Another Debt Free Diary :)

ElizabethJH

At least with BG an overpayment can be used to get lower bills later hopefully? Really has messed up this months figures though! I know it's only an extra £40 but as I haven't actually earnt the £100 from my part time job yet then I feel a little bit worried that I have no bumper!! Oh well.. here's to NSD's!!

Well today should be NSD as brought lunch and going to OH Dad's Acoustic Night after work, with the hope that I will get some food there for free!!? If not then I will just go without tonight - and will drink water!

Then Friday Half Day for Hen Party - allowing budget of £20 and then onto work should earn £40 and will get bus/train home in morning to save on taxi fare - it's easier on a sat morning then a sun morning after work on a sat!

Sat - either meeting my Mom and going shopping or going gym after I've woke up - then spending night at my parents - being fed and getting lift there so NSD!

Sun - meeting friend for jog on the morning and then will go with OH and her OH and little kid to animal centre should cost no more then £6 entry depending which one we go to and will bring packed lunch... hopefully from my parents if they're nice to me Then think I'm staying at OH as his parents are away so he'll cook me dinner...

The budget is out of the window for the moment, I think the idea is to spend as little as possible. I'm not going to be doing anything for the rest of February except for working and gym. Socialising is going to have to be done on a very low budget!

I did get offered £117 from Abbey CC with regard to my charges though I'm going to look at next stage letter as I want the full £700 back!!

ElizabethJH

just sent letter to Abbey CC. I've said I'll accept £500 and they have 14 days to reply. Either they accept my offer or I take them to the FO/Court... Fingers crossed, I've a good feeling about this one

hypno06

did you ring British Gas and the bailiff......the sooner you do it, the sooner you know where you stand.

furryjen78

Hi Elizabeth, I've just read your entire post - it's very addictive! Well done on everything so far.

One question though...I've just read your latest SOA and I noticed that you pay £36/mth for water rates. Is this right? I gather you're in rented accommodation, but are you able to look into whether a water meter is a possibility? I guess you'd have to get your landlords permission, but I know that when I was living on my own a few years ago I was only paying £10/month at the most on a water meter.

ElizabethJH

Hey Hypno!
I DID actually try and ring the bailiff but only got answerphone, so I've sent a letter to their company asking for confirmation that the account is settled. He hasn't phoned again today and I haven't had any mail from them so it's a bit confusing as I thought it was all settled at the end of November!?

furryjen - thanks for reading I didn't realise that it was high? It's just me that lives there and it's only a little maisonette, I'm a twice a week washload/short showers/no dishwasher type of person so I guess if I had a water meter then maybe it'd make a difference!? My parents own my place and I just pay them the mortgage so there's no problem with getting one installed! I think my heating might use hot water though (radiators) anyone know whether this would increase my water usage??

furryjen78

Hi Elizabeth,

Your heating doesn't use water, what happens (stop me if I get boring!) is that when a radiator central heating system is installed it's filled up with water on day one, but that water never comes out or needs topping up every again. There's every chance that the water in your radiators is the same water that's been there for years!!

From what you've said about having having showers rather than baths and given you're on your own most of the time, then you're definitely the right person for a water meter. Get onto your water supplier - Severn Trent? and they should come out and fit one for free for you. They will either fit it outside in the path (which I think they prefer as they can get to it to read it) or they might be able to fit it outside. Get onto them!:j

ElizabethJH

I will get onto it

I thought that was average rates though was always a little bit peeved at forking that out each month just for water!!

Thanks!

hypno06

Definitely get a water meter - I only pay £15 a month and there are 5 of us including a squillion loads of washing, dishwasher, everyone having baths or showers every day etc

I think it is done so that if over the course of a year you were worse off on a meter, you have an option to return to water rates after the first year only.

Certainly worth a try?

ElizabethJH

Ok - I'm going to look into it! Just spoke to my Mom and she said it might make the house less appealing to sell... apparently her rates are £65! But that's only 8 months of the year she pays!

She said by all means look into it and see whether I could save money though!

Just got a valued opinions survey which I was going to stay after work to complete - but BLOCKED! boo

furryjen78

If it helps, all new houses are now automatically fitted with water meters. I wouldn't have thought it would put people off buying your house, as it's now becoming the norm.

You should be able to get an idea of the DD that the water company would put you on when you ring them to ask about the meter. They basically ask what your water usage is, size of your house and how many people live there. As Hypno said, if you don't save money then you can go back to rates as long as you tell them within 12 months.