Finding it hard to live... please help

minjara

My partner and I are on benefits Im on cont JSA and my partner is on Cont ESA, our house is mostly electric run bar a gas hob, all we hve is storage heaters n an oil heater. Scot Power is charging us £87 a month and w just cannot afford this with what we are getting. I get £100.95 ever 2 weeks and my partner gets £64.30 per week. We both feel we are spirralling down a black hole and cant survive, are struggling for food etc. We are on Economy 7, but do we hve any options??

Please help, Minjara

Premier_2

Call your supplier now.

Explain that you are struggling to pay your energy bills and they will help you, usually with suggestions on how to save energy.

Here's 10 top tips to get you started:
http://www.scottishpower.co.uk/Home_Energy/Energy_Efficiency/Top_10_Tips/

jd87

I suppose there are a number of suggestions that could help:

1. Is the £87 a month direct debit the right amount to be paying? Make sure you give regular meter readings in case your estimated readings are too far off. If you are in credit on your account ask them if they can reduce the direct debit slightly.

2. Is economy 7 right for you? Do you know what the times are for the low rate - and is a good portion of your usage during this time?

3. Electric heating is always more expensive that gas. Have you looked into grants for getting gas central heating? Depending on your circumstances this may be possible, even in a rented property.

4. Can you reduce your electric usage? What appliances do you have and are you using them efficiently? Have you got energy saving bulbs everywhere?

5. Is there any way to up your income? I won't go into this too much, and I don't want to judge, but just to warn you that you might get some people here telling you "get a job" etc.

6. Have you been on a comparison site to see if you could get a cheaper tariff? I'd recommend https://www.energyhelpline.com

KimYeovil

I don't understand your sums. Your monthly fuel bill is less than one week's income. Why can you not afford this? What is it you need to buy that means £411 does not cover your food and other bills? Poor people, whether working or not, find it hard to live. You seem to have more than enough for food and heating.

You must make sure you are on the right system and that you are not wasting the storage heating if you persist with it (turn output to low in the morning and try not to switch it up until evening - you should be out and in and wide awake and not need that high a heat during the day.) You can also check the prices of alternative tariffs.

Poppycat

£87 isnt a lot of its all electric, I can understand it can be a lot when you are on a low income

But the only way to cut it down is use less, improve your insulation so as to use less, wear better clothing or try and get on a better tariff assuming you arent on a cheap one

timthumb

energy suppliers do have tarrifs for people who are in fuel poverty.....ring them and ask them what they can do for you

Mrs_Thrify

Hiya, it is getting to the time of year depending on whare you live to turn the CH off. Mine has been off for the last five days and I am hoping the fuel bill will be down this week. Snuggle under some throws.

Read the old style boards for food recipies and read books, turn tv's, gamestations off. Take care...

minjara

Well I'm limited with what I can do just now due to just being diagnosed with severe IBS meaning having to go to the toilet every 10 mins. I lost my last job due to this.

Fire_Fox

minjara wrote: »

My partner and I are on benefits Im on cont JSA and my partner is on Cont ESA, our house is mostly electric run bar a gas hob, all we hve is storage heaters n an oil heater. Scot Power is charging us £87 a month and w just cannot afford this with what we are getting. I get £100.95 ever 2 weeks and my partner gets £64.30 per week. We both feel we are spirralling down a black hole and cant survive, are struggling for food etc. We are on Economy 7, but do we hve any options??

Please help, Minjara

I am also on JSA and have an all electric flat to heat. My heating has been off for the last two months tho so my DD is well under half yours. You should be able to manage on JSA with your having two living together, do you know where all your money is going? Are you servicing debts at the expense of the essentials?

Just to be clear, the debt charities consider your priority outgoings to be rent/ mortgage, council tax, food and to a lesser extent utilities. If you are paying out for a car then sell it, if you are paying telecoms contracts cancel them, if you are paying for debts offer your creditors token payments of £1 per month. There are template letters on the DFW board to help you do this.

If you are struggling for food, go vegetarian and cook from scratch: there are loads of recipes all over this site and elsewhere on the net. Read Weezl74's thread 'Eat Healthily on 50p per Day' for inspiration. This is the budget planner used by the Debt-free Wannabe board, I would complete and post over there for comments as you will not get any negative/ judging comments over there!
http://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html

jd87

minjara wrote: »

Well I'm limited with what I can do just now due to just being diagnosed with severe IBS meaning having to go to the toilet every 10 mins. I lost my last job due to this.

TMI
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Farway

jd87 wrote: »

TMI
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Excuse my ignorance, but what does this mean?