Gas & Electricity

It doesn't cost anymore now to produce gas and electricity than it did 6mths ago. The rises are solely to to market forces. The profit is going to the energy companies, the distributors and the government in VAT.

The rational from the government that taxing the energy companies will discourage investment is nonsense and blatant lies. Are we supposed to believe that they weren't investing before the price rises and secondly what they are saying with this excuse is that they are OK with customers that can least afford these huge bills susbsidising the energy companies investment. Clearly this isn't acceptable.
 
Many years ago I visited a Veolia water treatment plant with my university. The guy showing us round, who was basically a lobbyist for the company, was winging about how Ofwat setting the price of water means that it isn’t economical to invest. He then proceeded to show us the newly commissioned reverse osmosis plant, which they were required to install because of a type of pathogen detected in the aquifer. These companies make good profits, and are required by law to make minimum necessary investments to ensure adequate supply with strict quality controls. The argument forwarded by energy companies that price setting would reduce investment is nonsensical. The government can simply require these companies to make necessary investments at the threat of nationalisation. Critical infrastructure necessary for the functioning of a country should not be in the hands of corporations driven by profits, unless very strictly regulated. This is especially true for industries that are naturally monopolistic, like energy, water and the railways.
 
Prices are high we are led to believe because they bought when prices were high, I believe now gas prices are bloody low, so it follows that come next year they should drop dramatically, will this happen, if it does I will show my arse on the town hall steps. The government should cap how much tax they take, same will petrol and diesel, they should tax the first £1 after that no tax, this would help everyone massively, I mean how much are they taking in on £1.80 a litre from diesel!
 
For anyone whose received a huge direct debit increase, please challenge it!!! An increased direct debit is not a bill, it reflects nothing but what the energy supplier is estimating for your energy usage. If you don't do regular meter reads then it's very unlikely to be accurate and of course they'll overestimate, especially if like us you have solar panels and good insulation etc because they won't factor that in.

If you have a smart meter then you literally have daily usage statistics plugged into your house and can work out the actual annual usage/spend to challenge them. I'd recommend an app called Loop Energy, it gets the info from your smart meter and uses your energy tariff to tell you exactly how much you're spending per day, month and year.

For example it tells us that we spent £28 on electricity last month, our last monthly direct debit was set to £30 so pretty spot on. This month we've swapped to standard variable and I'm reckoning based upon last months usage that the spend should be around £55, the direct debit is £58pm so more or less spot on again.

Basically factor in that your bill and direct debit should more or less double, anything more than that or a big difference between the two means something is probably not right.
 
Something we've done to save money is change our cooking habits. The oven costs a lot to run so we dont use it now, we use the hob, buy quicker cook meals. We also use the microwave since boiling a potato or veg or making a jacket are much less power consuming. Can save hundreds... Forget this bullshit around turning all your little led power lights off. wtf

anyone got other tips?
 
Gorton_Tubster said:
Something we've done to save money is change our cooking habits. The oven costs a lot to run so we dont use it now, we use the hob, buy quicker cook meals. We also use the microwave since boiling a potato or veg or making a jacket are much less power consuming. Can save hundreds... Forget this bullshit around turning all your little led power lights off. wtf

anyone got other tips?
Click to expand...
legal ones?
 
Gorton_Tubster said:
Something we've done to save money is change our cooking habits. The oven costs a lot to run so we dont use it now, we use the hob, buy quicker cook meals. We also use the microwave since boiling a potato or veg or making a jacket are much less power consuming. Can save hundreds... Forget this bullshit around turning all your little led power lights off. wtf

anyone got other tips?
Click to expand...
I’ve been surprised with how much the oven costs to run. We have a gas cooker/oven. For 3 hours usage, it costs us about 25p.
 
I sat and watched the new smart meter last night and was literally horrified.

Yesterday alone we did £4.17 on electricity and thank fuck the heating was off.

£0.83 on standby electric between midnight and 6 this morning as well.

It’s crazy and this is cheap compared to what is coming!
 
Homar said:
Many years ago I visited a Veolia water treatment plant with my university. The guy showing us round, who was basically a lobbyist for the company, was winging about how Ofwat setting the price of water means that it isn’t economical to invest. He then proceeded to show us the newly commissioned reverse osmosis plant, which they were required to install because of a type of pathogen detected in the aquifer. These companies make good profits, and are required by law to make minimum necessary investments to ensure adequate supply with strict quality controls. The argument forwarded by energy companies that price setting would reduce investment is nonsensical. The government can simply require these companies to make necessary investments at the threat of nationalisation. Critical infrastructure necessary for the functioning of a country should not be in the hands of corporations driven by profits, unless very strictly regulated. This is especially true for industries that are naturally monopolistic, like energy, water and the railways.
Click to expand...
Severn Trent PLC on Wednesday reported increases in revenue and profit despite upward pressure on power and chemical costs as non-household consumption returned to pre-pandemic levels.


The Coventry-based water company reported pretax profit of GBP506.2 million in the year ended March 31, up 7.5% against the GBP470.7 million achieved the prior year.
 
Alan Harper's Tash said:
It’s on low though, to slow cook.

If it’s on a higher setting, it’d be for less time, so can‘t imagine it being vastly different.
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The smart meter goes up enormously in the first 10 mins when heating up then settles right down. You're correct the initial heating of the oven is the killer.... Maybe more slow cooking at lower temperatures hmmmm.
 
Gorton_Tubster said:
The smart meter goes up enormously in the first 10 mins when heating up then settles right down. You're correct the initial heating of the oven is the killer.... Maybe more slow cooking at lower temperatures hmmmm.
Click to expand...
It’d be interesting to see how much it costs to make a meal on an all electric cooker and compare that to gas.
 
blueinsa said:
I sat and watched the new smart meter last night and was literally horrified.

Yesterday alone we did £4.17 on electricity and thank fuck the heating was off.

£0.83 on standby electric between midnight and 6 this morning as well.

It’s crazy and this is cheap compared to what is coming!
Click to expand...
Like everyone else our price has doubled, we’ve tried to cut back a little but we can afford the increase, fortunately, so we don’t have to change our habits too much but we still are. My big issue is my wife works from home now and gets about £6 a month extra, all good in summer but winter she will want the bloody heating on all the time, whereas if it was just me it wouldn’t be on. Work will be saving a fortune in leccy and gas she should be entitled to more or bugger off back.
 
Blue Maverick said:
Like everyone else our price has doubled, we’ve tried to cut back a little but we can afford the increase, fortunately, so we don’t have to change our habits too much but we still are. My big issue is my wife works from home now and gets about £6 a month extra, all good in summer but winter she will want the bloody heating on all the time, whereas if it was just me it wouldn’t be on. Work will be saving a fortune in leccy and gas she should be entitled to more or bugger off back.
Click to expand...
Buy her some hot water bottles for her birthday and if she’s still moaning about the cold in the winter, for Xmas too.
 
Uncle Wally One Ball said:
Wood burner being fitted in mine. I'm not entertaining these daft prices. I know good wood costs and I will happily pay it, but as its such a small house it will heat most of it. I'm not entertaining these ludicrous prices, they can fuck right off. I've always wanted one anyway and it gave me the kick up the hoop to do some overtime and buy one. The prices won't come down, ever. Eventually, they may say they won't put them up when the cap review comes around and make out like they are doing us all a favour. Load of shit
Click to expand...
Do you mind me asking how much all in it’s costing for the wood burner and installation?
 
DD just gone fro £175 to £270 with OVO and another rise due in Oct.
 
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