To have buried my head re energy costs?

[itsthesound]

So obviously I've seen the news articles floating around, but tried to ignore what was happening re energy costs.
We currently pay £200 per month for gas and electricity combined.
My provider emailed today to say our fixed term is coming to an end.
If I want another 12 months fixed then it's £409 a month.
I've checked other suppliers and they range from £450-£600 per month on a 12 month fixed deal.
If I stay on variable then it's £210 per month.
How are we actually going to cope?
Are people sticking with variable and hoping for the best? Or going with a fixed term for a horrendous amount per month?
How can they double the cost of something overnight?

If I was offered that fix, I’d snap their hands off!! We we are laying £200 a month currently and the fix we’ve been offered is £762 a month!!! I’d kill for £400!

I was faced with this very issue a few months back.
I am still on the variable.
I do not know what to do, but I cannot possibly give them £400 per month. I do need a good part of that money, so here we are.
We are getting the £400 from the goverment in installments of £66 per month, but I wonder if that would be anywhere close enough to what we need.

Look at the rates, not the £ amount. The latter will be different for everyone depending on usage and is not fixed.

MoneySavingExpert have a 'Should I Fix' calculator that you can plug the details into.

Sadly it doesn't seem.its going to get better anytime soon.
look at your daily usage now, turn off what you can , reduce main oven usage, use the slow cooker and airfryer, air dry and put on a sweater.

Being a child.of the 70s we had no central heating, frost on the inside of the windows in January. It wasn't fun but we managed. I understand we shouldn't have to these days but everything is gone bang again! just like it did then and just as it did when Mrs thatcher rocked up in the 80s.
My bills gone from 155 to 300 and that so I'm told won't cover it.

OP
join energy and support advice uk on Facebook
it’s a brilliant group with very knowledgeable people on there who can work out pretty much what it will cost you

@itsthesound
its not guaranteed to be £400 a month
That’s just what they are estimating it to be if you use that amount of KW

if you use more you pay more
so if they have estimated that you will use 4000
but you use 6000 overall then you will have to pay for the extra 2000kw that you have used

Really you want to work out what you use each day and then you can work out what it will cost you at the higher rate

I can't work out why people are still talking about their direct debit amount being fixed! It's not, it's the unit rate. Please, please read your bills and see what you're currently on and what they are offering. If you don't fix the unit price could go up above the fixed rate and you'll owe them the money whether you pay the DD amount or not. Even if you don't fix they will still increase your DD amount!!
please read money saving expert, it's the best advice we've got.

Excellent post @BarbaraofSeville .