Fuel poverty

Jaffa - were you in fuel poverty as a child? I'm not sure it was even measured- but I know some houses were certainly very cold.
Just wondering.

I also think that you can be in "poverty" as well as fuel poverty.

I have just the reduced state pension to live on. My energy supplier wants £314 per month from me for fuel..after the £66 has been taken off . I barely use the Gas central heating , maybe 3 times a week for an hour. I only light one room at a time.. I use an Air fryer to cook.. I'm down to one shower a week because it's electric, and have to just wash at the sink on the other days..

I'm just completely stunned at Shell wanting this money every month..despite me sending them meter readings! This is more than 3 times the cost of our Bill with Bulb

Ailsa43 that’s a shockingly high fuel bill when you appear to be consuming well below average. Perhaps your meter is faulty and it would be worthwhile asking for it to be checked.

Also have you had a benefits check? If your sole income is a reduced pension it sounds like you would be entitled to pension credit. Even if you are only entitled to a relatively small amount of pension credit it is a gateway to other benefits.

Ailsa43

I have just the reduced state pension to live on. My energy supplier wants £314 per month from me for fuel..after the £66 has been taken off . I barely use the Gas central heating , maybe 3 times a week for an hour. I only light one room at a time.. I use an Air fryer to cook.. I'm down to one shower a week because it's electric, and have to just wash at the sink on the other days..

I'm just completely stunned at Shell wanting this money every month..despite me sending them meter readings! This is more than 3 times the cost of our Bill with Bulb

I echo Grannynannywanny's post Ailsa. If you are single and your total income is under £200 a week or a couple with a total income under £300 a week you should claim Pension Credit which will trigger help with your energy bills.

Those figures are not exact as savings can make a difference as can disabilities and other claims you may be able to make. Some of these will mean you may be eligible at slightly over the amounts in my first paragraph and some mean you may not be eligible unless you have a little less total income. It needs someone in the know to calculate this for you. The DWP pension credit helpline on 0800 99 1234.

Total income includes income from work, pension, state pension, some benefits, and savings/investments over £10,000. Savings between £10,000 and £16,000s are counted as £1 a week in income per £500.

Citizens Advice has statutory (legal) powers to advocate for energy consumers in Great Britain. If you call the consumer line - 0808 223 1133 - you should then select energy advice*. They should be able to negotiate a better, and hopefully more realistic deal for you. Alternatively, you can ring your energy company direct. They (legally) have to discuss with you about how they can help you. Some companies seem to have just stuck a pin in a number (I'm sure they haven't but their figures are very odd) so hopefully that should come down.

I do hope this helps. If you feel you need support PM me and I will keep in touch with you while to you while you try and see what can be done. However, if you can, ring your supplier tomorrow. You need the money in your bank far more than they need it in theirs

*Source: Fuel Poverty Action

I rang my energy supplier yesterday and instructed (not requested) them to reduce my DD on pain of my cancelling it and complaining to the ombudsman. Each complaint costs them £500 regardless of how decided. I also ordered them to refund £500 of my outstanding balance of nearly £1000. They agreed. Now lets see if they comply. I am quite prepared to follow through with these threats. I felt a bit sorry for the girl I was talking to but you have to talk tough with these people. They are only a bl***y private company.

Ailsa43 Have you checked how much you're in credit?

It could be that you've built up a big credit, which you're not going to use, but the computer hasn't recognised that you're paying too much.

My direct debit with OVO has just been reduced from £265 to £191 a month AND I've had a £263 refund, in addition to the state help. I'll still have a credit of about £600 and OVO reckons I'll be in credit at the end of the next 12 months cycle. That shows just how much they've been overcharging me.

I don't know how Shell works, but OVO gives customers access to a dashboard on a daily basis. I've made a big effort to cut down on gas, which hasn't been too difficult in the mild weather and I can see how my bill is building up over the month. If it's below my direct debit amount, which it has been since the beginning of the year, and I still have at least £573 credit (three times my current direct debit), I can apply for a refund, which arrives in my bank account within a few days.

As others have said, you should get a benefits check done. You might be eligible for Pension Credit or some help with your council tax bill.

Pension Credit will top up your income to £182.60/week, rising to £201.05 in April 2023. Housing costs (rent and council tax) are extra.

Just noticed from a previous post that you're already receiving Pension Credit, so you should already have an income of £182.60 a week.

Check that you're also receiving all the extra help available to those in receipt of Pension Credit.

NotSpaghetti

Jaffa - were you in fuel poverty as a child? I'm not sure it was even measured- but I know some houses were certainly very cold.
Just wondering.

No talk of fuel poverty as a child nor of poverty as there seemed to be a lot of us in the same situation. It's so sad to think that there are millions in fuel poverty now when we live in one of the richest countries in the world

So true jaffa- the poverty in the UK is a disgrace. The massive gap between the rich and the poor...

Ailsa43

I have just the reduced state pension to live on. My energy supplier wants £314 per month from me for fuel..after the £66 has been taken off . I barely use the Gas central heating , maybe 3 times a week for an hour. I only light one room at a time.. I use an Air fryer to cook.. I'm down to one shower a week because it's electric, and have to just wash at the sink on the other days..

I'm just completely stunned at Shell wanting this money every month..despite me sending them meter readings! This is more than 3 times the cost of our Bill with Bulb

Get a smart meter Ailsa43 - you can see exactly what you are using. You need to ring them - sounds as if you are paying far too much!

Now that fuel is costing double what it was last year won’t that mean everyone with only a Government state pension - even the top rate one - will be paying more than 10% on fuel during the winter?

TillyTrotter

Now that fuel is costing double what it was last year won’t that mean everyone with only a Government state pension - even the top rate one - will be paying more than 10% on fuel during the winter?

No, not after the government support.

A pensioner in receipt of Pension Credit (as Ailsa43 is) receives £400 discount on fuel bills, £650 Cost of Living payment and £500 Winter fuel payment. That's a total of £1550.

Pension is topped up to £182.60pw (£9495.20) plus there could be extra income from rent or council tax support.

The average bill is supposed to be £2500pa, so if a pensioner in receipt of Pension Credit is receiving £9495.20 from the government, he/she has to find an additional £950, which is only a tiny fraction over 10%.

The real losers are those who just miss out on Pension Credit or any other means-tested benefit.

Thank you for clarifying growstuff .

I think that percentages like this one (spending 10% of your income on heating means fuel poverty) are a blunt instrument and fairly meaningless.

If you have an income of £8m a year and spend £1m on heating your mansion with underfloor heating an indoor pool and automated everything, you are still going to have more than enough left to pay the champagne bill, despite the fact that your fuel bills are over 10% of your income.

If you have £8k a year, however, even if you somehow managed to keep the bills below £800 a year, the remaining 90% wouldn't be enough to lift you out of poverty as you haven't got enough in the first place.

and who wants to be cold and who wants to think of anyone else being cold?

The advertising of warm spaces made me sad. They really shouldn't be needed. Even one of our local supermarkets are doing them in their community room, with free tea/coffee and biscuits. Lovely idea but why not pay their staff a living wage so they don't have to rely on top up benefits and can afford to live

and if you want comparison to the old days, our families were miners. Our houses were never cold as we had a coal allowance

How do you know how much of your fuel bill is spent on heating your home and not on, for example, cooking? Or am I reading it wrong and it’s your total fuel bill that is used in the calculation of fuel poverty?

Blossoming, I'm assuming it means gas/electric/oil* - you complete domestic use

*lots of rural housing have no gas mains so have to rely on domestic oil which tripled in price last year

Thanks Jane, that makes more sense.

growstuff

Just noticed from a previous post that you're already receiving Pension Credit, so you should already have an income of £182.60 a week.

Check that you're also receiving all the extra help available to those in receipt of Pension Credit.

I don't think Ailsa is getting Pension Credit growstuff. I can't see it in her post. Were you replying to someone else?

DaisyAnne

growstuff

Just noticed from a previous post that you're already receiving Pension Credit, so you should already have an income of £182.60 a week.

Check that you're also receiving all the extra help available to those in receipt of Pension Credit.

I don't think Ailsa is getting Pension Credit growstuff. I can't see it in her post. Were you replying to someone else?

It was on another thread about receiving some money.

I would suggest, as others have, that you contact Citizens Advice Bureau. They can do a benefit check for you and can also advocate on your behalf to energy companies.

TillyTrotter

Thank you for clarifying growstuff .

Sorry! I made a mistake. The total income of somebody in receipt of Pension Credit is at least 11,045.20. That means that the fuel bill should be below 10%.

Ailsa43 Unless your house/flat is very energy inefficient and/or you live in a mansion, it seems that Shell is charging you too much. A figure of about £200pm would be more realistic. You really need to check with them whether you're building up a huge credit. Energy companies have recently been criticised by Ofgem for allowing customers to build up an excessive credit. They, of course, are earning interest on the excess.