pay monthly fixed amount regardless usage

manasek

I am looking for gas supplier where I can pay fixed amount regardless usage.
I am staying at home mum with my 5 months old daughter and we are struggling with gas costs. My monthly bill is over 100 pounds but I never get temperature at home over 16 degrees which is unexceptable because of my daughter.
I live in rented accomodation, 2 beds, double glazing, but very poor insolation and old boiler.
I can not move as I am on benefits and its really hard to find the house.
Any suggestions? Please.

seafarers_wife

there is no tarriff where you can pay a set amount each month regardless of what you use and never pay more than that set amount.

your best bet is speaking to your supplier and seeing if they do a reduced tarriff for customers on benefits.

Pincher

Ask your energy suppplier about free loft insulation and cavity wall insulation. FREE because you are on benefit.

Get permission from landlord.

Premier_2

manasek wrote: »

I am looking for gas supplier where I can pay fixed amount regardless usage.
I am staying at home mum with my 5 months old daughter and we are struggling with gas costs. My monthly bill is over 100 pounds but I never get temperature at home over 16 degrees which is unexceptable because of my daughter.
I live in rented accomodation, 2 beds, double glazing, but very poor insolation and old boiler.
I can not move as I am on benefits and its really hard to find the house.
Any suggestions? Please.

Your landlord is required to provide you with an adequate form of heating facility and if the heating he has supplied does not allow the temperature to go above 16 degress it sounds as though he hasn't done that.

However, there's no requirement that the type of heating he supplies is one you can necessarily afford to run.

Having said that, you can probably pick up a couple of 2kW electrical heaters for about £20 in total.

As you're on benefits, are you not entitled to the £25p.w. cold weather payments? ... so essentially if you are paying £100p.m. it's not actually costing you anything?

manasek

there is gas central heating, which is ok, but I think the problem is with boiler. It is Worcester 230. It is not possible to set timer or temp. Its really old.

I bought fan heater, so I use it in room where i my daughter. But it will increase electric bill:o

I live in a flat, so there is no possible to do any kind of insulation just for my part and landlord would not allow it anyway.

And I do not qualify for cold weather payment because I am on maternity alowance ( which is really silly, because everything else above 65 pounds a week I have to pay for rent, so I am maybe 5 pounds better off then on IS or JSA , but its a different topic,sorry )up to 25.12 . and then I have to go back to Jobcentre. So maybe I will get it then ( if I do not get contribution based JSA like before )

I will contact my supplier and check what they can do for me.

JasX

manasek wrote: »

I live in a flat, so there is no possible to do any kind of insulation just for my part and landlord would not allow it anyway.

you can ALWAYS do something about insulation if your heat is escaping? any idea where it is leaking out? (where feels cold around the exterior doors/walls)?

if its around a door frame you can stick some sticky draught excluder strips to the inside of the frame. if its at the base of the door you can try the same on the bottom of the door or lay some kind of material draught excluder at the base (try a towel first up). same towel trick will work at the base of a window.

how effective is your double glazing? is it modern? if not you can get these plastic 'cling film' type sheets that go up inside the window to add an extra layer of glazing (or just use conventional cling film if you can;t get your hands on the proper stuff but it will be more visible.

vents you can do things with depending on design and what they're for.

closing doors helps and can you adjust the radiator valves so more of the central heating gets directed to the roms you most want to kep warm (at the extremem turn them all off bar the living room and close all the doors, then move the electric heater to the bedroom 20mins or so before you go to bed)

manasek

I have already used this sticky excluder around the door and I used silicone to fill any gaps around windows.
My problem is really lack of insulation in walls- I have water running inside on my windows constantly!!! and flooring- there is carpet ( which is more suitable for ofiice) but underneath is just tiny layer of sime kind of isolation and then concrete, which is cold and wet.
I have not try this film on windows, would it really help?
I also have 2 extractor fans - in kitchen and bathroom and I can feel cold wind coming in from it, but landlord prohibited to block it due to humity ( which is already enourmous- even my carpets, walls, windows, ... everything is getting mouldy )

KimYeovil

If you are a 'stay at home' mother then you should use some of the hours during the day to thoroughly air the house and try to sort out the damp. Throw open the windows and doors for a couple of hours every day (yes, even in this weather) and get some air to the house. If you have a door to the kitchen make sure you keep it closed when cooking (and open a window as well as the fan (if possible)).

christabell

As you are on benefits.....https://www.energychoice.co.uk and www.energylink.co.uk both have the social tariff on them. Are you on the Social Tariff with your energy supplier?

Would it be possible to also get your name down on a Housing Association list? their houses are usually built to a very high standard, get your name down on as many as possible in your area.

Why will your landlord not allow you permission to get the home insulated? You are most likely eligable for the Warm Front Grant, www.warmfront.co.uk also check the energy help line...
www.homeheathelpline.co.uk is also a very useful website.

Good luck.