Gas & Electricity

[hammocity]

There is an updated energy cost calculator on Martin Lewis’s website, see below. Our annual bill is forecast to go from £2.8k to £5.3k in October. 12 months ago it was £1.2k per year. It’s going to be dark and cold in our house this winter.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/what-are-the-price-cap-unit-rates-/#tool

Thanks for that, we have been a bit more responsible with our usage in the past 12 months. I have a credit on my account but without using that my bill is coming out at 211 based on last years usage, so applying my credit will bring it down to a manageable 180.

However for families and the elderly who need to constantly heat their homes this is a tragedy waiting to happen. I’ve no idea what we can do, it’s like a roof over your head, it’s a basic service that everyone is entitled to. It’s a pity we pissed away (and continue to do so) our own natural gas resources to overseas countries, owned by Private companies.

I was reading the Norwegian Government has used gas revenues to build up its Sovereign fund which is now worth 894 billion pounds, 160,000 per capita. This ensures they can look after their citizens even in a crisis, we’ve effectively given our money away whilst lining the pockets of the fat cat’s (rhymes anyway).

 

[RobMCFC]

Interesting how they always quote the energy cap as a value. Obviously the more you use the higher you will pay.
I managed to find out how they set the headline figure. It's based on:-

Gas use 12000 kWh per year
Elecricity 2900 kWh per year
Average people per house = 2.4

We used 20,000 kWh per gas last year, although we aim to cut this by 10-20% this year.

We used well above the average 1000 kWh gas per month even in October 2021 and April 2022.

 

[hammocity]

I am on the old meters but was going to upgrade to smart. Do you need to be on an old one to do this?

If you have an old meter with a corrugated rubber pipe, turn it upside down and it’ll stop recording the gas usage. Just make sure you use some gas by turning back now and again, as it’s illegal it’s not something I’d do, a plumber friend told me about this little scam :-).

 

[LangleyBlue1970]

I've just increased my monthly payment to £325 they esitimate i should be paying £425

crazy that a year ago i was paying about £80 a month

£325 per month. It is scandalous that this is happening. The awful thing is this will be the norm for some time, with many not able to afford anything close to that.

I remember around 10 years ago my combined gas and electric, in a 3 bed semi, was around £55 per month. Something you didn’t have to worry about, even on renewal day as there was always something similar.

Now we are going out to work, with a huge portion of our wages being used for gas and electric. Shouldn’t be that way.

 

[Cricket Blue]

£325 per month. It is scandalous that this is happening. The awful thing is this will be the norm for some time, with many not able to afford anything close to that.

I remember around 10 years ago my combined gas and electric, in a 3 bed semi, was around £55 per month. Something you didn’t have to worry about, even on renewal day as there was always something similar.

Now we are going out to work, with a huge portion of our wages being used for gas and electric. Shouldn’t be that way.

Millions simply won't pay, I don't blame them.

 

[Blue Maverick]

Just wait until redundancies hit and more go on benefits and can’t afford to pay! I do wonder if it will change peoples habits in the future when this eventually ends but I thought that in the pandemic and if anything people got worse.

 

[LangleyBlue1970]

Millions simply won't pay, I don't blame them.

Millions can’t pay. With that comes
the worry of being cut off though. Im fixed until April - 8 months away - and I’m genuinely worrying about it.

 

[Claytop]

No chance we'll be able to pay the estimated amounts.

We'll just carry on paying what we can afford and see where that leaves us at the start of the year, something will have to be done or they'll be millions unable to pay.

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

No chance we'll be able to pay the estimated amounts.

We'll just carry on paying what we can afford and see where that leaves us at the start of the year, something will have to be done or they'll be millions unable to pay.

I suspect you are spot on, it feels like the govt and energy companies are both sitting on their hands waiting to see who blinks first - energy companies dipping into profits, or govt using (our own) money to bail them out by subsidising the public.

 

[hammocity]

£325 per month. It is scandalous that this is happening. The awful thing is this will be the norm for some time, with many not able to afford anything close to that.

I remember around 10 years ago my combined gas and electric, in a 3 bed semi, was around £55 per month. Something you didn’t have to worry about, even on renewal day as there was always something similar.

Now we are going out to work, with a huge portion of our wages being used for gas and electric. Shouldn’t be that way.

I bought a similar house to yours in 1988, my rates with Tameside were 300 per year, the council tax is now 1760, that’s an increase of over 480% whilst inflation over those years is just 252%, we are truly living in rip off Britain.