Frightening power bills

I don’t think reducing VAT across the board for electric is as good an idea as would helping those in difficult situations more robustly. Many very well off households would benefit otherwise. Tax has to be raised somehow surely?

BlueBelle, I tend to agree with karmalady as well. We also had a bedroom over a 1970s (badly built) garage extension when we moved here in 1988. When it was windy, the carpet actually moved like waves on the sea.

That floor was sealed very quickly. We were broke - but it was a case of necessity being the mother of invention. Yes, cardboard is an excellent insulation material, draughts can be sealed with tightly rolled newspaper or rags and PVA glue, rammed into gaps.

BlueBelle, I see things differently. I wonder why so many can (apparently) afford such huge bills. How can they afford not to insulate and draughtproof? Why don't they want to save money? There's plenty of more interesting things to spend it on!

I've kept a lot of habits from the days when money was tight. It's snug and cosy in my room and the kitchen. A thick door curtain stops uncomfortable draughts. I wear fake suede, cosy lined, slipper boots - and a full length fluffy, zippered dressing gown (over my clothes) when it's chilly.

Now, I have blinds and velvet curtains with linings, but it used to be floral, £15, charity shop curtains with bubble-wrap 'secondary glazing' that worked just as well.

Still, the windows are bubble-wrapped in the spare bedrooms and bathroom, the door curtain is velvet (not a blanket) and yes, I've been 'very fortunate' to be able to afford an efficient boiler, LED lighting etc. - but all my efforts mean that my bills are incredibly low and I'm used to living in lower temperatures.

One Johnson in his vote leave campaign in 2016 promised that leaving the EU would lead to lower energy bills as they would scrap VAT on energy - was he lying???

My daughter is on benefit and disability payments and I pay her power bills as well as our own. Obviously I can control our own fuel bills to some extent, but not hers. I'm dreading seeing how much they will be.

The Government fir a start needs to remove the 20% green tariff applied to energy provision. Sure, we all want to save the planet but until a new, affordable sustainable energy for all homes is available this is one thing that would help. How people whether on low income or not are supposed to pay these massive increases is beyond me. Increases already, another 50% on top in April and goodness knows what later in the year. Perhaps its time energy went back into public hands.

I have bought 2 lovely fleecy lined longsleeved thermal t-shirts from M&S. They're not bulky and are lovely under a jumper.

It's best (and cheaper) to heat the person and not the room/house. I feel the cold really badly (under-active thyroid and also ME) so it's a challenge to stay warm.

I also have a plug-in heated waistcoat-gilet type thing, which I bought a couple of years ago for my bad back, but it heats up beautifully, so I can spread that over my lap with a furry throw on top (and the cat, who loves it!) and keep wonderfully warm while watching TV, and can lower the thermostat a couple of degrees.

Every little helps so also plenty of hot drinks.

Karmalady, when we paid poll tax we were 4 students and therefore exempt - except that one of us had inherited a tiny cottage in Durham so had to pay
double there as it was empty and also paid at the shared house. We didn't get any additional rubbish collections or anything significant like that which might have helped with an overcrowded property where, had we not been exempt, we would have paid 4 times the charge of the single person next door. Actually we were laughing as, apart from the poor youngster who had to pay more than one poll tax fee, the rest of us, despite being ft students were all on full pay and had been funded through uni courses by our employers. We were still exempt. The two pensioners down the road paid more in poll tax than we 4 did, and they were on a small fixed income. Be careful what you wish for, these are not the kind of politicians who understand how most people live. Just saying.

Anyone who has a meter can get fuel grants twice a year from the local council. You can also contact your local CAB for help with applying for this.

Even before the enormous rise in fuel, many households in the U.K. could not afford to adequately heat their homes.

This year we have seen punitive tax burdens and benefit cuts heaped on the poor.

The worst of these was the £20 u/c cut.

We know that those with heart or other serious illnesses are recommended by the NHS to keep an optimum temperature of 21c. It is clear from what has been said on GN that many cannot afford to do so, which in return will mean worse health outcomes by the poor.

State intervention is desperately needed. What form this takes is open for discussion, but without it there is guaranteed to be real suffering.

Sparklefizz

I have bought 2 lovely fleecy lined longsleeved thermal t-shirts from M&S. They're not bulky and are lovely under a jumper.

It's best (and cheaper) to heat the person and not the room/house. I feel the cold really badly (under-active thyroid and also ME) so it's a challenge to stay warm.

I also have a plug-in heated waistcoat-gilet type thing, which I bought a couple of years ago for my bad back, but it heats up beautifully, so I can spread that over my lap with a furry throw on top (and the cat, who loves it!) and keep wonderfully warm while watching TV, and can lower the thermostat a couple of degrees.

Every little helps so also plenty of hot drinks.

Me too! M&S Heatgen thermal tops with long sleeves. They have really made a difference. I don't work, so am home all day. I have turned down the thermostat too, and also favour the lap rug (tartan, pure wool) for watching the telly! If it turns really cold, I plan to go to the local library every afternoon and use their heating instead of mine.

Even with the £200 & grant with the Electricity bill transferred to my Gas bill each year my bungalow is a pain to heat! Cheap double glazing, unfinished backing to cupboards on outer walls, timber framed, detached bungalow near the sea means that even though I keep the thermostat at 20/20.5 & cook with electricity my gas bill has increased by £28 per month with another increase to come.! This will not cover my gas usage just for heating & hot water kept to the minimum my arthritis will allow! I will be in a lot of debt before this is over with no idea how I will pay it but will have to as most of us in very expensive rented properties will have to. Tried the behind the radiator trick & told by management company to remove it as ‘that is not allowed’! Several things I have tried are not allowed! Something I am still trying to get my head round after stupidly listening to other people telling me after marriage break up to sell my house & rent as it would be cheaper & easier! Nothing left after paying off the mortgage & realising renting was more expensive! You live & learn & a lot of us are having to learn to cope with very high bills, freezing homes & not enough money for food! Another of the pleasures of getting old in this lousy country run for the elite!

I'm in a 2-bed 1st floor flat in a 1920s house and with Octopus. I have my thermostat on 19 daytime and 19.5 evenings.

Last year my dual fuel monthly payments were £65 but I had too much credit so they went down to £50 and I claimed £100 refund.

Now paying £70 a month dual fuel fixed tariff and still in credit by £41 in December.

My tariff ends in February so we'll see what happens then.
Octopus are great! ??

I used to have the heating off in the day but I have recently had spinal surgery and being warm so I can keep moving and flexible is part of my recovery so goodness only knows what my bills will be as I am keeping the temperature up to that which is bearable.

It is true that the fuel bills rose because of global prices but they came down very drastically recently and 15 liquid gas ships have been rerouted north to Europe and the UK. Domestic fuel bills are evened out to smooth rises and falls for the customer but this price reduction should be speedily implemented to prevent financial mayhem for the public.

germanshepherds mum, could you perhaps get a plug in energy monitor so you can go to individual plugs and see what is eating that amount of energy. I used to have one and quickly appreciated what was eating electricity. Bear in mind that there is just me and I am still frugal about how I cook my food eg I have a pressure cooker and use it sometimes

maggiemaybe appreciated

Reading the comments to to your post is a worry if the Government would drop the Green Levy which is 25% on everyone's Electric Bill also if they would discharge the Vat5% charge that the EU enforced upon us the 2 charges would drop our overall Electricity & Gas considerably,
I am Elderly & Disabled and to be honest these pressures along with vastly increased food costs ect I am beginning to give up as it appears the Government have been removing the Elderly & infirm during the Pandemic
We gave are all and now disgarded even the Basic Pension was a struggle before all this

Urmstongran

I don’t think reducing VAT across the board for electric is as good an idea as would helping those in difficult situations more robustly. Many very well off households would benefit otherwise. Tax has to be raised somehow surely?

Tax has to be raised somehow surely?

Yes, it does. And it was immoral of Gove, Johnson and Gisela Stuart (former member of the Labour party) to tout the removal of VAT as a benefit of Brexit that would help poorer households.

It is a fact that at some point the nation is going to have to have a debate about paying tax - or face even more cuts to essential services. If any politician is brave enough.

... and our taxation system is a mess - in fact, most systems are because they represent an 'ad hoc' response to short-term pressures. And government(s) are reluctant to do anything about major tax reforms. That's the problem.

I don't see why people on disability benefits can't be given the same winter fuel allowance as pensioners.Its not as if they can run on the spot or round in laps to warm up...?

germanshepherdsmum, I just read that you have electric UF heating, that may be what is eating your electricity. Mine is water and water also has a fairly high specific heat, it cools very slowly in the insulated floor

I agree, it's frightening! If anyone knows of anyone who is REALLY struggling, the BG Energy Fund is actually very good and will help if possible

britishgasenergytrust.org.uk/

The heating pipes are filled with water, how else would they heat up?

some uf heating consists of coils of wiring and is purely electric. Mine is heated by my combi boiler and circulates via the control centre and manifold

I too am all in favour of getting rid of the green tariff.

They are still building new homes without pv systems or solar thermal panels. Last house had both and if I were ever to choose, then solar thermal wins hands down for efficiency. Green tariff to pay for windmills that have hardly turned for weeks. What a waste when we could have put tidal sources in

germanshepherdsmum, you should be able to see the manifold, wide diameter white pipes containing the water, they all come together in a manifold, mine is like this

www.nu-heat.co.uk/blog/underfloor-heating-manifolds-explained/

the Tories told us private energy companies would give us better value and were the way forward, they were wrong, it can't be cheaper cos they have shareholders to pay?
I can't wait to be rid of this gov't so we can have management that puts ordinary people 1st, not cabinet members with rich pals

these are electric systems, which are rolled out and then covered in screed

www.theunderfloorheatingstore.com/electric-underfloor-heating-systems

They must cost a lot of money to run

It's heartening to know I'm not the only one living in a icy home. I've reduced the thermostat to 16c and increased the layers worn to ice age proportions. I only worry about my doggy who is small - staying warm is a daily battle. I've put a reptile heat mat under his bed which is cheap to run and now we both sleep in the box room as it's the warmest room in the house! The downside to a cold house however is damp and health damages so take care everyone.