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?

I honestly can't tell if they are completely out of touch with the normal British way of life or competing with each other to make the most patronising "helpful" suggestion.

It’s hard to know, isn’t it. I wonder as they have got away with saying austerity beginning in 2011 was sound financial stewardship of the national economy (it probably slowed growth and has caused a lot of misery) and then people like Johnson told so many porkies about the effects of Brexit they think they can continue to hoodwink the electorate that they care about the majority and not just the rich. Or - they are just trolling us...

Reading an article today that the government have employed more than a dozen energy industry insiders into senior Whitehall positions that make decisions about energy prices raising questions over its refusal to crack down on energy companies’ soaring profits.

For example - ‘Among those given key roles in energy policy are a former British Gas director who is now responsible for setting the energy price cap at Ofgem, the UK’s energy regulator, and a non-executive director at the business department who remains a board chairman at energy giant BP.’

www.opendemocracy.net/en/ofgem-energy-price-cap-revolving-door-bills-government-oil-bp/

Most people are in the ‘Pay for what I use brigade’ because they know that they’re not going to have the heating on over winter so don’t need to pay more now to cover the extra.

We've been paying 120 a month. 4 bed house. I really can't see how we can reduce it much more.

But your average 3 bed semi, if you don’t have the heating and electricity on 24/7 then while your bills are going to increase, and people are going to struggle, they’re unlikely to reach those levels.

You just don't get it do you? Everyone's bill on the standard variable rate is going to rise by the same percentage. So those that have always been mindful and do everything they can to cut cost throughout the year are still going to see their monthly rise quadruple.

You just don't get it do you? Everyone's bill on the standard variable rate is going to rise by the same percentage. So those that have always been mindful and do everything they can to cut cost throughout the year are still going to see their monthly rise quadruple. you’re wrong. It might quadruple.

If you are already cutting your energy consumption as far as you can then you are going to have more issues. But if you’re not already doing so, then absolutely your current DD does not have to quadruple based on last year’s usage, and it is absolutely possible to bring down your energy bills.

When you get your bill soon it will show how much you are in credit, and given this is summer you are almost certainly in credit. And that bill will point out how much energy you have consumed. You absolutely don’t have to accept a monthly direct debit which is 4 times what you’re currently paying, you can have a variable direct debit, some people will take more risk and stick with what they’re currently paying but that’s a dangerous risk.

But the truth is that the people who are catastrophising over this are the ones who are already using excessive energy. Just look at the threads where people already say they’re paying 4/£500 a month on gas/electricity. There’s no way they can’t cut that usage, so even if their bill does go up if the usage is down then the existing bill doesn’t have to quadruple.

That’s not to say that energy prices aren’t going to rise and that people aren’t going to struggle, but right now nobody knows exactly what their energy cost is going to be, the media are loving saying that “average energy bills could reach £7000.” It’s all speculation with the emphasis on could.

Regardless of whether the average heating bill could rise to £7000 by 2023, the fact is for those who did not get onto a fixed tariff by early autumn 2021 the tariff unit rate has massively increased, even if it doesn’t reach £7000 . I am v thankful I am on a fixed rate for another year but my unit rate for electricity for example is 19.56 p per kWh whilst the new ofcom cap from Oct 1 is 53p kWh. My gas is 4.6 p per kWh ofcom cap 0.15 p per kWh. I am careful with my heating so if those are the rates next year and many experts are predicting them to raise even further (their predictions this year were still underestimated in June) then my energy bills undoubtedly are going to raise significantly. And unless govt step in in the coming weeks small businesses, schools, hospitals are going to massively struggle. Recession is all but inevitable.

i do think the govt will introduce some further support once the new PM is elected but I am not feeling v confident it will be sufficient or targeted well. To me, the most obvious thing to do is tax the energy producers that are making unbelievable profits but so far Truss or Sunak have not indicated they will do this if they win. They support the energy producers not the electorate.

And to add to my comment above, those on low incomes are going to be hit the hardest and will hugely struggle. To add to foodbanks we are now going to have warm banks for people to go to get some warmth in winter.

The OP is just bizarre. Wearing warm clothes in the winter isn't some new trend!

Ultimately people are better focusing on what they can control. Most of us can cut back to some extent. There are plenty of mumsetters who keep their heating at 20+ degrees and have it on over night.

Obviously winter proofing your house won't solve the issue nor will it make your bills affordable but waiting for a bailout seems like a worse option to me.

Gary Stephenson is a millionaire former trader who does helpful videos explaining how our economic system is set up to favour the v rich over the majority. Having worked as a trader he understands how our financial system operates and breaks down the issues clearly. It’s worth listening to this short interview he gave today on Times Radio.

twitter.com/timesradio/status/1565303570139955200?s=21&t=JjlbpNyBN5TdGX93WxpQ7g

Yes, that sounds like government. Refuse to actually do anything to fix the problem, but suggest ‘the people’ do something most normal people already do because it’s a blindingly obvious course of action. Are they back from holiday yet?

I hate the cold. I’m dreading it. In April and May it was 17°C in my house with some heating and I was freezing (yes, I did in fact have two jumpers on. And a scarf, gloves and a blanket. And I was still freezing). It was ok when I was blasting through the hoovering, out with the dogs or in bed, but sitting around was awful. Eight months of it sounds soul destroying.

I'm paying £400 a month and the only way I can cut down is to leave my disabled husband without the aids he uses and with the house not warm enough to keep his pain bearable and ban him from lying in a warm bath again to easy his pain.

I don't think I can cope with his cries of pain if these things are taken away. God knows what he will feel about it.

I don’t think it’s the fixed tariff, I think it’s the ‘price cap’ that confuses people. It really does sound like there’s a limit on what you can be charged.

Someone yesterday was saying ‘what cost of living crisis?!’ As places seemed to be busy. Maybe that’s why people on bothered, as most people are now on the price cap.

@RancidOldHag - my concern is that it's the older generation who will eagerly return to the ways of yore and die of hypothermia in their thousands.

Normal inside winter clothing is jeans, jumper, warm socks. I don't want to have to take my jumper off when I've already removed my coat in a shop or restaurant either! I know energy bills will be so high for businesses that setting the thermostat a few degrees cooler won't necessarily save them from going under, but it could help.

I know it's not all you can heat of course, but it does make sense if one household is on a fix cheaper than the variable rate, to do Christmas at their house.

Just a reminder for those on variable to put in energy readings at the end of September and December (after all the Christmas usage especially!) so you don't overpay when rates go up.

I think there are a lot of 'way to save on your energy bill' type links.
So you click on and it's :
Ware a jumper - I do.
Don't use the dish washer - i am the dish washer.

I was brought up more a less by grandma (both parents worked) and she'd been through 2 world wars - rationing / blackouts.

I've always been energy conscious no matter my income (waste not want not)

But cutting out tumbling is about it - only had on in the last few years anyway - saving about 5 units a week - so last year £50 a year - currently- £130

Not sure it's worth it ti have damp clothes hanging around during the winter.
Actually would cost even that as Summer they can go on the line.

The heating is the biggest thing.

The OP is just bizarre. Wearing warm clothes in the winter isn't some new trend!

People here really, really don’t get sarcasm do they?!

OP’s point was that it ISN’T a new idea to wear warm clothes in winter, so acting like it’s going to save people loads of money if they start doing it is nonsense.

Meanwhile in Big Energy world

www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-30/uk-predicts-up-to-170-billion-excess-profits-for-energy-firms#xj4y7vzkg

remember a billion is 1,000,000,000 (one thousand million). Boomtime.

How many years does it take to physically count to a billion? 14?

Heating isn’t the issue. Gas is way cheaper than electric. The problem is electric - tv, kettle, toaster, oven, washer, lights, computer, music speakers, smart devices, etc. The only one I can really cut down on using is the oven. And as pp have said, even if you use 0 you’ll still pay a fortune in standing charges, so there’s a limit to how much you can save.

But these proposed prices of 7 or 9k a year for energy are so ridiculous. Lots of people know they can’t afford it so choose to ignore it. I mean be realistic, how many people would honestly be able to afford 7 grand a year on energy?
I don’t know anyone that could afford 7 k a year on energy, including me.

I know the government are shite, but they can’t be that stupid to believe that most of the population could afford these rates..

Actually lots of these are not the problem as they use very little. Yes, it counts together, but not as much as many people think. I have most of the above, permanently on, well except the washer and oven of course, and I use approx 4kwh a day. Tbh I rarely use oven I think that makes massive difference

If you have gas heating then electric will be pretty stable through the year, maybe more oven use in winter, more lighting is pennies. Gas is much more variable and the cause of the huge difference between summer and winter bills.

Nope, I can't bear it if the air is cold and no matter how many layers I wear it's not going to warm up the air! I don't wear jumpers, I can't bear wool, so winter wear is usually a long sleeved t shirt and a hoodie. Unfortunately no matter what we do our flat is cold.

remember a billion is 1,000,000,000 (one thousand million)

It was 1,000,000,000,000 (one million million) when I was at school.

Granted, that was a while ago.