Cost of living crisis

[Danny's Dyer Acting]

This does not do anything - it is merely a headline. LNG is available, it's just really expensive. The UK's imports are constrained by the regasification infrastructure that we have.

You made that word up.

[YorksHammer]

Do energy prices and the way bills are managed belong here? Thing is, being only two of us + panels our elec is always pretty low. We've ended with a huge amount in credit (150 nicker) and they very sensibly have given us zero bills for two months to use up the credit. British Gas upped our monthly to 80 nicker in July because we used loads early in the year and were in arrears ("your unit price has not increased") but they're still taking 80 pm despite being 200 quid in credit now.
Waiting to see if it changes next month, but are they allowed to sit on a load of credit? Maybe they're doing this to help them through the crisis where many people cannot meet their bills?

Yes, they can - because they predict your energy usage over a year. So if you use more one winter than they expect, they'll project that as the same for next winter. The 'credit' is there to cover the bit over your bills over winter. So you might be anticipated to average £80 over the year, but it's actually £50 in the six months of BST and £110 in the six months of GMT. The £180 credit accrued during BST is then spent during GMT to cover the overspend (if you like) against your direct debit.

You should be able to request a refund if you think it's really overestimated.

I've got something like £260 credit at the moment which I'm doing nothing with due to the end of the Government support in April. I'd rather have that built up and set to cover a bit of the extra bills that are anticipated than be coming into that with nothing there. Although I suspect some of it will be eroded over the next couple of months now I've conceded defeat on the central heating.

[EvilC]

You made that word up.

That's what makes it such a good word.

[bubbles1966]

This does not do anything - it is merely a headline. LNG is available, it's just really expensive. The UK's imports are constrained by the regasification infrastructure that we have.

Don't they agree a price fix for the supply?

[bonzosbeard]

I'm £500 in credit but haven't turned central heating on yet.ast winter it was about £78 per moth on gas when on. My last bill was £44 without heating on. Dread to think but I imagine double the £78 from last year. Hence why I'm keeping that credit as I think it will soon go.

[EvilC]

Don't they agree a price fix for the supply?

It depends on your contract, but typically not, especially in such a volatile environment. Not that it really matters, there are other ways of fixing prices.

[mumbles87]

I'm £500 in credit but haven't turned central heating on yet.ast winter it was about £78 per moth on gas when on. My last bill was £44 without heating on. Dread to think but I imagine double the £78 from last year. Hence why I'm keeping that credit as I think it will soon go.

Have to admit I've left the gov help there, I'm £1200 in credit and keep my direct debit what it's been since the air con arrived. I upped it by £20 a month when car arrived and upped by £10 when I got air con just to plan to make sure I always was in credit

Now by my sums come April (end of help) I should (if I use same as last year) still have £1000 in credit which I'm entirely planning on keeping my payments at the same amount for as long as possible to see if I can see through the next winter aswell

All the solar savings are banked in there as Octopus put any payments every month into my account so in the summer I'll build up them a bit aswell

[Tenbury]

I'm no economist, but it seems to me that the uncertainty of fuel prices /coldness of winter are, understandably, causing everyone to reduce their expenditure on non fuel items, to the extent that the recession bites deeper and faster.

[SammyLeeWasOffside]

I'm no economist, but it seems to me that the uncertainty of fuel prices /coldness of winter are, understandably, causing everyone to reduce their expenditure on non fuel items, to the extent that the recession bites deeper and faster.

Is it uncertainty? Everything is certainly more expensive, people have a limited amount to spend.

[Denbighammer]

One way I've found of saving cash is by really thinking about my driving. My MPG has gone up from 41ish to 45ish in the last few months.

I'm not driving slower as such just really thinking about keeping rolling at roundabouts, not rushing up to junctions etc. If everybody could save 10% too, the savings (and environmental impact) would be pretty massive.

[bonzosbeard]

One way I've found of saving cash is by really thinking about my driving. My MPG has gone up from 41ish to 45ish in the last few months.

I'm not driving slower as such just really thinking about keeping rolling at roundabouts, not rushing up to junctions etc. If everybody could save 10% too, the savings (and environmental impact) would be pretty massive.

Don't get me started. Wife always has a much lower mpg than me. Can see when she's been in the car.

Say anything and you get a hairdryer moment like someone else had on here. Or the story of the wife heavy on kettle use.

Better going for an easy life..

[Hummer_I_mean_Hammer]

Energy companies switching people from monthly/DD to PAYG

So you have less 'deals' to get on, if you're paid monthly, then it might result in people struggling to have money for gas/electric, can't see any real benefits to this.

[mumbles87]

Energy companies switching people from monthly/DD to PAYG

So you have less 'deals' to get on, if you're paid monthly, then it might result in people struggling to have money for gas/electric, can't see any real benefits to this.

They hide behind "not building up further debt" which is correct they don't...

However they also may not even have enough money to top up the accounts and just sit in darkness for days until the pay comes in. In which they say put £100 into the pre pay and it's gone again within a week.

[Hummer_I_mean_Hammer]

They hide behind "not building up further debt" which is correct they don't...

However they also may not even have enough money to top up the accounts and just sit in darkness for days until the pay comes in. In which they say put £100 into the pre pay and it's gone again within a week.

I've always shied away from switching to a smart meter, I have always thought that they don't give the consumer anything that can't be done if one is inclined to do so yourself (usage monitoring). But do give the supplier a massive advantage over you in that they can control things independently and remotely.

I once thought that they could give a supplier the ability to remotely switch people off if so required (loadshedding), but (IIRC Sendo said) they are not allowed to do so due to regulators or something.
But with things as they are, it could come to that.

I just can’t see any benefit to the damned things and seeing things like this just reinforces my thoughts.

[Tenbury]

Is it unr an absolute certainty? Everything is certainly more expensive, people have a limited amount to spend.

Yep, I get that, it's just that I think a lot of people are preparing for an absolute doomsday, and thus spending absolutely zilch on anything, and not just those already on low income... pubs/restaurants /take aways round here are dieing a death.
Christmas is going to be... er.. interesting.

[YorksHammer]

One way I've found of saving cash is by really thinking about my driving. My MPG has gone up from 41ish to 45ish in the last few months.

I'm not driving slower as such just really thinking about keeping rolling at roundabouts, not rushing up to junctions etc. If everybody could save 10% too, the savings (and environmental impact) would be pretty massive.

I've set myself the target of ending any journey on at least 55 mpg, and making sure I try and be logical with my driving and where I go - so tonight I've got school run and then a kids dancing lesson about 90 minutes later. Instead of coming home then going back, I go on to the dance lesson and we have a play in a park nearby for about an hour, plus a picnic for dinner, before coming home after the dance lesson.

Going school then home is 20 miles, then dancing and back is 18 miles. Doing it as above is 20 miles in total.

That, plus coasting downhill with the clutch depressed, keeping revs as low as possible and so on, seems to help with my fuel use.

****ing the central heating off tonight again.

[chelmsfordhammer91]

My wife got 73.3mpg in the Qashqai earlier in the week (Chelmsford to Thurrock). It's now recorded on there as the highest, which is annoying as I only do short journeys if I use it so can't better her.

On the flip side, she left for work at 7 and is still in traffic due to these protesters. She was covering a class at school but luckily someone already there was able to cover, otherwise the kids would have lost out.

[YorksHammer]

My wife got 73.3mpg in the Qashqai earlier in the week (Chelmsford to Thurrock). It's now recorded on there as the highest, which is annoying as I only do short journeys if I use it so can't better her.

Embrace the challenge!

I've got mine over 60mpg a couple of times, normally mid-journey. Cruising on the motorway at 65 seems to work best for me, so I do that if I'm on a longer journey.

[Hummer_I_mean_Hammer]

bloody hell, what are people driving to get that kind of mileage? :shock:

[S-H]

I drive up and down the A303 about 20miles every day, for my commute, and I'm averaging 30mpg..