Your energy bills

We live in a 3 bedroom end of terrace stone cottage on the south coast. It's well insulated and holds the heat overnight. We're an all electric house apart from our heating which is a solid fuel boiler. As there is no gas in the village our only other options would be electric or oil.

All lighting is LED bulbs. We use the oven (sometimes both of them), microwave, kettle, coffee machine, dishwasher and TV every day, and the washing machine and tumble dryer every other day. We don't turn things off at night, I was told it was counter productive, and it would drive me nuts doing that every night and morning!

We were with Peoples Energy who went bust and were transferred to British Gas. With Peoples Energy we paid £130 pm on dd and had built up a credit balance of £760. We're waiting for that to be transferred to British Gas.

We started on a fixed tariff with Brit.Gas and our first quarterly bill was £460 which we paid. Then we set up a monthly dd which has been calculated at £140, so only £10 more than we were paying Peoples Energy. The fixed tariff we're on ends in June so then we'll explore the alternatives available.

In addition to electricity we average £600 a year for solid fuel bought at summer prices. We don't have the heating on every day, it hasn't been cold enough, perhaps 8 or 9 days since before Christmas. When it's been on the house stays warm for the next 2-3 days, you can feel the difference as you enter the house.

Tina49 Your tariff for dual fuel sounds pretty reasonable to me. We all use energy in so many different ways and live in very different homes and areas, that it's difficult to compare one person's bills against another.

I've always been thrifty with energy. I rarely use the oven, and fill it when I do. I don't have a dryer or dishwasher. I keep the blinds and curtains drawn all the time, in winter, except for living room and kitchen. Living on my own means I don't have a lot of washing, but I wait until I have a full load.
I wrap up warmly, but have my heating on a thermostat which keeps it at 20C during the day. I think it's more economical than re-warming a cold house. I don't heat my bedroom, but the bathroom radiator takes the chill off, and
I pop a hot water bottle in my bed on extra chilly nights. I have an electric shower, which I use economically.
I live in a 3-bed semi. It's well insulated, including cavity walls and double glazing. I was refused planning permission for solar panels because they had to go on the front of the house, which gets most of the sun.
My fixed rate dual fuel deal with Shell comes to an end this month. I have been paying £60 a month, and haven't heard, yet, what my new price will be. I expect it to rise considerably, but I'm hoping to spend 3 months in Australia from April ??which would save me a fair bit on my bills, while I'm away. Luckily my needs are few. I hope to be able to comfortably cope with any increases from my pension + pension credit.

We are in a 2 bedroomed newly built super insulated bungalow that only has electric to heat and cook etc.. I use the washing machine for three or four loads per week and I have to use the tumble dryer as there’s nowhere to dry the washing. If I don’t switch the immersion heater on for a couple of hours a day there’d be no hot water. My bills range from £110 up to £160 per month and that’s with only having the heating on for four or five hours a day. It’s never on in the morning and only gets switched on round about 3 or 4 o’clock, when it starts to get chilly. The thermostat is on 18 degrees. I dread to think what our bills will be like from April onwards and we doubt we’ll be able to afford to have the heating on every day. Fortunately the warmer weather is on its way.

Pepper, I was told that a small slow cooker uses the same electricity as a light bulb. I’ve just bought a heated throw and we’re very pleased with it.

I am with octopus and they are very transparent and fair. We pay £79;per month at the moment up from £68;as we are in credit. We put our £200 winter allowance into our energy account. Plus we build up our balance during the summer. We are in a 3 storey, 4 bed inner town house. I hardly use the tumble dryer now. Heating is at 18 from 8.20-9.30 and 3-7.30pm. We wear extra layers if doing nothing .I use my slow cooker a lot plus cook from scratch practically every day. I am tempted to look at the air fryer if it saves using the oven . Great advice.

We have a tariff with British Gas for gas and electric. We pay about £35 a month for each. It finishes the end of this year.
I wouldn’t change anyway, too many going down.
We had a credit on the gas for 60 and 30 on the electric in the September month. So we just think we can’t complain. X

We’ve a 3 bedroomed end terrace over 3 floors. Our dual fuel spend is around £140 in the coldest months, under £40 in Summer, and our usual monthly direct debit of £90 works out just right. We had DD1, her partner and baby staying for a couple of months before Christmas and our electricity usage doubled with all the washing and drying, which gave us an insight into how families will be struggling even more. Shell bumped our payment up to £140 for a couple of months in case we had a shortfall, but we’re back on track now.

We dry clothes outside whenever we can, have the heating on during the day but not at night and never too high. I make sure the freezer’s running at 75% capacity, even if it means buying bread to go in it, and I’ve got into the habit of always switching lights and appliances off when they’re not needed. Even basics such as only washing and dishwashing full loads only can make a difference. DH does all our cooking now and I’m trying to persuade him to use the slow cooker. Every little saving helps.

I have recently take over the paying of gas/electric, my husband did this before he died. Our fixed rate for 2 years with Octopus ended at the end of December and I was transferred by MoneySaver (husband had arranged them)to British Gas with a better deal. They said they would do all the switching which was a relief because I had no idea.
With octopus I paid £113.55p.m for 4 bed detached. Only heated lounge kitchen and en-suite, no bedrooms. Gas heating on 2 hours in the morning and 2 in evening. Don’t use dishwasher as only me and very rarely tumble dryer. Light only room I’m in.
British Gas offered £115p.m but I haven’t had confirmation of this. When I got in touch, person I spoke to said it was £181.30p.m calculated over my assessed usage of 3 months divided by 12. I was in credit with Octopus and have sent two meter readings to British Gas, one at the beginning of January and one at the end. He assured me if I don’t use that amount it will be refunded. Surely they can calculate my usage from my meter reading every month like Octopus did, not guess what I am likely to use and then give it back when I don’t use it. It’s a win win for them.
I’m new to all this and reading all your amounts per month makes me wish I’d stuck with octopus.

I'm with Bulb, who are being run by special administrators at present because no other supplier could take on so many new customers when they went bust.
I live in a 3-bed semi, have gas CH (on a timer to come on morning and evening), no dishwasher or tumble dryer and an electric shower - I was paying £75 a month, which shot up to £127 (?) and is expected to rise again in April..!! OP, you're doing very well at the moment.

geeljay

I am with Bulb and they just advised me to increase my monthly payment to £144. This in spite of having built of a credit to £300, so that will mean they now have the equivalent of 2 monthly payments in advance. Wow, hope for a warm summer in Devon.

Hello geeljay and welcome. If I were you I’d negotiate with Bulb for a lower monthly direct debit. If you’re already £300 in credit and we’re heading towards the warmer months I’m pretty sure you don’t need to pay that much. I’m in a modern, well insulated 3 bed end terrace and currently pay £70 a month with a credit balance of £167. Which was about £300 at the beginning of winter. I expect to have my payment increased in April but if it’s more than I calculate it should be I shall be calling Octopus! My heating is on for about 10 hours a day at 20 degrees. Hot water every other day which lasts for my showers, etc. washing machine, dishwasher only used once a week. Oven only occasionally as I use hob, microwave and slow cooker for most things. I turn off as much as I can at the socket when not in use and all bulbs are LED.

With gas central heating. I pay at the moment £75 for gas and electricity. I have not yet been told how much the increase will be

I was with Bulb who went bust. I was transferred to Plusnet. I live on a 1 bedroom bungalow withgad

Just husband and myself in a 3 bedroomed semi which has double glazing, cavity wall insulation and solar panels.
Our monthly DD with Scottish power was £68 a month and has risen to £114.
We have central heating on low most of the day, at 17 degrees, but have gas fire on in lounge so one room is always toasty warm. I use gas cooker every day, washing most days plus this weather the tumble dryer too.
Don’t have a dish washer but have an electric blanket which I put on at least an hour before bed.
Roll on summer and warm weather ☀️

Martin Lewis was on the tv this morning and according to his advice it's really not worth fixing at the moment with the energy market so problematic. If you sign on with an energy company that does not charge an early leaving fee when/if things improve then that will be the time to start fixing.

Just googled it Pepper59
“Slow cookers are one of the most energy efficient appliances in the kitchen”

Pepper59

Are slow cookers economical?

I have always been under the impression that they were economical but I suggest you have a look at moneysavingexpert or Which as I am sure they will have details on consumption.

We were told by a fuel advisor that most power companies are not offering deals at the moment, or not even taking new custom. We live in a large 5 bed bungalow with double glazing, loft insulation where possible and solar panels but pay £150 pm, until it goes up next month ?

I’ve never been so cold in the house as this year. Wearing layers, M&S thermal vest, long sleeved teeshirt, sleeveless jumper, thick cardigan and sometimes a scarf in the house. Thinking of getting fingerless gloves, so can wear while doing things. DH has become a slave to the smart meter monitor, and heating does not go on unless grudgingly if I really complain hard that my fingertips are blue. He will light a log fire, though I am concerned it’s not good for the environment, as we have had some trees fall down. Book shower time so ideally solar heats the water. Only do clothes wash if sun shining. No using tumble dryer (do use Lakeland Dry Soon if too wet for washing to go on line for days on the trot), appliances off standby. Lights off, house in darkness as light on only in room we are in, will break a leg falling over something soon. And this before our fixed rate ends at the end of Feb (I’ve been all for using it while it’s cheaper!). May accidentally drop the d* monitor down the loo, oops, oh dear, how sad.
But rising prices, and Council tax rising by 25%, policing precept up by 5%, are a worry. Our old house is difficult to insulate, we have done what we can, and air or ground source pumps would require ripping out radiators for bigger ones, or putting in underfloor heating, would be major expense and would be ineffective unless insulation better, even though we would have space outside to do it unlike some homes

We live in a large 3 bed detached bungalow in the very North of Scotland (near John O Groats) and have oil central heating. Currently paying just over £64. for Electricity, and the same on a "saver plan" for oil (which ensures that we never run out) and re-orders when the tank is low.
We have the heating on for four hours in the morning (6 - 10) and four hours in the evening. Once the warmer weather arrives - we will reduce this to two hours in spring, and turn it off completely in Summer. We have a Dishwasher, used daily, and a washing machine used twice weekly. I no longer use the tumble dryer!
Two days per week I will only use the Air Fryer and perhaps Microwave, instead of the main oven. Today we are only having soup, instead of a main meal. We normally have just toast for breakfast, and sandwiches for supper.
We are cutting back because of rising prices for our groceries. We also have three cats to feed and medicate. We haven't socialised or eaten out in a long time.

I was with Bulb, a green energy company...also now gone bust. I used to pay £50 a month all year round and even had overpaid a bit. I've no idea what it will be soon! I have put my heating down fairly low, just warm enough to not be cold. I wear nice thermal long sleeved vests and leggings, cashmere jumpers and scarves. I rarely use the oven but have a halogen cooker for heating things up. I use pressure cookers for lots of things.
I now wash my small loads of undies by hand instead of a full load long wash cycle. I also now wear an apron when cooking so I wash less clothes. I also turn off the lights in areas I'm not using... I used to have the whole house lit up! I no longer leave the radio on if I'm going out...all small actions but I'm sure they will add up to some savings. I've been doing this for a while for global warming reduction and now it will be a financial initiative as well.

We live in a 3 bed, our bills gone from I think 73 to 97 pounds per month though we, are in credit by 177. We have heating on at 19.5 degrees pretty much 24/7, we do use a dish washer though n a tumble dryer. I've recently started to use dlow cooker about 3 times a week, switch off anything on standby other than the TV as dh wants it that way... I'm trying to reduce washing and tumble drying. I've put in 3 wool tumble dryer balls, and use 2 dry towels when tumble drying as it does cut down on the drying time.

GillT57

I am with Bulb. Because they were a large supplier with around a million clients they were not taken over or absorbed by one of the big six, they are being run by administrators.

Ahhh… thank you for the clarification

I am with Bulb. Because they were a large supplier with around a million clients they were not taken over or absorbed by one of the big six, they are being run by administrators.

geeljay

I am with Bulb and they just advised me to increase my monthly payment to £144. This in spite of having built of a credit to £300, so that will mean they now have the equivalent of 2 monthly payments in advance. Wow, hope for a warm summer in Devon.

I was pretty sure “Bulb”was one of the companies that went bust?

I’m with Ovo and my fixed rate finishes this month. I normally pay£150 a month by dd which more than covers yearly cost and xtra money returned. Now theyve asked me if I wish fix again (I am not as per Martin Lewis advice) can’t believe they wanted me to pay £400+ a month to fix!!! I live in Northumberland in a large 1930s semi detached house all double glazed, 5 bedrooms (not heated), just 2 people, no tumble drier, husband feels the cold but thermostat set at 20. Heating not on overnight.