Energy Prices (Strictly NO referrals!)

[Uther]

A cap would need to be in place for (at least) a couple of years, not a few months. It's going to take time for the Ukraine crisis to be resolved, or for Europe to wean itself off Russian gas.

Could always fund that through increasing general taxation on higher earners, going some way toward offsetting the "helping people who don't need it" problem. Riffing on an idea from yesterday, I wonder how much money could be raised if the personal allowance started to fall at £80k rather than £100k, hitting £0 at £100k instead of £125k? That would target the top 5% of earners with up to £2.5k of extra tax.

We've got a Tory government though...

 

[OldKitMan]

A cap would need to be in place for (at least) a couple of years, not a few months. It's going to take time for the Ukraine crisis to be resolved, or for Europe to wean itself off Russian gas.

Could always fund that through increasing general taxation on higher earners, going some way toward offsetting the "helping people who don't need it" problem. Riffing on an idea from yesterday, I wonder how much money could be raised if the personal allowance started to fall at £80k rather than £100k, hitting £0 at £100k instead of £125k? That would target the top 5% of earners with up to £2.5k of extra tax.

All that would happen is that those that could afford the hit would increase their pension contributions or similar. Those that couldn't afford to take the hit would struggle.

Also doesn't target the household who have 2 people bringing in 50k each compared to the household who have a single earner on 100k.

 

[ljt]

I'm currently £650 in credit, but with octopus it shows you a predicted forecast (taking into account the predicted price rises in oct/jan/apr) which shows even with £650 in credit and continuing paying my current £260 a month i'll owe around £2000 come next april haha! According to them in december alone i would be using £800ish elec/gas and around £650-£750in the months around that

 

[scarps]

Why don't these companies have someone who comes out to read the meter? That's what used to happen.

I don't think it's because we live in a block of flats. Amazon have no issues getting in.

Yes, maybe we should charge them for reading the meter.
I'm going £200 a month, sounds about right
£600 in October.

 

[scarps]

I'm currently £650 in credit, but with octopus it shows you a predicted forecast (taking into account the predicted price rises in oct/jan/apr) which shows even with £650 in credit and continuing paying my current £260 a month i'll owe around £2000 come next april haha! According to them in december alone i would be using £800ish elec/gas and around £650-£750in the months around that

Where does it show your predicted forecast, I can't find it on the phone app, do I need to go on the website?

 

[Puzzled]

Where does it show your predicted forecast, I can't find it on the phone app, do I need to go on the website?

On the website, crystal ball mode I think it's called. Beta feature.

Have a stiff drink before looking

 

[the shadow]

Where does it show your predicted forecast, I can't find it on the phone app, do I need to go on the website?

Know your actual yearly Usage (in kWh) that is the best predicted forecast

 

[Sinbad2000]

Because that results in unecessary overheads due to salaries.

They will have people who do spot-checks from time-to-time, but not everyone does. Needing to cover all homes, getting a reading once a month, is complicated at costly.

The standing charge always used to include the cost of reading meters.
It's iniquitous that it's been put up and up, and yet now you have to DIY.

 

[Uther]

The standing charge always used to include the cost of reading meters.
It's iniquitous that it's been put up and up, and yet now you have to DIY.

One of the reasons I got a smart meter, fed up of grubbing around trying to read a half buried meter outside. And the spiders were getting bigger.

 

[Lysander]

The standing charge always used to include the cost of reading meters.
It's iniquitous that it's been put up and up, and yet now you have to DIY.

It's particularly unfair if the meter is in a communal cupboard which it's difficult to get into. Then what, you're forced to go off estimates? We were until I worked out I could open it with a spoon

 

[krooton]

The standing charge always used to include the cost of reading meters.
It's iniquitous that it's been put up and up, and yet now you have to DIY.

Now? I have been DIY submitting readings for over a decade, and was so happy when my smart meter finally got installed a few months ago.

 

[the shadow]

I can guess my readings without looking at the meter and not be far off how ?
















































I know my actual yearly Usage

 

[BigT]

Octopus' beta charts using your anticipated usage and the prediction for new price caps makes for some sombre reading. This is electric only so I think this year we shut down the room with storage heaters in.

 

[Sinbad2000]

That's with you reducing your payment by the amount of the rebate though? (not that it makes a huge difference)

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Octopus' beta charts using your anticipated usage and the prediction for new price caps makes for some sombre reading. This is electric only so I think this year we shut down the room with storage heaters in.

Pretty much a no brainer. We shut off the spare room (although on gas) and it made a surprising difference in consumption.

Our turning things off that are not use obsession has extended to making sure the even oven is switched off at the wall to save the standby power.

 

[413x]

I'm quite glad we have tado now. At first I decided it wouldn't save much. But now it might. Only need to heat one or 2 rooms at a time

 

[alec]

oven is switched off at the wall so the little digital clock isn’t drawing power.

Normally I would laugh at this, but actually this could surprise many
After installing the smart meter, found that the pleasure of having my oven showing the clock costs 5W an hour. (My router is only using 6W)
Over a year it adds up

 

[Sinbad2000]

I'm quite glad we have tado now. At first I decided it wouldn't save much. But now it might. Only need to heat one or 2 rooms at a time

I think I need to look into a smart thermostat solution. Unfortunately I know less than zero about central heating and how it works at this point
I'm guessing you'd recommend tado - are there any other solutions worth looking at?

 

[McPhee]

Normally I would laugh at this, but actually this could surprise many
After installing the smart meter, found that the pleasure of having my oven showing the clock costs 5W an hour. (My router is only using 6W)
Over a year it adds up

My first reaction: "Bah. 5W is nothing!"

***adds it up***

~£22/year at 50p per kWh

 

[200sols]

Over a year it adds up

£12 a year on current price cap, find 4 or 5 things drawing like that and the savings become worth it.