65% rise in energy in October!

I'm now dreading the winter, it's going to be a challenge to keep warm. But I can be fairly stoical when I have to, so will probably cope. I'm more worried about poor families with children who need to be kept warm and fed. How on earth will they manage?

We are not as dependant on Russia for fuel compared to many other nations, everything will depend on the Ukraine situation. Ukraine is reported to be training an army 1M strong to be armed by NATO to retake their land, if that happens it’s going to get worse.

For us it’s an inconvenience many developing countries like Sri Lanka are struggling now, let’s hope for a quick deal.

Katie59

We are not as dependant on Russia for fuel compared to many other nations, everything will depend on the Ukraine situation. Ukraine is reported to be training an army 1M strong to be armed by NATO to retake their land, if that happens it’s going to get worse.

For us it’s an inconvenience many developing countries like Sri Lanka are struggling now, let’s hope for a quick deal.

That last paragraph is very unsympathetic to people who are genuinely frightened that they will be unable to keep themselves warm and fed this winter Katie59. I don’t think an ‘inconvenience’ adequately describes their concerns.

If deaths can be classed as an inconvenience then yes it will be very inconvenient.

Whitewavemark2

If deaths can be classed as an inconvenience then yes it will be very inconvenient.

As I said the Government will have to do more, we can afford to buy whatever we need, unlike Sri Lanka where the country is broke.

I submit scare stories are causing a lot of needless worry we will get through the winter.

As I said the Government will have to do more, we can afford to buy whatever we need,

Agreed Katie59, as a country we are wealthy enough to ride the storm. However, we are dependent on our government to do the right thing by the people - all the people, not just the wealthy. Personally I have my doubts that any more help will be forthcoming this winter.

We are on a dual fuel green tariff. The fuel we are supplied is from renewable sources and costs no more to produce this year compared to last year. Why then are we being charged more?

Good question Esspee! I suggest contacting your energy provider and asking them that question. There’s a lot of profiteering going on here - at the consumers’ expense. We need to hold these companies to account.

It’s true that renewable energy costs no more to produce BUT the vast majority is higher cost energy, solar and wind power generators contracted to supply power for typically 20yrs at an index linked price. Domestic producers the highest 40p a KW and more, less for large commercial generators, we have all been paying the cost of these contracts and will continue until they expire.

The latest Wind and Solar installations have delayed joining the government scheme and are profiteering in the same way that gas and oil producers are, that’s how the contracts were written.

The latest Wind and Solar installations have delayed joining the government scheme and are profiteering in the same way that gas and oil producers are, that’s how the contracts were written.

I repeat - all energy provision should be nationalised. There should be no choice about ‘joining a government scheme’. The government should run it and end private profiteering.

Families will have to live together to save fuel ... one home instead of two

I'm another that worries about families with babies and young children if we have very cold weather. But then we didn't have much in the way of heating back in the 1950s. Many of us woke up to ice inside the bedroom window, and we all survived. Children don't feel the cold like adults so hopefully they will be okay.

I think the problem is that we are all used to warm houses. Many people have the thermostat to 21 degrees which is pretty high. I will be keeping mine at 18 degrees and will switch it off as much as possible. Older people need to think of ways to heat the person not the room.

Whitewavemark2

France has nationalised the energy supply. Consequently the price for home energy has risen by 4%

This isn’t some socialist far left government, it is politically centrist.

They are also talking about a windfall tax but didn’t get passed today because the far right said it would make investment go to other counties. I seem to have heard of this excuse somewhere else, haven’t I ?

Older people need to think of ways to heat the person not the room

So older people who have already done their fair share for the community should go back to the 1950s?

Howw about cutting into the excessive profits of the energy supply companies and their greedy shareholders? The standing charge is a scam.

I agree biglouis, the standing charge on my bills far exceeds my actual fuel usage. And no amount of heating the person and not the room will lower that.

LizzieDrip

^The latest Wind and Solar installations have delayed joining the government scheme and are profiteering in the same way that gas and oil producers are, that’s how the contracts were written.^

I repeat - all energy provision should be nationalised. There should be no choice about ‘joining a government scheme’. The government should run it and end private profiteering.

The cost of energy is regulated but the government cannot control the cost of gas or other fuels so the Energy Cap has to go up.

France is in a totally different position most of their electricity is Nuclear, nationalized they have had very little impact due to high prices. The French government builds and runs the power stations, there is no middleman.
The UK is deregulated, in the name of competition it contracts with third party companies to build and run generators, Nuclear, Gas, Coal and renewable.

Personally I hate privatization of utilities but it’s a fact of life in the UK

No, we don’t want a return to the 50’s when I was young, but you honestly wonder how we managed back then. Only one fire in the living room, which we all huddled round at night. No heating in bedrooms, there was a fireplace, but only lit in dire emergencies, i.e. when ill in bed with mumps. No heating in bathroom, or in the little scullery.

I’m sure the winters must have been just as cold, if not colder. We must have all wrapped up more, certainly had hot water bottles in bed at night, and just managed.

LizzieDrip

Chewbacca the energy companies say the standing charge is related to the energy infrastructure in different areas Also, we’re paying to bail out the many energy companies that went bust due to government encouragement of competition and Ofgem’s lack of regulation and due diligence. This increased the standing charge in April. I’m hoping the standing charge won’t go up again in Oct - don’t see why it should??? If it does, I’ll be contacting Ofgem for an explanation. As you say, I’ve ‘spent’ over £1 every day without using anything. If every appliance in the house was switched off, I’d still be charged over £30 per month Of course, energy company shareholders are still receiving their ample dividends. Nationalise!!!

£30 per month is twice what I pay - mine is £7 for gas and £8 for electricity, with Octopus, London.

Seems very unfair that charges vary by so much.

None of us want a return to the 1950s but with prices this high we have no choice. It has been advised if possible to heat the person not the room which is something to consider. We can rant all we like about the prices, but as long as they are so high we have to find a way to keep warm without putting the heating on.

My standing charges which I've just checked are
Gas 31 days £ 5.27 and
Electricity 31 days £6.40
I'm in London with Octopus
Are they low because I'm still on a fixed rate deal which ends at the end of this month or is that irrelevant. I honestly don't know.

Flexible I expect you'll have to pay more when your deal ends - my Octopus deal is from last October for two years.

Going back to the 1950s experience also means, greater respiratory illness, higher blood pressure, heart attacks, asthmatic attacks, poorer outlook for arthritis sufferers, greater levels of mould are all results of lack of adequate heating the house.

The least if our problems will be chilblains I think!

Riverwalk
I thought as much mine too was a fixed for 2 years deal , not long to wait to know for sure is it?

Our deal ended and we are on the capped tariff (yes I know we should have signed up to another deal about 2 weeks ago ?).

The standing charge varies by where you live but here in Glasgow I pay 49p per day for electricity s/c plus 27p/kWh and for gas it's 26p/day s/c and 4p/kWh. So if I used no power whatsoever I would still be paying 75p/day. That is £22.50 per month with zero use.
It doesn't matter how much I economise by cutting down usage I still have to pay a minimum of £22.50 every month. Of course this affects poorer people disproportionately.

I believe this has to change. If the kWh price was higher then those who used most would pay more and the poorer households would benefit.
Does this make sense to you?

Yes it does make sense. It's all well and good saying get a fixed rate deal but all Octopus have offered me was fixed at £450 a month and I really think I'm better off going on the capped rate. Short term anyway as I'm having solar panels installed in September. Octopus seem to change their deals on a daily basis at the minute.