My energy bill will still quadruple even if I put a jumper on?

[verdantverdure]

AIBU to think that even if I participate in this weird new “wear warm clothes in wintertime” trend, shut doors, buy draught excluders, buy Oodies, buy thermal curtains, and buy a £300 air fryer my energy bill will still quadruple.

Especially as most people wete already doing all or some of that.

Nothing short of turning the heating off is going to make much difference is it?

(Although of course I'm trying.)

After all, the money saving expert himself, Martin Lewis, says this isn’t something individuals can fix on their own , and it would be pretty arrogant to think I know better than him.

The "Put a jumper on" advice doesn't help British businesses at all does it?

What do you think?

My tips to save energy are>

1. Any time I make a cuppa when having a microwave meal, I make it with cold water and put my cup in with my meal.
2. Any time I plan to have beans on toast or such like I don't make toast I simply have beans etc on Bread & Butter.
3. The only place you really need you heating on is where you spend most of your time i/e the lounge, in all other rooms the heating should be on frost setting.
4. Check your boiler and make sure the hot water is on the minimum setting, how many times have you had a shower or bath and added cold water to cool it down, no need to have the water higher that 20c.
5. shower or bath no more than once a week.
6. I my conservatory we have 6 wall lights, I have taken out 4 of the bulbs.
7. We have 5 TVs, but when not in use I don't leave them on standby but pull the plug out of the socket. this includes any computers you have powered from a socket. as in my case with my tower computer
8. Washing crockery, try using cold water and washing up liquid, it works, you will be surprised.
9. Food, recycle leftovers don't waste them its amazing what lovely curries you can make.

And many more tips .Keep saving Signed by Scrooge

In real terms, you are STILL looking at increases of thousands of pounds a year. I have done it already. All the hacks, all the small changes. And I still need to earn another 3k this year to cover it

Personally - I am not

We use about 1400 KWH of electricity and 7000 KWH of gas.

I think I can get that down to about 1000 KWH of electricity and 5000 KWH of gas

Which is about £400 a year extra - as we are low energy users. But we can go lower. That does not take into account January 23 price cap. Who knows what that will be?

That's freeholder's responsibility. Leasholders have to negotiate with them. Or if it's share of freehold, with each other.
It's possible since it works elsewhere.

Yes, grants could absolutely be better

Any time I make a cuppa when having a microwave meal, I make it with cold water and put my cup in with my meal.
Doesn't save energy, what the microwave uses depends on what's in there to heat, it's not like an oven.

The maths is beyond me, but I think the situation is that energy bills are unmanageable fit some people already after the October 2021 and April 2022 rises. They will become unmanageable for quite a lot more people after October's rise, more still after January's, more still after April's and so on.

I don't think the price cap can almost quintuple from last year's £1100 to January's predicted £5387 without even quite moderate user having to pay thousands a year for energy.

For example, someone paying £100 a month £1200 a year now after the first two prices rises is looking at £273 a month after the next two.

• If you think about it - and look at the ACTUAL cost per KWH, then gas has already gone up from 4p to 15 p per KWH - so that has almost quadrupled.

But electricity has gone up by just over double.

It's much more helpful to look at the actual cost of energy instead of the price cap.*

But then you need to multiply the cost by the next price rise and the one after that to get an idea of what your bill will look soon, like don't you? And when I do that, it looks a lot like the calculators suggest it's going to look.

The maths is beyond me, but I think the situation is that energy bills are unmanageable fit some people already after the October 2021 and April 2022 rises. They will become unmanageable for quite a lot more people after October's rise, more still after January's, more still after April's and so on

I agree that for some people, the October 21 increase was massive - and April 22 was even worse. The October 22 and Jan 23 - well, it's going to be a shock - especially if you compare the cost of gas in Jan 22 to the cost of gas in Jan 23

My power company collapsed last year - so I joined the 'price cap' in October 21.

Luckily - we are low users and I am good at modelling on a spreadsheet.

But it's a massive issue for people and for businesses - and it is worrying

What about rented houses? They are probably some of the worst for poor insulation. I think new energy standards are coming in which would hoped help but if the government spent money making sure all homes were insulated it would also cut usage which will help avoid blackouts this winter.

With Russia closing nordstream 1 I think it is quite possible there will be energy rationing and blackouts this winter. That will help keep everyone’s bills down. 😫

But then you need to multiply the cost by the next price rise and the one after that to get an idea of what your bill will look soon, like don't you? And when I do that, it looks a lot like the calculators suggest it's going to look

Not necessarily - you need to know how much energy of each type you use and WHEN you use it - as electricity is generally constant (ish) through the year but gas varies (although for other users, this may be different)

So I know that my gas use is higher in the winter months - and low in summer, so I have each month for the next 2 years on a spreadsheet with the variables as the unit cost per KWH.

I have modelled various reductions in gas and electricity use to see the impact on me.

The price cap isn't very helpful - you need to know what you use and how / when you use it

That's the responsibility of the owner and government should apply minimal standards.
Government should, however, not fully pay for insulation on private properties. It's owners responsibility.

I bought an air fry a few years ago but never really used it until this summer when I couldn’t face putting the oven on. What a game changer. I have one of the original Phillips ones that suits 2/3 people. I haven't put my oven on all summer just cooked chicken bits or even a whole small chicken with salads. We’ll be using it move this winter with my slow cooker to minimise energy usage. I’ve even baked a cheesecake and chocolate pudding in it.

We track ours because we've been on an eco mission to reduce our usage the last couple of years, That's why I'm worried.

Yes us too.

This is much worse

Ours is almost at those figures, 1100 electric, 5100 gas. Electric of 1000 would be the minimum we could hope you get down to without, perhaps, a new energy efficient fridge/freezer. We could do the washing on cold instead of 30, not sure what that would save with only two washes a week. Gas, we'd have to look at the minimum to protect the house as we already moved to 16 for three hours a day in January and February.

This planned blackout idea I keep reading about has me googling the three day week and the winter of discontent. I can't believe we are going back to such times.

@JS87 new energy standards are coming in for rented homes. From next year they need to be in band c or above.

I haven't looked into them enough except to realise that we would need a big one. Can you cook shepherds pie or lasagne type things in them?

Striking is different to blocking roads and public highways. For a start there has to be a legal process for a trade union to strike. It’s balloted for by union members who pay money to be in that union. The notice has to be given for workers to with draw their labour.

This is totally different to the likes of insulate Britain, who blocked ambulances on the M25. They don’t follow the law do they ?

Withdrawing your labour cannot be compared to the antics that extremist groups go to.

Given that those are almost exactly the starting numbers I used for my calculations, I’d say you are. I’d love to be wrong, though.

My estimated costs in 2022 is £1024
In 2023, it's £1624

You need to look at WHEN the energy is used - as the gas usage is at most in the winter months.

Gas costs - Jan 22 - £70
Gas costs - Jan 23 (with a 25% reduction in use) - £182 (that's without the Jan 23 estimate in - so am using the Oct 22 rate)

You have mixed up your gas and electricity on your spreadsheet,

I think that will make a difference to you.

A big difference

im confused is the air fryer 300 or youre energy bill if its an air fryer forget it at that price to save money on energy bills i only wash a full load dry outside weather permitting turn all electricals off apart from fridge freezer or anything else you need 24 hour electric theirs only me hubby and dog if im on my own i either have pc on or telly not both dog sits with me so no need for tv or pc to be on a same time and i walk a lot so hardly in

You will still have to pay the standing charge per day even if you do not use any energy.
Something should be done about that.
I was with Avro since 2018. At no time did they increase the monthly payment. When Octopus took over, they did not increase it until May, then it went up from £111 to £318. They said it should have been increased long ago as I used more than they thought. I told them that I can cut down in some ways, but I have to keep my wheelchair on charge as the batteries are so expensive to replace.

Can they charge for energy used 4/3/2/1 year ago when they could have put it up. The CAB is investigating that. If they can treble a monthly payment before it rises, what more? I live alone. At that rate in 10 months they will have £3,180 from me and they still say I owe them and Avro a debit balance of £1,000 when the last time I had access to my Avro account I was £500 in credit. At no time between May 2018 and last year did I ever have a debit balance.

Did you know that there is a government scheme called ECO4 which replaces the ECO3 scheme last year where you can have new night storage heaters installed completely free of charge if you have one of the benefits listed in the online info?