Utility Bills

The electric charge was a reading, the gas was estimated.
My S went into the garage today and the current reading was just slightly than the estimated one from 2 weeks ago.
The standing charge is now over 65p up from 44p.
I do have a four bedroomed house with large rooms downstairs but only two bedrooms are heated and the thermostat is kept low until evening.
I do intend using all of the £1000 gifted to me and hope to manage.

Calendargirl

I live in a 3 bedroom bungalow, and don’t turn the radiators off in any room when the heating is on. I don’t have the heating on during the day if I can possibly help it, and never in the night.

But in the evenings, all the rooms are used, I watch tv in one of the bedrooms while DH is in the sitting room, the bathroom needs to be warm, our bedroom also.

Can’t help thinking that if certain rooms are never heated, you’ll end up with damp in them.

I agree. I am living alone in a 3 bed bungalow too, but leave all radiators on in rooms to prevent damp. The cost of sorting out a damp property is not just financial it's also bad for your health. I have only a tiny 14k p a income but worry about the impact on your health by living in a damp property. My savings are almost depleted now but my health is far more important than money

25Avalon

Annsixty that seems awfully steep to me. Do you live in a mansion? Was it an actual reading or an estimate?

She did say that was the bill for the quarter, not the month?

I live in a 3 bedroom bungalow, and don’t turn the radiators off in any room when the heating is on. I don’t have the heating on during the day if I can possibly help it, and never in the night.

But in the evenings, all the rooms are used, I watch tv in one of the bedrooms while DH is in the sitting room, the bathroom needs to be warm, our bedroom also.

Can’t help thinking that if certain rooms are never heated, you’ll end up with damp in them.

Poppyred:

'The £500 fuel allowance and the £66 every month for 6 months will cover it this winter, not sure why pensioners are not using these subsidies to heat their homes.'

What about all those pensioners who were just about managing - before the cost of living crisis? If they use it to heat their homes, how can they afford their shopping?

Goodness annsixty I hope your bill isn’t right and that it’s just based on an estimated reading. However, I’m wondering about the size of your house and how often and for how long you use your heating? When I posted that my smart meter was showing £12 plus after my DD‘s left on Saturday, I went around and put the additional radiators off. I was working out that if that was a regular occurrence, my energy charged would be at least £90 a week - morphing into around £1200 for a (13 week) quarter!
That’s terrifying - my £150 monthly payment wouldn’t even cover a fortnight!

Third attempt!

Cut back on other things rather than your heating, please.

Annsixty that seems awfully steep to me. Do you live in a mansion? Was it an actual reading or an estimate?

Georgesgran

On my own, I’m usually quite careful with energy usage, but both DDs and their little ones came for the afternoon yesterday. I put the heating on constant, turned on the radiators in the family room and a bedroom (in case DD2 had a nap) and noted my smart meter read £12.22 not long after they left. First time in double figures, but a real shock.
When DH was alive and going through numerous sessions of chemo, he was always cold. No problem keeping him warm - it had to be done, but I wonder how others manage.

I had a similar shock when the whole family came for the day before Christmas. The “gizmo” kept flashing that I had “exceeded my daily budget” but I was using no more than I might have done a couple of years ago or when Paw was alive.
The ultimate insult was that when I came back from 4 days away over Christmas (having turned the thermostat down so that the boiler would not kick in unless really cold) it had the cheek to announce a couple of days later thatI had exceeded my “weekly” budget
No way. 🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶

My meters were read on December 22nd.
My bill was on line this morning and I am horrified to see my bill for the last quarter of the year was £850, I am with EDF.
I have bought and regularly use an air fryer, my thermostat is kept at 16 degrees during the day and 18 degrees in the evening .
It was ver mild for much of the early part of the quarter and I am now despairing at what the charges will be for the next three months, usually the coldest of the year.

Barmeyoldbat

Sorry that doesn’t wash with me,

If you mean the increase is partly due to failed companies, well, apparently that’s one reason.

Also more people are eligible for the Warm Home Discount, also paid from the standing charge.

On my own, I’m usually quite careful with energy usage, but both DDs and their little ones came for the afternoon yesterday. I put the heating on constant, turned on the radiators in the family room and a bedroom (in case DD2 had a nap) and noted my smart meter read £12.22 not long after they left. First time in double figures, but a real shock.
When DH was alive and going through numerous sessions of chemo, he was always cold. No problem keeping him warm - it had to be done, but I wonder how others manage.

Sorry that doesn’t wash with me,

The increase to the standing charge was to recompense those firms who had to take on customers from the energy companies who went under.

The people I feel most sorry for are those on prepayment meters who even when they don’t use the power for say a week because they have no money to top up, will end paying £3.50 out of top up they put in when they have the money. And that’s each week. A huge amount for people on a very low income and tight budget

Our charges, i.e. usage & standing charge like most of you have leapt up this year and of course there is VAT in top of that. Our low tariff stopped in late September and that has made the biggest difference. However since our last bill in November we are £250 in credit, we have increased slightly the direct debits, then with the £66 a month from BG and the £500 Winter Fuel Allowance, we reckon by the time our next bill comes in May 23, we will be fine. We have made lots of changes in usage, our thermostat is 17degrees daily, 18 degrees in the evening and 14 degrees overnight, much lower than last year. Washing machine and tumble driers are very full when used about every 5 days (was every other day). Also husband has designed a spreadsheet that logs our usage and is compared with the Smart Meter and BG Ap. which is needed as the charge per kwh and standing charges keep changing. I think we should be OK. It has made us appreciate how much fuel we have been (over) using and by using less we hope that means no power cuts.

I'm genuinely concerned my electricity bill has not risen as much as others

My smart meter says I am using £135 a month but my direct debit at £150 says its not enough on my account.

My monthly bill has only gone up about £30

I'm baffled by it all

The standing charge is a rip off and the energy companies know this. As soon as prices went up they knew the paying public would make cuts to how much energy they are using so covered their prospective losses by increasing the daily standing charge to mitigate their losses.
It should be tiered so that if you use less energy then your standing charge should be tiered by the day. Use more you pay more!! Use less then why the hell should you still pay?!

Yes we realise the standing charge has more or less doubled. Nothing much we can do about it though, is there?

You got it JaneJudge.

My mum is using her £600 plus £400 payments...she says she won't be any worse off this winter and she doesn't skimp on the heating

so that's £17.05 a month, before anything at all £200.75 a year

I think posters have misunderstood. Standing charges will be on your bill somewhere if you look, regardless of how much electricity you use or even if you don’t use any at all. Mine used to be 22p a day and now it’s 55p. Turn your thermostats down all you like, the same daily standing charge applies whether you are a poor oap, a struggling family, or a rich person in a mansion. That is what is unfair and causes hardships for some.

My thermostat is set at 16.5…