Frightening power bills

There is a call by Tory MPs for Sunak to reinstate the triple lock, as they are concerned about how the cost of living is affecting older folk. The worry is that there will be a rise in death and illness as the elderly are forced to cut back on their heating etc.

It is known that heart attacks rise with each 1 degree lower than the recommended temperature of 21c. Plus of course respiratory illness amongst other illnesses.

mini power stations

One thing I did omit was the size of my home, the main family home was also 4 bed but much bigger than the one I have now. Size is important when it comes to energy costings. Perhaps your home is a lot bigger than mine GSM

I have 2 main rooms downstairs, living room and kitchen/dining, plus hall cloaks and utility. The total living accomodation square footage is 1200. My last home was 1500 sq ft, obviously square footage will have considerable affect on heating costs as air volume has to be taken into account

Its all very much `how long is a piece of string` Monica is spot on

I must say that I am very concerned about russia and their control of the energy market, I don`t belive that energy costs will come down again. We will be dependent on putin until nuclear is in operation in uk. I know that RR is working on ini nuclear power stations but they will be a long time in the future. The only energy source that might help us sooner is fracking. I don`t know what the hell the majority are going to do to absorb energy costs, my children are also feeling the pinch and it won`t just be domestic energy that is a concern

The problem with comparing bills is that houses and their situation are so infinitely variable and so are size and the number of people who live in them and the standards to which they were built. It also depends on our income and attitude to spending money on fuel.

Some people will be constrained by a small income and have to limit their use of heat, but some people seem to make a virtue of living in very constrained manner, whether they need to or not.

I halved our energy consumption between 2000 and 2010. With a house over 500 years old and Listed, this was not that easy, but by working my way round the house installing insulation and good housekeeping. Our annual bills now average out just above the national average, although the last few years have been atypical becuse of building work

We could probably reduce it further if we lived with only one light on at a time, but I see no value in it.

All our lights our LEDs and use less than 5 watts an hour and are only on a few hours a day and often not at all in summer, and in a big house we value the extra light and being able to see when we walk around the house, not all our switches are two-way.

It is the same with the heating, we do not have the thermostat set high, 18.5 degrees, and it is generally not on during the day, but if the temperature drops drastically and we feel cold, like today, it goes back on.

Thanks Kathy. I had read too quickly. I still have no idea how Karmalady can use so little energy and live comfortably. We have a lot of insulation (house only 6 years old) and full double glazing and we certainly don’t waste electricity, making use of the cheaper night rate for using the tumble driver for example, but there’s no way we could achieve figures like that without freezing.

Headline in a The Express states that the fuel and cost of living rise will hit the over 65s the hardest.

I know the Express is a rag that should be taken with a huge pinch of salt, so I think it needs further clarification.

However, I think that yes fuel and cost of living is going to rise more this year than it has done for decades, but whether our generation will be hit the hardest I haven’t seen any figures yet to confirm or deny.

Bills also depend on where in the uk you live, obviously those in the north and/or the east coast will have higher bills. I am in sw and in a sheltered area

shall I do the maths for you calistemon. £58 x 12 =£696 over a whole year. I had £75 over at the end of that 12 month fixed rate term. 696-75=£621. That was my acual usage cost over 12 full months. Average cost per month was £621 divided by 12. The average cost per month was £51.75

Is that enough detail for you calistemon? ask if you need to know more and btw, I am at home in my uk house for 24/7 throughout the whole year

we have oil so you have to pay upfront, we generally try to bank money with an oil buying group throughout the year but there hasn't been any suggestion it was going to increase so much in price so we could adjust our payments accordingly

Germanshepherdsmum

I didn’t realise you also had gas karmalady. Is that for heating? Hot water? Cooking? Perhaps you could let us know and also share gas consumption details for comparison?

karmalady’s figures show gas and electric charges

Oh, I thought that was the bill for dual fuel, karmalady or that your property was all-electric.

It's the average PM over the year which is relevant, too.
I could quote two months when we were overseas (pre-Covid)

I didn’t realise you also had gas karmalady. Is that for heating? Hot water? Cooking? Perhaps you could let us know and also share gas consumption details for comparison?

blondiescot tell me about it, growing up in very old end terrace in liverpool, was demolished when I was 20. Ice on the inside of the windows. A paraffin stove in the bedroom, shared by 4 girls, coats on beds. No loft insulation, roof tiles that shifted in high winds, buckets catching drips. No central heating or stove, a small inefficient fire in the living room.

Not all of us as so fortunate though. Some of us live in Victorian (listed) houses with very high ceilings etc. When I grew up (in the same house), it was common to have the windows iced up on the inside as well outside during the window. Double glazing has put paid to that, thankfully, but it's still a cold house. Fortunately we do now have a wood burning stove in the living room, which provides us with free heat (we collect wood locally), but we only put the central heating on if absolutely necessary (when the temperature is well below freezing) and even then, only for as short a time as we can. There's little else we can do to make the house any more energy efficient.

Gsm, I have gas as well as electricity. I am very comfortable and warm

I do think it is a good idea to compare the tariffs and if needed, to compare units used.

It seems that I use a consistent number of units of electricity. I consciously do things to keep energy use low but comfortable eg my freezer is choc a block and when I moved here I bought the tallest most efficient freezer I could, with drawers so that cold air does not fall out when the door is opened. If it empties in the future, then I will fill lock n lock boxes with water and keep them in the freezer as a full freezer is much more energy efficient than empty space

One person, one light, that is all I need unless I am knitting when I also use a reading lamp. Lights are switched off when I leave a room, unless I am going to return soon

Last house was eco -built wrt energy saving trust and a well know university, we had meetings in our house. That house had PV, solar thermal, water harvesting, pellet stove, heat sink walls and floor, triple glazing, ventilation system. Being in an eco house makes a person be ultra aware of energy usage. It was so efficient that we earned more from the house than we spent. All of us on that estate were very proficient and knowledgeable in energy saving

I agree GSM. Two people really don't use much more electricity than one. I will have a look at our latest statement and see where we differ from Karmalady.

I have no idea how you use so little electricity karmalady, as I believe you said it’s your only power source. Our consumption in our highly insulated house is more than double yours for the same periods and rises exponentially as the weather gets colder. Yes there are two of us but as we’re generally in the same room when the lights are on and all the laundry, dishes and meals are done together I’m at a loss to understand how you can possibly, and comfortably, use so little.

I'd be looking at pension credits ellegibility and any other benefits if you're so strapped. Good luck xx

Octopus quoted me a 75% increase!!! Yes! So I switched and now have a reprieve of staying just under the rate I had with my new substantially secure supplier. If it goes up ok but I was NOT going to lie down and play dead over octopus's instant increase proposed

The government are meeting next week to discuss rising fuel bills and an announcement is expected within the next month.

Just for accuracy, I am going to put on last years sept to oct, ie 2020 so there is a like for like comparison to my first post. This was also a 12 month fixed rate, slightly lower rate than the 2021 bill

Octopus 12M Fixed (24th September 2020 - 23rd October 2020)
Energy Charges for Meter
24th Sep 2020 3173.0 Customer reading
24th Oct 2020 3352.0 Customer reading
Energy Used 179.0 kWh @ 14.56p/kWh £26.06
Standing Charge 30 days @ 20.13p/day £6.04
Subtotal of charges before VAT £32.10
VAT @ 5.00% £1.60
Total Electricity Charges £33.70

Energy Charges
24th Sept. 2020 707.0 Customer reading
24th Oct. 2020 749.0 Customer reading
Consumption 42.0 Units (m3)
Energy Used* 466.5 kWh @ 2.72p/kWh £12.69
Standing Charge 30 days @ 17.00p/day £5.10
Subtotal of charges before VAT £17.79
VAT @ 5.00% £0.89
Total Gas Charges £18.68
Total charges for bill £52.38

now the first full month after the fixed rate increase, not like for like as this is a colder time and I used more energy on gas

Octopus 24M Fixed (4th December 2021 - 3rd January 2022)
Energy Charges for Meter
4th Dec 2021 6135.0 Customer reading
4th Jan 2022 6311.0 Customer reading
Energy Used 176.0 kWh @ 24.22p/kWh £42.63
Standing Charge 31 days @ 24.44p/day £7.58
Subtotal of charges before VAT £50.21
VAT @ 5.00% £2.51
Total Electricity Charges £52.7

Energy Charges for Meter
4th Dec. 2021 1354.0 Customer reading
4th Jan. 2022 1426.0 Customer reading
Consumption 72.0 Units (m3)
Energy Used* 799.7 kWh @ 5.80p/kWh £46.38
Standing Charge 31 days @ 24.86p/day £7.71
Subtotal of charges before VAT £54.09
VAT @ 5.00% £2.70
Total Gas Charges £56.79
Total charges for bill £109.5

I put this up so you can see the standing charge and cost per unit now, it is good to compare charges

here you are, copied from my bill, the last full month before the fixed rate changed

Octopus 12M Fixed (23rd September 2021 - 22nd October 2021)
Energy Charges for Meter
23rd Sep 2021 5695.0 Customer reading
23rd Oct 2021 5883.0 Customer reading
Energy Used 188.0 kWh @ 16.21p/kWh £30.47
Standing Charge 30 days @ 20.74p/day £6.22
Subtotal of charges before VAT £36.69
VAT @ 5.00% £1.83
Total Electricity Charges £38.52

23rd Sept. 2021 1247.0 Customer reading
23rd Oct. 2021 1267.0 Customer reading
Consumption 20.0 Units (m3)
Energy Used* 223.8 kWh @ 2.81p/kWh £6.29
Standing Charge 30 days @ 17.00p/day £5.10
Subtotal of charges before VAT £11.39
VAT @ 5.00% £0.57
Total Gas Charges £11.96
Total charges for bill £50.4

That was the previous tariff, the new tariff is higher and I know I will be winging it at £70 pm but I can increase that amount if I need to

My supplier emailed me just before the prices started shooting up and told me they were reducing my monthly payment! I shall be interested to see how that works out for them.

Daftbag Why not buy an electric blanket? They are cheap to buy and can keep you very cosy at night.

Have you spoken to someone like Age UK to find out what else you can do and what else you may qualify for?