Energy Prices (Strictly NO referrals!)

Freefaller said:
Profit and profiteering are different things, but I know you know that and just having a bit of fun :). I'm all for people and businesses being successful but taking the **** and price gouging is not imo part of that. Apparently I'm more of a centrist with a bit of left leaning (apparently according to those online surveys) not that I really care! :p
Click to expand...

If your company are snowed under with leads, many of which do not turn into business and it also diverts from your gangs out fitting customers requirements, it makes sense to do a bit of filtering the wannabees. A £50 fee for a quote is insignificant on a £10k job.
 
I don't mind charging for quotes (refundable with an order) but it would be nice if they'd be able to give indicative pricing ahead of a site visit.

I've seen some very high quotes being thrown about, if you pay for one and they give you one that is very expensive, then you've just wasted the cash on the quote. The installers should have a rough idea what a 4kw system installed would cost, pending site visit.
 
Hedge said:
Anyone lucky enough to still be on a good tariff from before this all kicked off?

My electric is still 17p and my gas is 3p p/kwh until May 2023. I'm going to be in for a massive shock when it's all over. I need to spend the money I'm saving now on getting house better prepared for future I think.
Click to expand...

I was nowhere near that lucky sadly, my suppliers went bust on the same day whilst switching from one to another. When that was finally sorted out I managed to lock in for a year on the Octopus Agile/Tracker tariffs at 35p elec and 11p gas. Even at those prices I feel very lucky to be riding the worst of it out until next August.

Definitely get yourself prepared in whatever way you can. We've already got a solar installation but I'm currently looking at a smallish (5kWh) battery storage addition to it. I've been insulating the house like a madman and I'll be installing a log burner in the next couple of months and I've already got at least a seasons worth of logs split and stored ready. I'm also watching eBay for a 2nd hand portable air conditioner with heat function as I'll be able to run it in winter when there's enough solar generation, free heat is the best heat :D
 
Foghorn Leghorn said:
I was nowhere near that lucky sadly, my suppliers went bust on the same day whilst switching from one to another. When that was finally sorted out I managed to lock in for a year on the Octopus Agile/Tracker tariffs at 35p elec and 11p gas. Even at those prices I feel very lucky to be riding the worst of it out until next August.

Definitely get yourself prepared in whatever way you can. We've already got a solar installation but I'm currently looking at a smallish (5kWh) battery storage addition to it. I've been insulating the house like a madman and I'll be installing a log burner in the next couple of months and I've already got at least a seasons worth of logs split and stored ready. I'm also watching eBay for a 2nd hand portable air conditioner with heat function as I'll be able to run it in winter when there's enough solar generation, free heat is the best heat :D
Click to expand...

Don't get a portable one, you need the window open which is the opposite of what you want when heating.

Look for a mini-split instead if you can. Will be a bit more permanent but can cool in summer with solar, and can heat much more efficiently per kwh than an electric heater in winter.
 
HungryHippos said:
Don't get a portable one, you need the window open which is the opposite of what you want when heating.

Look for a mini-split instead if you can. Will be a bit more permanent but can cool in summer with solar, and can heat much more efficiently per kwh than an electric heater in winter.
Click to expand...

That'll be the way I go eventually, we've got a portable one at the moment but it's cool only. I'll make a window insert with kingspan for winter use. It's partly a test as to where would be best to have split units fitted as the problem we have is the rooms that need cooling in the summer are not the same rooms that need heating in the winter.
 
Foghorn Leghorn said:
That'll be the way I go eventually, we've got a portable one at the moment but it's cool only. I'll make a window insert with kingspan for winter use. It's partly a test as to where would be best to have split units fitted as the problem we have is the rooms that need cooling in the summer are not the same rooms that need heating in the winter.
Click to expand...

Mini-split in one room would be like £1K maybe less, not buying a new portable for heating will get you part of the way there, and will also mean you don't have a big old device to swap out later.

If you can spare £1K or so mini-split will be the best.

Can also sell existing portable towards it if you don't need anymore with mini-split installed.
 
Hedge said:
Anyone lucky enough to still be on a good tariff from before this all kicked off?

My electric is still 17p and my gas is 3p p/kwh until May 2023. I'm going to be in for a massive shock when it's all over. I need to spend the money I'm saving now on getting house better prepared for future I think.
Click to expand...
18.9p for electricity and 3.7p for gas until Sep 2024. Things had better settle down before then.
 
Foghorn Leghorn said:
Possibly, or just trying to sort the wheat from the chaff. Installers are being inundated with requests for quotes, each quote needs a site visit and there's a lot of time involved building and specing a system. Charging a nominal fee will soon sort out those that are serious.
Click to expand...
Fair point. If they take it off the bill that's fine. I mean some charge for a survey as part of the install some do free surveys. I guess now they need to be more strict. Nothing worse than time wasters but if you want to get comparative quotes that's going to cost you £150+ if you go for more than 3 companies. I went to over 5 companies to see what they could offer me before settling on the one I used.
 
Whitewater said:
18.9p for electricity and 3.7p for gas until Sep 2024. Things had better settle down before then.
Click to expand...
Crazy prices.

I wonder if the government does step in to support households that maybe everyone should be put on the same level ground tariff wise, these old rates are being subsidised by the higher price cap really.

I'm not jealous :p
 
Puzzled said:
Crazy prices.

I wonder if the government does step in to support households that maybe everyone should be put on the same level ground tariff wise, these old rates are being subsidised by the higher price cap really.

I'm not jealous :p
Click to expand...
Good idea spread the pain equally.
Let's just go full ahead into standardised universal income, fixed at the average UK wage.

Sone winners, some losers.

It's all good right,?
 
Freefaller said:
Similar to me, I used to plough the majority of any excess (which isn't much considering I pay for everything and have 2 kids as well) into my pension pot, but I've basically stopped doing that to build a bit of a pot. I do have the recommended 3-4months salary put aside but that wasn't provisioned for this situation. Yes I know it's okay for some... My point isn't one of showing off, I've always been very careful with saving money for extreme situations, but this is going to be prolonged and I haven't planned for that at all. What I'm planning on doing is being very very strict with energy usage as that will have a greater impact. I.e. not using desktop pc but using laptop on battery until it needs charging, not turning the heating up, turning most things off at night that I didn't used to. Avoiding the oven and use the slow cooker. I've even just bought several rolls of insulation for the loft that I need to install soon. Other than that I'm not sure what else I can do. I'm focussing on cutting usage as much as I can whilst trying to maintain a certain amount of enjoyable life. Which I think is going to be stretching things.

I've saved over £100 pcm on cutting back from subscriptions, lowering internet package etc.... I'm now hypermileing everywhere!
Click to expand...

I have a fairly cut back life so in some ways it's trickier.

Only Spotify (which may go) and Netflix (which won't), no BBC, sky etc.
Rarely eat out (rarer now)
Cut back on takeaways
No loans
No pcp
A bit of 0 percent credit
1.9pc mortgage fixed
Energy fixed until sep 2024
Bought an air fryer (great)
No new pc hardware in years (still running a 1070)
My hobbies only cost petrol and parking
I only drink the odd beer at home.


My only real expense now is holidays which I will not cut back on unless there is no other option.

Saving 200-300 a month on electricity if new cap comes through
And 200 a month if I hadn't fixed my mortgage. This will go to things like solar/new windows if applicable.
Only reason I haven't is not planning to stay here more than 4 years. And have cheap energy for 2 of those.


What I want to be able to do is see what the landscape is like in last 6 months of my fix. If it's as bad as now I'll get solar/new windows. Or move early. Then get solar etc.

Interest rates, energy costs, general economy.. Its so chaotic right now I can't properly plan/mitigate any more than I have.
 
Hedge said:
Anyone lucky enough to still be on a good tariff from before this all kicked off?

My electric is still 17p and my gas is 3p p/kwh until May 2023. I'm going to be in for a massive shock when it's all over. I need to spend the money I'm saving now on getting house better prepared for future I think.
Click to expand...

Yes, me, until June 2023. Just blind luck we took a two year fix.
 
Just been up in the loft to get something and had a look at the insulation. It's been up there 22 years and there were a few uncovered bits (thanks builders...) so I've moved stuff around a bit for better coverage but will have to invest in a few rolls to top it up.
What's the go to these days for a cold loft insulation wise?
 
Uther said:
Just been up in the loft to get something and had a look at the insulation. It's been up there 22 years and there were a few uncovered bits (thanks builders...) so I've moved stuff around a bit for better coverage but will have to invest in a few rolls to top it up.
What's the go to these days for a cold loft insulation wise?
Click to expand...

I just bought some. I got 40sqm for around £80 for 200mm stuff. Haven't fitted it yet as I'm building up the courage to do it.
 
Freefaller said:
I just bought some. I got 40sqm for around £80 for 200mm stuff. Haven't fitted it yet as I'm building up the courage to do it.
Click to expand...
Make sure you get some rubber gloves (not 100% necessary) and a decent face mask, fibre glass insulation gets EVERYWHERE and you don't want to be breathing it in. Other than that it's really simple, it's basically just roll and cut (watch out for the 'expansion' when you open the wrap though).

Besides you're more likely to put a foot through the ceiling (I've been there done that, luckily while taking the actual roof off) than screw up laying the fibre glass :p
 
lsg1r said:
Make sure you get some rubber gloves (not 100% necessary) and a decent face mask, fibre glass insulation gets EVERYWHERE and you don't want to be breathing it in. Other than that it's really simple, it's basically just roll and cut (watch out for the 'expansion' when you open the wrap though.

Besides you're more likely to put a foot through the ceiling (I've been there done that, luckily while taking the actual roof off) than screw up laying the fibre glass :p
Click to expand...

Good advice (although I'm well aware of it) and always worth reminding people that read these threads that aren't DIYers. :)

I've done it plenty of times, I just don't fancy doing it at the moment as it's dusty up there and it's warm! It's not a pleasant job. Hence my "getting the courage to do it"! Procrastination really. :p although I have yet to put a foot through a ceiling! Hope it won't be a first.

We have 110mm only so that 200mm will get it to 300mm which should have a positive impact.

Reboarding it won't be fun though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom