Energy price cap increase-Practical ways to prepare

[Lex345]

It looks likely the price cap will rise an additional £800 in October. Are you doing anything to prepare? We have stocked up on blankets and also have a couple of electric blankets, I am going to see how much these cost vs central heating. We have hot water bottles etc.

I want to get a heated clothes dryer but not sure how efficient these are. I won't be able to make any major appliance purchases, but already have a slow cooker so I might switch to using that more than the oven.

Be interested to get other ideas.

I wouldn't use just electric blankets etc and never switch the heating on. Your pipes may be next to break and unless you rent, that's an additional expense (although if you rent you still have to replace possessions that get ruined by the water damage).

Heated clothes dryers I think are bad efficiency wise but could be wrong. Using slow cooker over oven will help. Less baths too will help. Switch things off if you aren't using it.

I have a heated clothes drier and it is good, supposedly 4p an hour? No smart meter so I'm not sure, but it feels better than putting the heating on.

I have thermal underwear ready, and will have to find out how to insulate my windows and doors before next winter. We rent, so it has to be something I can do on the cheap.

I will say btw, that I think all these tiny things will make little difference to our bills. The standing charges are already high before we've used anything.

It is good to pick up tips though OP.

We've been putting odd bits of spare cash into an energy savings account so when the bigger build hit we've got a cushion

No because it’s the standing charge which is making the bills so large, not my usage.

I’d rather use the central heating a cold house is more likely to have other issues. Better to keep the chill off everywhere than to save a few pence.

we got a good stock on thermal curtains while on offer so all the bedrooms have them, also have other thick curtains so can always double layer it. Got a good stash of blankets need a couple more hot water bottles. Microfibre towels as they dry so much faster. We got rid of the tumble dryer and use the line or airer now. I have considered putting the airier up in the greenhouse in winter as it’s dry and warmer than just outside and won’t make the house damp or take up inside space.

Others are right though it’s ridiculous how much you pay just to be connected. Even if you used zero electricity you would be billed and if you ask to have the meter and thus mains gas/electric removed they charge you for that too.

Some good tips here thank you! I appreciate the standing charge is part of the issue, but prices per kwh have also increased. We rarely topped £5 per day in winter (smart meter). Now in summer, regularly £6, even £6.50. Thats with no heating on. Realistically, there will be days when we have to put the heating on, but will be looking to reduce how often this is.

I don't think they'll adjust the standing charge wildly this time, will they? I expect the increase will be seen in the cost per unit.

I’ll be moving out of my rented Victorian house with high ceilings and ill fitting single glazed windows. No matter how much heat I pump into this place it’s still freezing. Hopefully find cosy modern house.

I mean the standing charge is the running/maintenance charges and the pleasure of covering the arses of useless energy companies that went to the wall, there hasn't been much more of that in the last few months, at least.

I was watching something the other day about how much things plugged in cost even if not used. Microwave, phone charger, laptop cable. And was highly surprised to see a laptop charger plugged into the socket but not the laptop uses £60 a year! Was not expecting that from a charger not charging anything. I'm really guilty for leaving things like that plugged in when I'm using the laptop, will have to remember to switch off.

I’m really miserly with electricity and fuel however you should ensure the house never freezes as that will damage plumbing. The frost stat needs to be accurately set to come on in really cold weather.
I tried a heated clothes airer and it was rubbish but I suspect you could probably find one easily second hand in summer when most people don’t want one!
spinning the washing on a high spin is very effective. Last year I found I only have to dry washing inside nov - feb
decent curtains I think are really important. Curtain tracks rather than piles.
draught excluders under doors

I always wonder about those quotes. I’ve worked out if I was to run the childrens pool with filter 24/7 for a year that would only be £58.40 worth on electric based on current pricing. That’s filtering over 8,000 litres of water over 4x times a day to ensure its clean and useable.

Just checked my iPhone charger again if plugged in and in use 24/7 365 that’s only £47.45 a year and that is being used.

Unfortunately, I think the reality is that unless you're a terrible spendthrift, there's little you can do to combat increases in utility and food costs (for example), but the change you can make to improve the situation is to earn more. I expect we will begin to see more people working second jobs...

It was obvious that this was going to happen so I fixed my energy prices in April. Told my parents to do the same but they didn't listen. They are on standard variable rate and will feel it this winter 🤦‍♀️

My cats are going to have to learn how to use the cat flap over winter because there is no way we could leave a window or door open for them.

Don't eat.
Don't have a warm Bath.
Don't have a warm shower.
Disconnect your radiators.
Huddle in a corner.
Job done.

Bet your bills are still triple the amount they were last year.

Makes you want to cry.

It is scary, but I am trying to make the best of it that I can by making little changes that might not massively decrease the bill but might just about keep us afloat. If I can keep the bill to less than £300/month, it will be a struggle but can possibly manage.

I think I will get a heated clothes airer. We are going to put up a back curtain as insulation too and a curtain inside the front door.

Your largest usage will be for heating and cooking.

Heating.
Do you have a gas combi boiler? If so, watch this video and look at turning down the flow temp on your boiler (which is NOT the same as turning down your thermostat)

Electric immersion heater
Commit to showering at the same time every day and put it on timer. Experiment to work out how long it actually takes to heat up by reducing the amount of time.

Insulate your hot water cylinder if you have one and hot water pipes. Cylinder "jackets" are not expensive.

Windows and doors - seal gaps with the stick on foam strips and weatherguard seals. Front door often overlooked. Draughts make you cold - hunt them down and fill them.

Insulate the loft if you have one - can be easy to do yourself in many cases. Grants available from many councils.

Lined thick curtains over windows and the front and back door.

Good slippers - if your feet are cold the rest of you will feel cold. Sheepskin/fleece lined slippers with a solid sole are vital. Thermal snug fitting base layers will help keep you warm by trapping heat in more than a baggy but heavy jumper.

Cooking
Your oven is likely not very efficient so batch cook when you put it on by filling it with stuff - you can then reheat in microwave or briefly on hob.
Slow cookers work well and efficiently if you like stews/daals/curries type dishes.
If you are a small household, an air fryer will likely be more efficient than using the oven (unless you are batch cooking in it).

Place marking for tips.

We live in a private victorian rental too-its constantly cold - the windows aren't flush to the wall so it just oozes out warmth.I'll be looking into thermal lined curtains.

We have 3 dc - in the winter the windows are often frosted over inside. I'm thinking of moving all the beds into one room - keeps everyone nice and toasty. And just heating the rooms we use.

Currently in the winter we use a clothes horse and a big fitted sheet draped over the radiator and tucked tightly around the clothes horse - it works really well for us.

A windfall tax is needed on BP, Shell etc to help alleviate our energy rates. I agree that we should be using our cars less, but it's ridiculous that we're paying 2x - 3x on our energy rates and have nothing to show for it. Also, have anyone noticed that Greta T has been quiet lately?
It's because she's getting what she wanted. She's the bigger issue. The war in Ukraine is more of a straw man argument.

I used to put a hot water bottle under a blanket on the sofa, do some housework, then make a cup of tea when I got cold and sit under the blanket with the hot water bottle on me.