How the fuck am I meant to afford this? Electric bill this month

[LadyFlumpalot]

My electric bill is £643 this month. SIX HUNDRED FUCKING QUID.

It's correct, I've checked and double checked. It was £400 last month. In the summer it was approx £180 a month.

I'm in a three story attached town house thing, fully electric. Two adults, two children. One fish tank. Usual tumble dryer, appliances etc.

I've got a balance built up of £450 so with my usual monthly payment I will just about break even this month. Next month will be a challenge though 🥶

And it's only going to get worse.

Not really looking for advise - just sympathy and solidarity. We are about to go full fucking Victorian. There will be no tumble dryer, no dishwasher, no charging appliances at home during the day.

This is how I feel too.
We kept the heating off for longer and the house got damp with all the rain this year- and it took ages to dry out when we did start using heating properly again.

Yes I will do that - and I did just before the last rises as advised by good old Martin Lewis.
We've gone from 140 for gas and electric a month for a bog standard 1970s semi to 250 plus the 67 from govt. Its a bloody scandal tbh.

No DD plan exists where if you go into credit, then you never go into debit. I stand by what I said.

Your plan isn’t a DD plan. It’s a common type of hard to prove consumer fraud masquerading as a DD plan that Martin Lewis has repeatedly warned us about.

You can’t be seriously trying to using this unethical and illegal practice to say I’m incorrect about legal DD plans and then call me patronising in the same breath.

Its deliberate. The computer says No is an act designed to fob you off and give them plausible deniability in court. That wide eyed faux innocence…oh our computers just coincidentally happen to calculate DDs to be much higher than is needed. How do I know? Because they are “bright enough” to almost always overcharge by a lot and hardly ever undercharge. If they were truly incompetent, they’d be overcharging and undercharging to similar extents, and the company would have fixed it due to the admin costs. But instead they get an interest free cash float they can use to bulk buy energy and thereby generate their higher than usual profits….strategic incompetence pays off.

Tens of thousands of people who have been burned by this instead calculate their own DD, put it in savings every month and then pay for exactly what they’ve used each month instead of having a DD plan. You could consider this, as I can sympathise with what seems to be a six year saga in frustration. Im sorry you’re a victim in all this, and I wish you the best in dealing with the company and Ombudsman.

Martin Lewis has named them, and I have only referred to the ones he’s publicly named. So can’t be libel. 🤷‍♀️

No DD plan exists where if you go into credit, then you never go into debit. I stand by what I said.

I don't think that's correct. It depends from which month your DD agreement starts. If it starts in, say, March you will have gathered credit from, say, March to November when the usage increases. That credit plus your DD payment will keep you in credit until February when you will set your DD for the forthcoming year.

I know this because that's how mine works.

I've started doing most washing on cold cycle, if you use a modern bio detergent it gets everything clean and kills any bacteria in clothing. The 'washing machine guy' did some comparisons and a cold water was was just as efficient as a 30/40degree wash.
The only exception really is towels which I wash at 40 but add a dash of zoflora or fabulosa disinfectant to get them super sanitised.
Also no fabric softener and I've not noticed any difference in my clothes when they are dried.
I must admit I do use the tumble dryer for towels, underwear/ socks and bedding as o don't have the drying space for large items and just throw out undies and socks in with it to make up a full load.
This has dramatically reduced my electricity usage.
I also bought a heat pump dryer when my old one completely but the dust and it is far cheaper to run than my old condenser dryer.
It's small changes but it all adds up.
OP try not to see it as 'sent' until you get to the summer. If there is still an outstanding balance then revisit payment options again and decide then what to do, it's no good for you to be worrying now about a negative balance that will likely even out as the warmer months come in.

Why do people put towels on a hotter wash than clothing?

Towels are used for a few minutes a day to dry a clean body then hung up to dry until next time.

Clothes are worn for many hours a day and could come into contact with sweat, mud, all manner of surfaces outside that aren't clean do surely clothes are more dirt than towels so need a higher intensity wash if anything does?

But I'd caution against using quick washes in an attempt to save money. Longer cycles sometimes use less energy due to soaking rather than agitating. The quick cycles are usually only for smaller loads, it's only the main cotton cycles that are suitable for a full machine.

Not sure about our washing machine but this is certainly the case for our dishwasher. The standard 70 minute normal wash uses nearly twice as much energy as the eco cycle that takes nearly 5 hours to complete.

Low thread count cotton, some polycotton, over bannisters, pillowcases on the drying rack. Sometimes pillowcases aren't dry by bedtime so I use different ones.

I’m all electric too…yesterday it was -6 outside and even with the heating on it was 14 degrees in the kids rooms (we have some kind of oil filled things on the wall upstairs) we have night storage heaters in the kitchen and lounge which cost £££ to run as soon as it gets to above freezing over night I will turn them off again.

I pay around £350 per month on my electric bill…I owe them £900 I am also paying an extra £200 a month on top of this (pay rise) this is nearly the cost of my rent.

I haven’t put December of Jan’s readings on yet…I reckon I will owe around 2k by the end of feb! I do have photos of the readings. I’m desperately waiting for the spring/summer.

we have a serious damp problem (black mould growing on nearly every wall) I do have a dehumidifier but again it costs £££ to run…

only way I can dry clothes is using the tumble dryer (I’ve tried clothes horses but they take days to dry and smell musty and damp)

In an all electric house I have no idea how to reduce the amount we use…I can’t not feed the kids, wash clothes and wash ourselves.

It’s taking the piss really, the UK is not a nice place to be anymore..

Genuine question. How do you all dry stuff without a tumble dryer? Washed my bedding today (1 duvet cover, 4 pillowcases and 1 sheet) no way would it have been anything close to dry by now if I hadn’t used the dryer. It’s very cold and damp here, rains a lot year-round. I simply couldn’t manage without one.

extra spin once washer is finished.
washing rack/line where it's drafty (we have put a line in the attic room)

Thank you to everyone's who posted, even those who have been a little harsh. It's helped me think.

I panicked last night because, as I have previously said, I have not long managed to claw myself out of debt and I detest the thought of sinking back into it. I used to bury my head in the sand a lot about upcoming debts so I cannot sit here and think comfortably about some possible upcoming massive bill to take into account debit I've built up. It scares me as I am all to aware that I may be reasonably comfy but I am still only two/three bad months away from trouble.

To answer some of the harsher points - we had cut back on our consumption - I haven't been over here laughing as I turn every single appliance on in the house for shits and giggles. I had built up a decent credit over the summer and autumn so I had assumed I would probably be ok over the winter so have continued to use things as I need them. Decembers usage was high, but that's usual because at home a lot, Christmas, cooking, etc.

Januarys however has been a massive shock and has kicked us into realising we are not as energy comfortable as we thought we were. We have now made a plan and will see where we are at the end of the month.

Thank you to those of you who have shared your experiences as well. Thank you to those who have not judged and just offered thoughts.

Haven't read the whole thread, so apologise if I'm repeating what others have said. Moving forward, I'd be looking to limit my usage - dishwasher and tumble dryer aren't essential (I wash on dryer days and put washing out). If it's really cold and clothes can't go out, I only wash lighter things and leave thick jumpers or towels a few days. Hairdryers use a fair amount of energy so I'd avoid those. Try and limit time in showers/amount of bath water. Our breakfast and lunch things are that dirty, so I've been washing them in cold water (only a tiny saving but anything helps).

During the cold weather we turned our heating down to 18c and have left it at that and neither of us have been particularly cold, so look at if you can reduce the temperature.

I did readings yesterday and worked out what we owe so far this month. Looks like we'll run out of credit next month, normally it's April, so I'm now looking at other ways to limit use. There won't be any help from government next year unless you're on benefits/pensioner/vulnerable, so sadly many of us are going to have to look at way to cut back more.

OP have you checked what your direct debit should be?

Your average annual usage should be on your bill (although if you're now going to try and cut down, it might be an overestimate) and you can use this to work out your annual cost and hence monthly DD needed to keep up with your bill.

Moneysaving Expert has a calculator:

www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/lower-energy-direct-debits/#calc

Armed with this knowledge, it might take away some of the anxiety about getting into energy debt, but this really isn't something you need to worry about. If you get behind, they just put the DD up a bit, they don't demand it all back in one go or send the debt collectors round unless you really get behind and stop paying altogether.

And it's much better to keep an eye on it as you go along, understand how your usage varies throughout the year and how your balance fluctuates. Its completely normal to be in debt some of the year, because you'll then catch up later.

If your current supplier doesn't provide good tools to help you understand your bill, have a look at Octopus, they're great. They're really flexible with direct debits, and have all sorts of graphs to show you how your balance is expected to vary over the coming year, so you'll be able to check whether you're paying enough. Even if you're currently hundreds of pounds in debt, they won't care, because their graph will show you and them that you'll be all caught up by the summer.

@BarbaraofSeville
Completely agree, and have posted the same sort of advice to try and reassure the OP going into debit is perfectly normal on a DD plan and literally how they are designed to work. She may be anxious for nothing.

I use 3 hour 60 degree cycles all the time because we use Terry cloth nappies. I tried washing at 40 but it was a mistake - it seemed OK initially but then they started smelling even when they were "clean".

Can I ask a genuine question please even if it sounds daft. I don't have a smart meter as I've heard of people having lot's of problems with them in the past e.g. not working properly. My mother got one fitted last year and had problems although has had issues although that may just be her.
I do meter readings every month and send them online.
I'm seriously thinking of getting of one now, it seems to be the only way to see how much is being used/spent daily.
Also thinking whether worth changing energy companies or will make no difference? Keep hearing about Octupus on the news. Thanks.

Tumble dryers and dishwashers use a lot. It's hardly "Victorian" to not use them.

I'll agree tumble dryers use a lot but dishwashers are more cost effective for a full load than washing by hand. Partly because it is then just one load rather than washing up separately after every meal.

I accepted a dd that was higher than I can comfortably afford early summer as I was expecting a massive hike in September which didn't come, consequently although I have now put it down again (easy to do with my supplier though the computer has to agree) I'm still in credit but if feb/March throws another cold spell at us I'll happily turn the heating up knowing i can cover it with the credit. I'm praying prices come down by next winter as I can't afford to keep going at the rate I did last summer with every other cost rising.

My dd is recalculated on 1st April so in theory shouldn't go into debt.

Our heat pump tumble dryer is very economical. We also have a 1600 spin on washing machine.
We only tumble dry bedding or towels though so only a few times a month in winter. And will hang outside in summer. I don’t hang bedding around house as
it looks a mess and doesn’t fit on drying rack easily.

Clothing and nappies we have always washed on cottons with 1600 spin, and everything drys fine indoors quickly in winter. Outside in summer.

With washable nappies, I found them fine to just use shorter 60 wash sometimes, and alternate with longer wash once a week. 2.5 years of nappies and they are white and no smell still. They get hung outside to dry whenever possible

They'd be more likely to get clothes dirty from work and children playing out. Often (not always) you can just choose to wash less and save money.

Please be careful all those who let the house get below 18 degrees. You are endangering your lt health and warning potential and possibly danag8ng the fabric of your house. Also drying washing inside us dangerous if not fully ventilated dye to the spores. You know all that stuff you need to remove every second go from the tumble is all floating around and going in your lungs as well as mould. If you rent you could be in real trouble damaging the walls etc which you are liable for as a renter if the damage is avoidable, if you own you'll pay for repairs.

Earning potential due to the long term lung issues and possibility of triggering auto immune diseases

I find 1600 spin x2 and dehumdifier very good. I use dehumidification about 50% of the time in winter, it costs about 7p an hour. I think heat pump tumble dryer is probably comparable.

If you don't want any nasty electric bill surprises, then check your smart meter every day. if your husband decides he doesn't want a smart meter, send him out in the freezing cold every to read the actual meter. After a couple of weeks he might be less resistant to getting a smart meter.

I have a smart meter and find it useful to see what effect things like having the radiator in the hall on or off has.

My radiators aren't temperature controlled, just a dial 0-5, so it's trial and error with the aid of a cheap digital thermometer and the smart meter graphs.

I had heating restricted more than I needed to (plenty of blankets kept us warm, but not conducive to doing things without extra layers) and now slowly making things a bit more comfortable

I am presuming that they also had gas central heating.

All electric is extortionate.

Eg our electric radiators cost £1.50 per hour to have one on. We have 9 in the house so £13.50 per hour to blow tepid air around.

I am only renting but I would never have an all electric house again.

Even when you look at people who have put in heat pumps it is far more expensive to run than a normal gas boiler as you end up having to get heat from else where to keep warm.