, where the electricity is cheaper at night (but more expensive during the day). If you are NOT on an E7 tariff, you chill almost certainly save money by changing to one.

If that is the case, then use timers to put your washing machine/dishwasher on during the cheap hours.

Do you know how many kWh you are using each month over the year? You said you have a smart meter, so you should be able to see it on there, or alternatively on your bills.

British gas have 'advised' that we need to pay £294 a month just for electric. We're in credit, already pay £140 a month and this month, so far, we've used £60 worth of electricity. They can fuck right off if they think ill even entertain their money grabbing ways. My review 🙄 is due in July and there is no way I'll be paying that direct debit amount. I'll cancel the DD and just pay my bills each time.

Do I think they do any better maybe not but I do think they would at least put human beings before anything else, people before profits.

and I do not believe the PPOD debargo would’ve happened under labour.

Afraid they have. In the news this morning - set to rise by more than £800 in October, taking the price cap towards £3000. Does anyone else think it’s not a cap as such, but an actual setting of the price ?

Keep a eye on your local authority website for energy saving grants. I got free solar panels last year because I earn under £30k a year. Only use LA approved schemes though - there are A LOT of scammers out there. Even a bit of extra loft insulation might help come winter.

Our payments last year were £350 per month (large 4 bed detached house) - we are now watching our consumption, had a smart meter installed and our bill is down to £107 per month.Yes it's the summer so we are over paying and have £800 surplus in our account ready for the winter plus we are stocking up on wood.

A lot of energy providers are doing this to solve the cash flow problems they’re having as a result of the crisis. I wouldn’t cancel the DD, as this will stop the small discount you get for paying this way. Agree a set amount by DD and tell them you’ll review it and make one off payments wherever necessary.

Just a reminder:

As we sit at home panicking over future energy price hikes, the billionaire elites have all flown on private jets to Davos, so that they can discuss how to save the world from climate change. Saving the planet is only something the little people have to suffer for!

Genuine question: I'm still on a really good tariff. My fixed term will be ending soon. If your DD has jumped to 450 per month that would make it 5400 per year. Aren't bills capped so this doesn't happen? Genuinely wondering and equally concerned about my forthcoming bills.

We're on the limit now £195 per month. I have started shopping in aldi and I have £40 to the end of the month. I'm on a professional salary too so god knows how others are coping.

After a huge winter gas bill, some years ago (think cheap 3 weeks in Spain) turned off all radiators in rooms I rarely spend much time in. So on timer in 2 rooms.
The way things are going, at least 20% of my income will go on gas and electricity after the price hike in October.
Good insulation from windows but draughty front door. So needs replacing.
Also, much cheaper, need chimney balloon. The pension and savings which could have allowed a treat occasionally are now, hopefully, just enough to survive.
Eat well and cheaply but it's a drop in the ocean compared to household bills. Becoming ill would cost me more in terms of cleaners, gardening etc.

No, the standing charges and the unit charges on the standard variable rate are capped at a specific rate. There's no upper limit on how much you spend.

If you are on a contract it's whatever you agreed with your provider.

Which is simply the svr rate, I mean, come on, what are you peddling?

I am a single mum (ex refuge / domestic violence), three children and own my own home, I am an nhs nurse, two children have disabilities, one is profoundly disabled - i work, I put in any hours I can but am limited to school hours for obvious reasons ! (Not the best when nurses usually do 13 hour shifts). I can’t earn pay for nights / weekend etc and I can’t work school holidays. I care for my elderly parents who are really need residential care. I cannot believe parents of disabled children are being mocked for not being able to afford to pay utilities! Parents who are often holding down jobs / caring all day and up most of the night caring.

i am struggling, I can’t afford my new utilities dd which has gone from £135 per month to £330, we face losing our home this winter I suspect. We live on the cheapest food, I eat leftovers. I haven’t had new clothes in many years. I don’t know anyone locally and don’t go out ever, I don’t have sky tv or internet etc etc

what is forgotten is that for many parents the more they work the more childcare costs - before / after school and in holidays …. That takes an enormous chunk (if not all of your wage).

we have an enormous social crisis looming. I have nurse colleagues already using food banks. Once safe steady careers no longer provide enough income to support even the most basic standard of living …

and it will be the vulnerable who suffer most.

what people need to do is pull together - I’m pretty sure most of us are just doing the very best we can under truly awful conditions.

What is the company? Could you give your work email (@company URL) instead?

Do you need your immersion heater on? We never have ours on. We have electric showers so no need for a tank full of hot water for that. All our appliances are cold fill so don’t need a tank of hot water for that either. If we need hot water we boil how ever much we need in the kettle. Might be worth thinking about turning it off and see how you manage without it and see how much money you can save by doing this.

Do have the option of selling and renting ; reassuring in that I won't be homeless and heart breaking after working so hard to pay mortgage off and make my tiny property my own.
Time will come when I'll need to do that due to health. Just hoping reason isn't financial.

Ye god's what are you lot doing we run a three bed semi (2 adults 2kids) on gas and electric for a combined £103 a month annual average. Last month was £78.

That's at current prices. We was paying £100 a month and building up a huge surplus, we've now put it to £130 to cover winter. The £150 council tax rebate will go straight in the OVO pot.

We don't work from home but there is someone home 4 full days a week. (There was a bid mid covid by some at work who was WFH to get an extra payment for heating but that came to nothing when they said your saving on car fuel - much to the chargrin of the lady who lives 200yrds from work and walks in)

We heat to 20°C in winter. Heating runs 5-7am and 1630 - 2100, dripping to 17.5 through the night and 13 in the day.

We each shower twice a week and occasionally team shower. We chuck in the odd bath too. We adults will sometimes shower at work instead.

The washer is on 2-3 times a week. We buy clothes that are generally quick drying and we wear clothes multiple times.
Towels are washed twice a month or so, they're small.

We cook daily.

We don't have a drier.

We do have a dehumidifier that runs November to march.

We don't have cavity wall insulation and we do have a conservatory that has a roof conversion.

Gas is our only heat source.

I was still on a cheap fix until the end of January this year so by the time that ended there weren't any new cheap fixes

We’ve bought an air fryer. Haven’t used our oven since and that’s saved us money.

On a pre payment meter here, ours went up last September from average of 14 a week to 27 a week, since April 1st its wanting 58 a week as it's suggested top up, we cannot possibly use any less and are already rationing what we can afford to put on. It's pretty much quadrupled since Sept. I am beyond scared, we can hardly afford food as it was and now, well, lets just say we are all looking decidedly unhealthy, always hungry always cold . It's not a happy home anymore

I’m a carer, on UC with a small home based business. I would not be able to survive on UC alone with the increase in the cost of living. I have stopped using the tumble dryer and the oven, bought an air fryer, and bought a shower I could run from the hot water because luckily I do have gas. The electric shower was the biggest user of electric by far.

I read somewhere in the news that gas and oil prices have come down recently, shame the greedy feckers cant pass those savings along