Energy Prices (Strictly NO referrals!)

[Richie]

There's nothing to correct given you just have an opinion. It's also lol that you'd call what I said glib after sharing your own glib opinion.

Well, yes, that was the point....

To unpack it, my personal opinion is it's a depressing set of circumstances where we grasp for what people could cut away (you know, the things that make living more than simply existing) rather than go for the far more complicated and nuanced reasons for why we're here.

Yes, people could cut sky, the gym, those pesky avocados etc.. you know, the stuff that generally can't possibly add up to the increase in energy costs anyway.. or we could talk about how we've wound up in the place where people can work full time, still require benefits and still end up in many parts of the country unable to secure decent housing whilst leaving enough to have fun/soak up unexpected costs.

It's just SO tediously daily mail to assume people are here because of their own stupidity.

But that's a different argument which I agree with on the whole however some people have put themselves in financial distress because of their choices but, IMHO, that's not the majority of cases and would have ended up in similar circumstances irrespective of the CoL crisis just now.

My point was referring to the post about government support ending - some people getting government support that didn't previously receive it and becoming so used to it to the point that they end up dependant on it continuing rather than cutting back where possible.....do we, as a country, just continue this?

Hard times is unfortunately a part of life. What people consider "hard times" can be vastly different though - being unable to afford food is hard, being unable to afford that night out in the pub is not so...

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Still won't change much if heating is not on as with direct debit you will be paying more to offset the winter 2023/24 payments.

It will be interesting to see what the government will do as you cannot give handouts all the time. People need to learn at some point.

On a pay what you use DD fortunately.

Learn what though? Sure, there will be a lot of people who will need a handout next winter again, especially if prices rise further. The government will surely means test it, at present the main payment is a blanket payment, we actually make money on our second home.

 

[squerble]

People need to learn at some point.

What exactly do they need to learn? While I don't doubt there are some who are living beyond their means, there is a case that a lot of people simply can't afford energy at the moment.

If someone is on a lower salary/wage, then they're likely in a cheaper house in the first place. This is probably some kind of Victorian terraced or semi-detached house, meaning very little insulation, draughty, leaky, and therefore cost more to run. So not only are they being penalised for not being able to afford a newer house in the first place, they're in a home that costs significantly more to run too. To offset not being able to run their heating enough to keep the house warm and damp free, they'll have to replace the heating cost with electricity cost to run dehumidifiers; they can't just turn off their heating to save money. They also likely have older boilers which cost more to run, or are breaking down more often when they're able to run them at all - again, costing them more.

Society is stacked against the poor. If you're poor, you pay more - having to buy lower quality goods more often, run older equipment which breaks down more often, higher interest on debt. It's a very hard cycle for the majority to break out of.

 

[robj20]

Yea and then they up the DD to whatever they want, no thanks, the article above just proves that point, holding onto 2 billion of peoples money, outrageous!

I will be in control of what I pay thank you

How can they up it if your paying variable DD? I don't think you understand what it is. You only ever pay what you owe nothing more nothing less just the amount needed to return your account to £0.

 

[ci_newman]

How can they up it if your paying variable DD? I don't think you understand what it is. You only ever pay what you owe nothing more nothing less just the amount needed to return your account to £0.

I've been on variable DD for 6 months though and BG have still managed to screw it up so I'm in a positive credit balance...

 

[silversurfer]

Rich people own old big drafty houses also, one of the few equalities possibly In reality they'll have 10 rooms and 1 of them small enough to heat properly with insulation so its not the same. Council estates can be some of the best as they go around insulating them even years after its been bought privately from what Ive seen

Well, if you disagree then let's hear an actual counter argument rather than just some throwaway glib comment.

I'm happy for my post to be corrected

Structurally the UK imports too much, trade deficit energy security was an issue 25 years ago and it was ignored because its easier to buy the gas abroad etc. This whole thing is part of a global market but in short UK should start to be better off at the end of this decade; I dont presume 2023 will be easier this deficit can be 7 years at earliest to clear. Till then insulate drafts etc. and store any cheap energy.

April onwards is the time to cut up wood for the next winter. Start of this year my years old upto a decade racks of logs got thrown onto a bonfire for taking up space and not being useful when gas is cheap. It burnt so hot, it scorched the neighbours plants 20 feet away impressive bit of wasted energy. If nothing else these prices change attitudes fast and I have to cut some new logs up to very small pieces so they dry fast now. Got a Fiskars x27 axe at a good price the cheapest store being French ironically probably the cheapest way to get energy now though the maths is involved but try the website: https://www.spikevm.com/calculators/firewood/btu-calculator.php
Also Anthracite coal counts as smokeless fuel though its not cheap imo, 80% carbon content does last hours of burn time far more then any other coal type and its in the Welsh valleys not banned like steam coal so a rare national resource not imported.

Coal in Wales: Is it time to call time on Wales’ black gold? | ITV News

The Welsh Government is firmly in favour of Wales no longer producing coal, but one mine in the Vale of Neath may be about to test the UK Government. | ITV News Wales

www.itv.com

Woman whose family died from carbon monoxide urges people to get alarm fitted | ITV News

Adele Forbes from Gilfach, has been campaigning for nearly two decades for more stringent rules on alarms in people's homes. | ITV News Wales

www.itv.com

relevant while we're talking questionable boilers and energy sources, have a working alarm

 

[Spook187]

How to save money for a rainy day and not live beyond their means.

No need to be a plank blaming folk for not saving for a rainy day when there isn't any money left in the pot due to 90% increase in energy costs are you really that stupid of real life living

 

[Zenduri]

I imagine after the cold snap this month there will be a lot of people with "surprise" huge bills at the start of January. I imagine they will also be chewing out poor customer service reps that its their fault they had their heating on more and the bills huge/unpayable.

 

[Zenduri]

I've been on variable DD for 6 months though and BG have still managed to screw it up so I'm in a positive credit balance...

I'm so tempted to bet that you let it estimate for months

 

[ci_newman]

I'm so tempted to bet that you let it estimate for months

Not at all, electric smart meters take a bill reading on the 1st of every month and I manually submit gas readings on the last day of the month BG systems are having issues with the Government rebate. They are applying the £67/month credit on my account but still taking the full bill amount on the DD too.

1st Dec - electric bill for £100 generated
5th Dec - £67 Govt. credit applied to account
20th Dec - full £100 DD charged to my bank, and my online BG balance shows as £67 in credit

 

[Zenduri]

Not at all, electric smart meters take a bill reading on the 1st of every month and I manually submit gas readings on the last day of the month BG systems are having issues with the Government rebate. They are applying the £67/month credit on my account but still taking the full bill amount on the DD too.

1st Dec - electric bill for £100 generated
5th Dec - £67 Govt. credit applied to account
20th Dec - full £100 DD charged to my bank, and my online BG balance shows as £67 in credit

I happily stand corrected

99% of the time when people complain about being overbilled its usually because they cant be arsed to read their meters

 

[HungryHippos]

I imagine after the cold snap this month there will be a lot of people with "surprise" huge bills at the start of January. I imagine they will also be chewing out poor customer service reps that its their fault they had their heating on more and the bills huge/unpayable.

Mine wasn't too bad, actual usage and bill from 26/11 - 26/12:

Gas - £95 829 kWh
Electric - £64 429 kWh (On Go with solar + battery only 60 kWh were taken at peak rates, effective average price per kwh imported of roughly £0.11)

With gov credit of £67 that isn't terrible. Worth noting that I didn't have the heating on loads though, so wasn't toasty warm in the cold snap.

 

[Zenduri]

Mine wasn't too bad, actual usage and bill from 26/11 - 26/12:

Gas - £95 829 kWh
Electric - £64 429 kWh (On Go with solar + battery only 60 kWh were taken at peak rates, effective average price per kwh imported of roughly £0.11)

With gov credit of £67 that isn't terrible. Worth noting that I didn't have the heating on loads though, so wasn't toasty warm in the cold snap.

Mine was an extra £20 her on top of last months bill but my house is terrible for holding heat so i've adapted to the cold and dont bother so much with the heating unless it gets seriously "******* brr"

 

[squerble]

I can see I’ve just been debited £110 for electric and £130 for gas for 29NOV-27DEC. Hoping the bill is generated tomorrow so I can see actual unit consumption etc.

 

[kona786]

I get that but the support needs to end at some point.

It was correct to support people for a short time so that the initial huge and immediate increase was adsorbed as much as possible but the government schemes should be seen as a buffer to give people some time to rearrange finances so that they are better placed to then take care of it themselves going forward.

i appreciate there will be a section of society who cannot cut any more but there is also a section of society who are unwilling to cut things. The items I refer to are things like TV streaming packages, gym memberships etc.

The government are the very ***** that got us into this mess by not investing in our energy infrastructure.

 

[Deleted member 77746]

The government are the very ***** that got us into this mess by not investing in our energy infrastructure.

They probably didn’t know this was going to happen and everything would be alright.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Not at all, electric smart meters take a bill reading on the 1st of every month and I manually submit gas readings on the last day of the month BG systems are having issues with the Government rebate. They are applying the £67/month credit on my account but still taking the full bill amount on the DD too.

1st Dec - electric bill for £100 generated
5th Dec - £67 Govt. credit applied to account
20th Dec - full £100 DD charged to my bank, and my online BG balance shows as £67 in credit

Technically this is correct, assuming the £100 included the £67 that was added to your account in Nov. IE the bill for £100 would have been £167.

They are not supposed to change a DD amount after advising they would collect something else.
Many will apply a credit and take a lower amount but its stretching the rules around DD.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

They probably didn’t know this was going to happen and everything would be alright.

Sure I mean we have never had an energy crisis before and its not like we haven't had around 10 years of practically corrupt government, on top of one thats spent all its time trying to deliver the undeliverable (Brexit)
Nope, not predictable in the least

 

[Curlyriff]

Technically this is correct, assuming the £100 included the £67 that was added to your account in Nov. IE the bill for £100 would have been £167.

They are not supposed to change a DD amount after advising they would collect something else.
Many will apply a credit and take a lower amount but its stretching the rules around DD.

That's not correct though.

Bill is £100 - £67 gov means payment should be £33 because person is on variable direct debit. That is exactly what the variable direct debit is. If its like octopus they don't actually show you a dd amount. It just states variable on your account.

 

[Deleted member 77746]

Sure I mean we have never had an energy crisis before and its not like we haven't had around 10 years of practically corrupt government, on top of one thats spent all its time trying to deliver the undeliverable (Brexit)
Nope, not predictable in the least

They not bothered about future events though. They let someone else deal with it.