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.

Yes I am Interested too, as our electricity bill is not much less. We live in a 3 bed housing association house with electric storage and panel heating, not on at this time of year, electric for cooking. There is no shower so we need to heat water for baths. There is six of us, so obviously the washer and dishwasher are on a couple times a day. We don't run a TV, rarely dry hair, a shared lap-top for course work, educational stuff etc which isn't on all that much, and rarely use the dryer In our combined washer dryer, except if the kids run out of clean clothes.

Some of these electricity costs are very high. I have a smart meter and have been monitoring for several months now. As has been said it is the standing costs that you can't get around. I have a 4 bed house with 2 fridge freezers, 1 freezer, 1 washer dryer , 1 tumble dryer and 1 dishwashing machine. We never go over 2.90 Pounds a day even with an extended 90 degree wash and tumble . When we were away on holiday recently the meter ran at approx 1.28 Pounds a day. The dishwasher costs about 40p to run. We do have gas heating but switched it off on 1st April due to the increased costs. If it is airy in the evening I use a heated over blanket. Our estimated for the year is 1700 Pounds.We pay 140 a month for both.

I kept hearing on the radio about switching from tax credits to universal credit. Both me and DH work full time but received some child tax credit. I inputted all our income into an online calculator that was suggested by gov.uk, and it said we could be entitled to around double what we have been getting in CTC, so I made the switch - will find out on Thursday what our first payment will be. Might be worth a try for anyone in a similar position?

EON are now offering a 30 min breakdown of your energy use but it won't tell you where you are using it.

Head, meet sand

Unless the costs if you going to work are high (eg very high commute costs) you are always better off in work either while claiming UC or if you earn too much to qualify. UC only deduct 55% of earnings. Many people are also entitled to a work allowance which is an amount you can earn without it affecting your UC at all.

There therefore cannot be people who are better off on UC than working (except for those with high commute or other high costs of being in work) because of the way UC is calculated. DWP will also not let someone stay out of work if they are fit and well and have no caring responsibilities. You will be required to find work whether you want to or not.

There is a lot of misinformation about people claiming benefits and it can cause a lot of resentment in those working if they feel people are sitting around on benefits and are better off. It really isn't the case.

London. Council property so I think that’s why full rent is covered

I'm building a Passivhaus

My bill has doubled, despite the heating not being on at all, the hot water only on for 1 hour, a couple of times this month when it’s not been sunny (otherwise the solar panels heat it up enough for a quick shower!), so literally twice, and I’ve been out most days! I charge my phone, and my vape daily, and my laptop every couple of days.. but that’s it! I haven’t even used the oven or hob much.

i’ve been making more tea recently, but I refuse to believe boiling the kettle a couple of times a day would DOUBLE my bill.

its okay, but tight at the moment. I’m really not looking forward to this happening again with the bill in winter, in spite of me no doubt freezing because I won’t want to put the heating on!! I think I’m going to have to increase my income a bit before then… or learn to live on air!

The number of people living in a home, the amount of time people are in their home, the size and type of a home, the level of insulation, where in the country you are, your method of heating the house, heating water, how often you are cooking from scratch, how often you have the washing machine on, electric cars, how many showers, what type of showers, energy heavy tech, there are all sorts of reasons why people are spending more that £3/day.

We were hitting £2.90 by midday back in February.

I feel for you Op. We're dreading August when our fixed rate ends. Our bills will rise by about 200%. We live in an energy-inefficient house and are pensioners. Since our pensions barely rose this year, and any increase is capped well below inflation, we'll be cashing in our savings to stay warm this winter. Nightmare.

Cancel your direct debit.

That would put you in control of when you pay and how much you pay.

Do it.

My advice go on the standard tariff.
On the first of June our dual fuel will increase 68% (always calculated switch services using KW so it will be accurate). If I take up their offer of 12 months fix rate it will mean an increase of 90%.....Their theory being it might go up loads more in October.... Told them I can't afford the 68% so no point in agreeing even more (Hope against logic that Johnson's gov / ofgen help or reduce the cap... yeah unlikely I know)
In the winter I wonder if I can diy a wood burning stove rewinding time 80 yrs)

my neighbours seem to be managing their electricity bill quite well as they still have there large 8 person hot tub running 24/7. they're not rich by any means. Surely it must be costing a fortune?

I’m on a prepayment meter, i pay £10-£15 a month for gas, and £20-30 for electric, may be less depending on weather etc, I pay less than my nan who lives in a 1 bedroom flat!

Not of they fixed last August.

Why not just join her and go on UC too? If everyone does it then the Government will have to change the system so that work pays. In the meantime, she is just doing what the Government allows her to do.

This might not be popular but the Energy company would be a long long way down my priority list if I were you OP. After food and petrol. I’d cancel the DD, pay as much as you can online and go from there.

what an absolute shit storm of misery this country is heading into

I don't think this is good advice tbh

OP is being quoted a high amount on a new fixed tariff and hasn't given info on how much she'd pay on the SVR

Do you know how much carers allowance is per week I’m pretty sure the government would rather pay £69.70 a week than change anything

yes in a lot of cases work is better - but for some like me it’s just no longer possible

I'm very confused as my electric and gas DD has just gone down this month to £130 from £180 - I know I fixed in September last year and fixed until nov 23 so expecting a massive hike then so going to set the difference aside in readiness either that or there is a problem with my meter?

It depends how much you are using. If the £180 means you had a credit balance then the monthly payment could be reduced to run the credit balance down again.

Do you give regular readings and have an up to date balance?

Bastard Gas took 2 direct debits from time this month so I’ve no idea how to afford that.

OP the immersion heater is ferociously expensive. Set a reminder on your phone to switch off the immersion heater. Keep reducing how long it's on and work out how long you need to have it on to heat your water just enough for bathing once a day. Just boil a kettle if you need hot water e.g. to do dishes, outside that time. Also look at the insulation of your tank, you can buy insulating jackets for them for about £25 that mean they hold the heat for longer.

Whatever you do don’t do ‘nothing’ and get put on the standard tariff as that will be pretty much the most expensive thing to do. Go on a price comparison site and compare tariffs and suppliers and pick a new one ASAP.