To think that very few people can manage £4200 energy bills

[Butterflyfluff]

news.sky.com/story/energy-bills-forecast-to-rise-even-higher-than-previously-thought-12668906

This simply isn’t manageable for the majority of people.

Where’s this going to end?

Not that they should have to at all, but surely the solution here is to move in together. Costs for 2 people living together are a lot less than 2 separate households

Your right I'm too old for that but there will be massive civil disorder this winter that is baked in - can't pay won't pay and if I was young and disenfranchised my anger would be off the scale. Plus the Tories have pissed off the coppers with their attack on pay, pension, and numbers as the Clash would say I predict a riot.

I have been writing down the prices every other day since April to figure out have much I need per month and it's around £10. I Had a smart meter fitted for electricity on the 25th of July and some days thats getting up to £4.50 a day its just ridiculous.

Sal

I've been involved in various movements and campaigns over the years. The problem is they're slow and take years to filter down into public consciousness (if at all). Most of my adult life has been trying to get people to pay attention to climate change and live in a more sustainable way but it's been falling on deaf ears up until a few years ago and even that's starting to be forgotten again as the public focus on more pressing (in their eyes) issues.

So no, I don't see grassroot movements as an answer to this problem. Violence is sometimes the only solution and I truly believe this government have reached French or Russian revolution levels of being out of touch and need to be dealt with as such. There should be no way back for the tories after this.

I am resigned to the fact that this time next year there's a good chance I'll be unable to afford to keep my home or commute to the job I love and have decided that if my life is to be ruined by tory scum then the very least I can do ois ruin a few tory politician's lives too.

It's ridiculous and infuriating the Government are not addressing it. I currently pay 3500 per year. That is watching my usage and using what gas and electricity I need. I do have a big house. However giving handouts is not the solution. The solution is to cap these greedy suppliers.

The energy crisis is a global issue - the government cannot change global prices, they are better off investing in improving gas storage, increasing nuclear capability and investing in renewables rather than providing a one-off shot in the arm to the population which does nothing to resolve the enduring supply issues. Unfortunately the government’s energy policy has always been reactive, rather than proactive (this is not just a Tory failing).

The media might like to portray suppliers as greedy robbers, but they aren’t. Energy companies make less than 2% on energy supply and that has to include: procurement, volume forecasting, hedging, regulatory compliance, transmission and distribution, balancing, customer interaction and systems development (list definitely not exhaustive). Nobody in their right mind would run an energy company !! No wonder so many ran off into the sunset (with customer cash) when prices started to rise.

It is true that energy trading and generation have done well, but over the last five years these businesses have had huge losses - nobody was asking to nationalise or bail them out then ! The tax burden on generation is enormous. It’s also worth noting that the profits from generators belongs to their shareholders and not the company itself. Investors include pension funds for example - its in everybody’s interests for energy companies to operate successfully.

Nationalising energy companies would be terrible for consumers - expensive and risky, it could cause prices to rise even further. The government have run Bulb for six months and didn’t bother hedging it at the outset (not even sure that they are now) - that’s cost consumers hundreds of millions of pounds given the subsequent price rises in 2022 (and there were certainly other options at the end of last year when they went under). Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, energy suppliers do want to help consumers and have funds to support vulnerable customers, do contact your supplier if you are genuinely struggling. Don’t just stop paying - you will destroy your credit score and still have to repay money owed.

You can be assured that the government is looking for enduring ’solutions’ to the crisis, but they were wholly unprepared (this isn’t a party political thing, the opposition would have been just as bad) and none of them are a short-term fix. In the meantime lowering consumption as much as possible is the only way to keep costs down.

I'm a single parent earning just under £27k, after mortgage, CT, car payment (live in a small town with no regular buses, without the car I couldn't work, its an 8 Yr old 1ltr small car,so as economical as possible), childcare (bfast club/ after school), food etc I don't have £4k spare, to heat the house the extra costs of food and fuel are already going on my credit card.

What are you planning to ruin a few politician’s lives?

I do pasta in the slow cooker

I have one which can be used on the hob too, so I brown off some mince, add the herbs / veg / passata etc for a Bolognese then transfer it to the slow cooker. Only need 5 mins on the hob that way, then around an hour before serving stir in the pasta - it’ll soak up the excess liquid so make sure there’s plenty to start with or it’ll end up dry.

The Tories couldn't care less. Truss is monumentally stupid. There'll be a general strike, power cuts and civil unrest. Look at France - fuel increases if 4%. But we are paying for the shareholders. Disgusting.

Riots are not putting more gas and oil in the ground. The Poll Tax fiasco is completely different to our present predicament.

We’ve started Xmas shopping already for the older relatives, heated throws. You can get Silentnight ones for around £40 at the moment, and they say they cost 1p a night to use.

I imagine when the weather gets colder they’ll start to sell out / the prices will go up.

I live in Ireland. There is no panic here like I am reading on this thread. Yes prices will go up, but I don't get the doomsday feeling from anyone I know. YET....

Our Government has very good social payments in comparison to the UK though, and will subsidise energy costs soon. Not sure what the figure is but I'm sure we will find out.

We are an optimistic people. We have many problems, health, public transport, huge immigration from Ukraine and elsewhere leading to a shortage of housing for those already here and students going back to college. That is one to watch, we are full now and have done our bit, but it's never enough. Anyway that's another thread.

Naturally I have many relatives in the UK. The UK has been so good to so many Irish people who were on the bones of their arse in the bad old days, and make no mistake we are grateful for it. It saved many a family from destitution.

I do hope things don't get worse for the UK. As it is, it looks very gloomy what with a Government that doesn't seem to care much, and a rather despondent population thinking and worrying about what is to come.

I hope we will all be OK. There is no way in 2022/23 that absolute poverty should be visited on anyone because of the inaction of those in charge. Wishing you all well.

My friend's mum was born in Ireland but brought her kids up here. On her 100th birthday she got a handwritten letter from the President with facts about her life and a cheque for $2200 euros I think. From the Queen, a mass-produced card was printed and that was all. We've been gaslit about English exceptionalism for decades. Brexit was the last hurrah.

Daylight robbery. Predicted £350 a month. Who tf can afford that?

That is. Do you live by yourself? It sounded like it. May be older white goods. Oven eats a lot sometimes especially older ones can.
You know, getting rid of gas and moving onto electric heating would most likely end up more expensive. The standing charge should be under 30p a day so you have big usage somewhere (if you live alone). Is your boiler if you have gas one warming up often? Boiler guy told me older ones do it (because mine is nearing the departure)

I’m very lucky in that we should be able to absorb the cost by cutting back on other things- basically treats and leisure. Currently go to the cinema once a month, odd takeaway and meal out each month, theatre a couple of times a year. That will all have to stop now. I know how fortunate I am compared to others yet still feel a bit pissed off and depressed at the thought of no treats or luxuries. Just working working working to pay bills, put food on the table and exist.

The fallout of failing businesses through less income and increased costs is what scares me. It’s just a downward spiral of people losing jobs, spending less, more businesses failing, more people losing jobs. Absolute shitshow on the horizon.

I'm so happy that atm the moment this doesn't really affect us. We overpaid last year and fixed last April on a good deal. We still ,£300 in credit paying £67 a month and using about £50. My partner is a pensioner so will get the £400 winter fuel allowance. So with the £400 rebate we will be fine.
However 10 years ago l was a single mum on benifits on a pre payment meter. I couldn't afford gas and electric then I the winter. we had many days without power. l dread to think how people in that situation will cope.

I am in 3 bed semi detached with husband and 3 kids. It's a council house so get boiler serviced yearly but it's been in here as long as I have lived here that's 15 years. I have got a lot of older kitchen appliances getting rid of an old freezer soon and the house gets alot of mold so they fitted this vent in attic which blows out cold air constantly. I went in attic over Christmas and set it to a 2 bedroom house to see if it made it any warmer up stairs but it hasn't. I am hoping when kids go bad to school the electricity goes down if they aren't here as much.

Sal

I'm not getting it in real life either. Just on mumsnet. However that's because my friends and family aren't in poverty, so will likely be doing what I'm doing - cutting subscriptions, taking packed lunches and coffee in travel mugs, having cheaper days out, cutting out take aways.

I can't afford the price rises. End of. I can't cut back on anything and there's no more money to be found.

I'll pay what I can afford and will deal with the consequences. I can't give them what I don't have

Leaving aside the fact that someone in government needs to sort all this shit out ASAP(but won’t)are there plans for ‘warming centres’ this winter, where people can go to keep warm during the day? Or is there any talk of the government opening British Restaurants, like during the war, where for a small amount you could get a good, hot nutritious meal? What about subsidised laundry facilities (at least for drying laundry, if not washing) to stop adding to the damp and mildew in unheated homes? It seems to me measures need to be in place to deal with the fact that many, many people are going to be horribly cold and not be able to afford to cook their own meals and wash and dry their clothes. Obviously the government needs to address the root of the problem, but in the meantime also needs to put (relatively inexpensive) things in place to help those who need it.

Apologies if I have missed discussion about this.

You do understand that this isn’t something caused by the government? It’s a global issue affecting many countries throughout Europe. The only thing we can blame the government for is how they deal with it. Tbh, there aren’t many short term options, whether Labour, Tory or any other government, other than to hand out money until the situation resolvesitself in months/years to come.

This would be far too sensible! So of course they won't do it.

If anything, places that people would normally go to stay warm, like local libraries and museums, will have to cut their opening hours.