Gas and electric bill

[jenna288]

Like everyone, our gas and electric bill is sky high.

Any tips?

We are currently with shell energy and -£546 at the moment! Just upped our payment to £200 a month from £160 but doubt that will be anywhere near as much as it needs to be but I don't see how.anyone can afford to pay £500 a month.. a couple of years ago we were paying £100 a month and that covered it!

[Sew109]

Originally Posted by jenna288

Like everyone, our gas and electric bill is sky high.

Any tips?

We are currently with shell energy and -£546 at the moment! Just upped our payment to £200 a month from £160 but doubt that will be anywhere near as much as it needs to be but I don't see how.anyone can afford to pay £500 a month.. a couple of years ago we were paying £100 a month and that covered it!

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We have gone from £184 to £399 and this is with no hot tub and not using the dryer !

[Donz1979]

Wowza those are ridiculous prices! My fixed comes to an end this month and I am so worried what it is going to be, we currently only pay £60!

[mushumadness]

Originally Posted by Sew109

We have gone from £184 to £399 and this is with no hot tub and not using the dryer !

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We are at £349 a month too
Also no hot tub lol

[jenna288]

No hot tub or dryer here too! Can't quite believe it. Apparently there's another rise in October. Looks like my Florida holiday savings will be used for gas and electric increases . Not quite the same 🙈 Hopefully the government will step in. There will be people who don't have holidays every year who won't have any wiggle room at all

[mitch84]

I started off at £46 a month for the 2 of us and now £150 isn’t covering it.
I know it isn’t half as big as others but there are only the 2 of us in a 3 bed house.

Make sure all light bulbs are energy efficient and turn off when you don’t need. For example DH puts a light on at 6 am briefly, but otherwise off all day.
No tumble drier, peg out, wash at 30. Only run the washer when full.
Turn plugs off at the wall if barely used
Only run dishwasher when full
Showers not baths

It’s so depressing isn’t it

[hvasey]

The main thing is to understand how much energy you are actually using and being able to work out the cost, then see if you can reduce useage.
A lot of people are going off estimated or ‘average’ useage and being terrified into huge monthly payments.
I’m surprised at being £540 in deficit, companies usually tweak your direct debit so you don’t fall behind too much. Is that for a quarter? A year?
Are you in a fixed tarriff or svr (price cap)?
What is your ACTUAL gas and electric useage in kwh?
For example, my Gas is 7000kwh per year, my electric is 3000.
Standing charges will be approx. £300 come October.
Gas will be £1100 if the price is 15p per kwh
Elec will be £1500ish if 50p per kwh
So a total of £2900 - £400 ‘government handout’ = £2500 / £210 a month.
I’m currently paying £117 a month at today’s price cap rate, it was £75 a month till June and I was £180 in credit after my winter bill so my bills will triple in the space of a year 🙄

[Smilesonfaces]

I am still paying £125. 4 adults 3 bed detached. Every time Octopus try to increase the direct debit I move it back down again ! If there is a balance I go on to pay it on the app. Up to now it has been less than £10 per bill. I refuse to pay in advance and will save up myself for the winter.

We economize with everything same as previous poster but I refuse to be cold in my own home. We, like most others on the DIBB will have savings to cover it even though of course I would prefer not to. For a great many this winter it really will be life or death.

[Trusty ian]

Anything that generates heat uses the most energy. Tumble dryer, kettle, iron,cooking, electric shower. . You get the drift. These are the areas you need to tweek. If you can. Our expense on the electric bill was certainly the tumble dryer. Lucky we have had some good drying weather this year.
If you have teenagers then good luck saving any energy. My step daughter is a nightmare , leaving oven on and walking off not putting food in to cook. Leaves washing until evening time,then tumble dryer is used. I keep saying about being efficient and I get the look and a huff. Get her ≈≈≈≈ out of bed in the morning and then do washing/ dry outside.
We have a hot tub that uses a fair amount but I can see that being emptied / not used for winter for the first time.
Fortunately we did fix in sept last year for 2 years just as the prices were going up. I did wonder at the time if it was the right thing to do as Martin Lewis was saying don't fix. Good job I ignored him.

[Smilesonfaces]

Originally Posted by Trusty ian

Anything that generates heat uses the most energy. Tumble dryer, kettle, iron,cooking, electric shower. . You get the drift. These are the areas you need to tweek. If you can. Our expense on the electric bill was certainly the tumble dryer. Lucky we have had some good drying weather this year.
If you have teenagers then good luck saving any energy. My step daughter is a nightmare , leaving oven on and walking off not putting food in to cook. Leaves washing until evening time,then tumble dryer is used. I keep saying about being efficient and I get the look and a huff. Get her ≈≈≈≈ out of bed in the morning and then do washing/ dry outside.

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Mine seem to have so many gadgets that need charging. They seem to use the tv, phone, iPad and laptop all at the same time !