What are people doing if they cannot afford energy increases?

[Needanewadventure2021]

I am one of those who will find it impossible to pay when I am out my fixed. My estimated increase as of now it's already more than I spend on food a month. So basically it's our food money gone. £89 going to £216 currently. Thank god I'm protected until may/June time.

I've cut everything I can. I'm a lone parent, low income household working full time.

I feel a failure.

I was thinking should I cancel my DD when my fixed ends but I've been told that will inflate prices higher? I will pay my bills. But I cant have the money taken.

What are people meant to do though if there money just isn't there to take? I've lived below the 'breadline' for years. It sucks but that's the way it has been. How the hell am I meant to absorb these costs when the money simply isn't there? Does this mean my credit will he thrashed? Its currently excellent and it worked endlessly to keep it that way despite my financial circumstances.

I have no life no luxuries. Its making me really really sad.

What do others plan on doing?

Do not accept the DD increase the energy companies are trying to force on you.. send monthly readings the day your DD comes out and then pay the excess, or as much of it as you can..
Over the coming months any backlog will reduce drastically/ clear, and you can build towards next winter.
We can only hope that by then the world will have settled down a little and/ or the government will have put something in place to alleviate some of the pressure.
But whatever you do... MAKE SURE you send in a reading on 31st March.. so you pay the old rate for as long as possible and dont get charged your full bill at Aprils rate.
This is hellish.

I too refused to up my DD. They wanted to put it up from £140 to £350 but I've agreed to sending in monthly meter readings to see if that's necessary. After cutting back my energy use I'm coming out of the winter slightly in credit so that hike wasn't needed at all.
Speak to your supplier OP. Mine is Sainsbury's energy and they been good to deal with so far.

We've been told our dd is going up to £250 per month. It was £119 in November, so can I call them and just say no we can't afford that? Energy consumption has absolutely not increased to that level even with increase!!

[quote Needanewadventure2021]@Bagelsandbrie I'm really sorry to hear your situation. And I agree there is a lack of understanding for those on low incomes. Pre covid I was living to within a few pounds a month. So you can imagine what the last 2 years have been like. Money is genuinely very tight.

I appreciate everyone's advice but I am a responsible adult. Always have been. Believe me when I say I have already done everything I can to help us, apart from finding ways to earn extra money. Asking family isn't an option as they are in the same boat too. My parents are very hard working but always been in low paid jobs. I've not been raised around money so no my family can't help me now, when they need the help as much as alot of others do. I'm massively worried for my parents who both have several health conditions and sit in a cold house and their fridge is empty.

I dont have any social life, I don't buy myself or my child anything. I buy no luxuries at home. We dont go out. My DS has additional needs too though his are undiagnosed right now and it's a battle to get him support.

I am mortgaged. Luckily I'm fixed into a 5 year deal and my mortgage is 50% less that what I'd be paying in rent. However you're right. There is so much wrong around the home that I cant afford to fix and its causing me real anxiety. I havent been able to afford to replace the fence since November!

We need to rant because realistically our options are limited and not immediate. If the money isn't there it simply isn't there[/quote]
Have you looked into claiming DLA? You don't need a dx just evidence of the child needing more care and support than a child of their age.

I called my supplier and reduced the amount of the direct debit, the amount they were suggesting seemed crazy even with the price increases. I will be paying more, but not as much as they suggested.

Hopefully the weather will be getting warmer soon, and we won't need to use as much power (and hopefully prices will have gone down again before autumn!).

We're in an upstairs flat which often feels warm just from the flat downstairs having their heating on, one of the benefits of living in a flat.

Definitely try not to panic over what the energy company proposes.

They’ve just sent me a 50% increase to my DD. But for the last 6 months I’ve spent under my DD and been building credit. Quite significantly so as I stopped using an inflatable hot tub: snobs of MN, whatevs 😉

So just because the DD goes up doesn’t mean that’s your inevitable cost.

It’s a worry, and it’s going to be bad - but probably not as bad as you think

Hmm but a lot of these replies are assuming people aren’t already reading their meters. Lots of people - like me- are already doing this. With Octopus you supply monthly readings and they bill you according to what you use. I know it’s helpful to suggest doing this if people don’t already but most of those on low incomes are already doing these things.

Strangely the only comfort in all this is that everybody is being affected by this so it cannot be allowed to go on forever. I'm surprised the government aren't stepping in to be honest so let's hope they do soon.

My DD went up from £65 to £89 this time last year. I found that incredibly difficult and I couldn't understand why. I'd been with Avro for years who were brilliant and always extremely competitive. I've lived in my house for 11 years now, 7 and a half of those I've been a Mother. Until last year I'd never gone over my monthly DD and was always comfortablely in credit. When Avro were no longer the cheapest I was shocked. BG Evolve were the cheapest for me but have now dropped the Evolve. Quite horrifyingly my spring/summer consumption was eating nearly all my monthly payment despite using less. Soon after energy companies started to go bust so although the extra £25 odd a month was hard for me I'm so glad I fixed. I'm fixed for another few months and after than I'm going to shit myself as I know my current unit prices are way below what they are now!

We only have our heating on once or twice a week for an hour tops. It makes such a difference being warm. I find myself just sitting there being reminded how it used to feel (sad I know), but I never thought twice about coming home and the heating going on until we went to bed. Now I find myself sitting in fleecy layers and blankets and I'm still miserable. I dread us taking a shower as it means we have to get undressed and it's cold and we get out and it's cold. My son has Asthma and I'm still recovering from covid from January! I cant seem to lose the cough, wheeze and breathlessness and I'm sure it's because we hare living in cold conditions.

I have made a claim for DLA but it seems there are huge delays and a decision won't he made until May/June, maybe even July! I've held off doing it for years really but my DS is struggling more and is needing more help. I've sent of his medical history and referrals but when I say it's been a battle its been devastating. The ignorance to his needs breaks my heart. I hope the claim is successful because life is difficult every day. But as a PP said it will be absorbed by the increases. And a huge part of me will feel guilty that financial support for my DS will be used to cover the increase in outgoings, but it will have to be that way.

Anyway, currently going to Google how to bottle up the summer heat to use through next winter. Because I reckon that's going to he absolutely horrible!

Why are bills doubling? Shouldn't it be about 54% higher? Or are they guessing at October and trying to even out direct debits in anticipation of next winter? I'd work out what I should be paying based on yearly consumption and the April cap and ask to pay that if I couldn't afford more.

Have you checked with Local Authority if they had a payment scheme for certain benefits. My friend was able to get £200 towards her bills from the LA.
Individual energy companies also have hardship funds.
There are lower Internet fees available for certain benefits too.
You may be eligible for more tax credits or UC once the DLA kicks in as well.

Is the amount your TCs go up the amount your child is awarded in DLA? Or are DLA and TC two separate things? For example you are awarded an amount of DLA, and your TC adjust also?

@Svara

Why are bills doubling? Shouldn't it be about 54% higher? Or are they guessing at October and trying to even out direct debits in anticipation of next winter? I'd work out what I should be paying based on yearly consumption and the April cap and ask to pay that if I couldn't afford more.

Many people are coming off a fix set a year ago. That was cheaper than April 21, October 21 and April 22, so by then all the increases compound up to an increase of more than double.

Ours has gone from £94 pm to over £200.

@Needanewadventure2021

Is the amount your TCs go up the amount your child is awarded in DLA? Or are DLA and TC two separate things? For example you are awarded an amount of DLA, and your TC adjust also?

If you receive mid or high rate dla and you let tax credits / universal credit know you get an additional amount - a disability element. It’s about £80 a week for high rate dla (on top of the dla which is completely separate and not means tested). You can also claim carers allowance if you get mid or high rate dla and you earn under £128 a week.

Also - look up the warm front discount scheme (£140 a year) as you may be entitled to that if you haven’t already had it.

Thanks for the advice. I already get the Warm Home Discount and I hope this will continue.

I didnt realise the DLA award is separate to a possible increase in TCs. I'm trying to switch off from it at the moment as the wait is likely to be months.

Do you have a spare room? If not, could your son go in your room and you take in students?
When my ex left me and my mortgage payments, council tax and loan payments took up all my wages, I took in a lodger. This saved me tbh.

He has a box room and I would have no where to put everything from his room to rent the room out. His room is tiny and it was decorated for Christmas to give him his own private 'calm space' which helps massively with his anxiety and suspected autism. He escapes to there alot to cry, scream, hide. I dont want to take that away from him.

We only have a small starter type home. Space is limited for us.

OP I'm in a similar situation. Do you know your annual energy consumption? If so I can work out what your payments will be on the April price cap. I've worked it out for me and my payment will go for £83 to £125 on the price cap. But if I went for a fixed rate I would go to £250 - obviously not going to fix.
I'm planning on not turning my heating on for more than an hour a day. I've switched the boiler off apart from that hour. Got two.duvets on the bed. Only keeping 1 room warm with small electric heater. Trying to up my hours at work or apply for another part time job. Trying to keep my food budget to £5 a day for me and DD. Fortunately in Scotland we get free school meals, so that helps.
I'm trying to do only free leisure activities. Fortunately my local independent cinema does free kids movies on a Saturday,, I'm very lucky in that regard.

I just checked mine, my estimate based on consumption is 87 a month. Up until last week the only fixes being offered was 250 a month, which I'm obviously not taking. Just checked there just now and the only fix offered is 340 per month.
I mean Jesus christ what's going on

The fixes people are being offered are truly shocking. What on earth are people meant to do? There is noway I could fix at prices like that

Utilities do appear on your credit file.
Check clear score.

I’m cancelling my direct debit and hen paying manually when the bill comes.
There used to be a discount for having a direct debit but I can’t see what difference that will make now.

Bulb wanted me to increase my direct debit from £55 to £140
I worked out the new rates and used my December bill which was my highest bill last year, to work out what my new bills will be and it came to £90 I’m not going into credit by 50 per month. With the warmer months it should be easier to keep it a bit lower than they predict

If anyone is struggling please consider applying for a charitable grant. This website lists what’s available grants-search.turn2us.org.uk/ search on everyone in your house and against health and occupation related reasons. Make as many applications as you can. It’s also worth googling to see if there are any charities that aren’t listed and applying there. See if your employer has an emergency fund and ask for help.

@Needanewadventure2021

The fixes people are being offered are truly shocking. What on earth are people meant to do? There is noway I could fix at prices like that

Octopus emailed me two days ago and the fixed price they’re offering us is £350 a month - we currently pay £170. We are just going to move to the variable and hope for the best.

I've wondered whether the utility companies are trying to get people to overpay now to protect them a bit against further price hikes down the line.

I can just about afford my bills on the fix I signed up for just before the October price hike but I will be financially completely unviable if things don't improve before my fixed agreement ends. Problem is it's not just gas and electricity going up. My water bill has been put up from £25 to £40 even though my usage has gone down. It feels impossible to be honest.