To go back to being terrified about energy bills from April.

[Thisismynamenow]

So Jeremy Hunt seems to have scrapped scaled back the energy scheme as of April, and moved to a targeted approach from them.

We are always over the threshold for means tested support but finances are always tight, so sounds like our prices will increase dramatically in April for energy again. Just in time for our nursery fees of well over £1000 per month to start.

I'm back to be terrified of how to afford it. We cut back as much as possible and don't plan on having the heating on until absolutely necessary, so can't cut anymore usage (we're below the average usage figures).

This government is absolutely useless and utterly destructive.

I am sorry OP. It is worrying. All I can say is that things are changing so quickly the

Realistic a large percentage of the population will have to scale back spending in other places such as for Christmas on the high streets and eating out/takeaways. The impact of this will be that shops will make less money and some business will not make it through and will go under resulting in job losses and a loss of tax all so that massive companies continue to make massive profits.

I've tried really hard to cut back, done well with the gas but it is hard to do anything with the electricity. DH is disabled so we have electric bed/chairs and Alexa's everywhere so he can control lights/tv/radio etc. Stopping all his aids will severely affect his independence. Also lots of washing, I haven't been using the tumbledryer but I'm sure I will need to as the weather gets worse.

I've got a fixed price deal that runs out in April so will be a massive jump.

In April you will be using much less? And if your nursery fees are going up coz mat leave is at an end then you will be out the house more? Could you try looking for a better paid job by then? It's very tricky but try not to panic. Also check out the tax free childcare if you haven't already.

I thought the scheme was only ever for this winter anyway?

You don't know that that isn't the plan. They've just said they need it to be more targeted. Means tested is expensive, and he said plans will be based on encouraging energy efficiency.

It was for 2 years for domestic customers

@Mamamia7962 Prey tell how I'm meant to reduce that? Quit my job so I can't afford my mortgage? Perhaps give my child to a unlicensed/registered childminder who will do who knows what with him? I mean he's 11 months old when I go back to work he can fend for himself right?

I would assume Hunt will not even be in government by April so I would not worry yet...

I'd be interested to know who you think "doesn't really need help" though. There are lots of people who are struggling with bills and the rising cost of living who have what used to be "decent" wages and do not live in mansions. What we are seeing is the collapse of "middle class" incomes now. No, they aren't going to be living in poverty, but they were never living a life of luxury either. "Living to earn and earning to live" with no spare capacity for leisure and extras is no life at all.

All this is is a massage of the "same old" - yes, those living in poverty need help and support, but the people paying for that support will be other workers. Meanwhile the companies will continue to post obscene profits; and the Tories and their backers will continue to rob us blind whilst they and their friends actually are living in mansions.

Oh well that's shit they are scaling it down then. Maybe they'll bring it back next winter?

Would condensing your hours be an option? Or working 9/10 days? And is the £1000 after you've taken into account the tax free childcare?

I work from home so come April I will be using more energy as I'll have my laptop, printer, monitor, phone and other devices on.

I've not long had a big job move where my salary increased by like 30%, I've got a few qualifications and experience years needed before I can move up again.

My husbands just moved careers so at the bottom for s year or two until he has the experience to move upwards.

Already cut most of my luxuries (bar Netflix and amazon prime so £15 per month). I just started ceramics prior to the energy crisis, but can no longer afford to run the kiln as it costs so much to fire. So I've also cut my hobbies too.

It's going to be a super squeeze, I agree its fair to taper support to most needed, but with everything else going up, our once significant cushion of income (even excluding the childcare) has vanished within a year really. The taper must be significantly higher than it realistically will.

Already asked to condense my work hours waiting on a response. I think if I condense to 4 days and use the tax free childcare it reduces to £800, which doesn't include any inflation increases on the nursery fees, so depending on what they increase by in April (they go up every year) it could go back close to the £1000 mark.

A lot of the local childminders aren't taking on new children.

It does need to be a different approach. We are on a fixed rate til 2024 (more luck than judgement) we are c£400 in credit currently and pay £130 a month direct debit (4 bed detached, house is c10 years old). We should not be getting the rebate.

It would be better off that more money goes to the people who are really in poverty than goes to people to heat their mansions.

I know lots of "poor" older people in large houses.

I'm going to try to condense to 4 days, hopefully work say yes.

We actually remortgaged into a 5 year fix, a week after the energy scheme. We took the opinion energy fees would be stable for 2 years therefore we could afford to not need to extend the mortgage term as within 2 years we expected my husbands job to pay a bit better to afford the increases after the scheme ended. I think it costs £5-6k to come out the fix now.

Going back wouldn't make any difference as I'm only on stat pay for 2 months, I go back technically in January but have enough annual leave to cover until April being off. The plan was to use the 'spare'money earmarked for nursery between January and April to pay off my credit card (big vet bill).

I'm just so frustrated with the government that they can change it despite being a lifeline for so many. We're fortunate, we only have 1 child and a lowish mortgage, I dread to think of how this may impact others.

Well, I agree with your first paragraph. Everyone is going to get a lot poorer. People have a choice, they can vote for themselves (and it's currently not clear whether a vote for yourself is voting Labour or Tory) or they can vote to help out society. We'll see which they choose. But whichever way they go, they are going to end up poorer.

Re the second paragraph, yes the workers always pay for the non workers. Because the non workers generally don't have any money. If you are interested in taxing rich Tories the major way would be to shift taxation (or at least make it equivalent) so that unearned income and assets are taxed in the same way as earned income. I'd vote for a party gutsy enough to implement that, as it would be a complete change in taxation policy. You'd heard the howls from London right across the country though.

Trying to tax corporates more is pointless because they are as slippery as hell and employ armies of tax accountants to minimise their liabilites. It has never worked in the past and it's not going to work in the future, especially in a globalised environment. Corporates will just move to the lowest tax regime.

I am seriously coming around to the idea of stealing.

Cheaper childcare is a false economy. A childminder isn't as reliable as nursery and a childminder isn't open 51 weeks a year.

'Poor' older people in larger houses have options that are not available to low to medium income working families renting or paying large mortgages on small to medium sized homes.

Such as downsizing or equity release if they want to remain in their homes.

We should not be using tax payers money to keep asset rich pensioners in homes they paid a pittance for but can no longer afford to heat.

Our nursery fees work out at £250 a month per day (for every week that month). So full time would be £1250 a month. That's not even the most expensive local nursery.

I think they will end up having the keep the cap for two years as originally planned.

Sure, target help in terms of the £66 payment where it is needed, but hardly anyone can afford the rises that were originally planned for next April.

God, I fucking HATE this government. They give you a little security then whisk it away again.

Cheaper gas and electric up to a certain number of units, and then much higher costs for the rest is fair. It means everyone can heat to a basic standard.

Such as downsizing or equity release if they want to remain in their homes

Doesn't work if the housing market tanks though, does it?