Looking for advice

RAS

So your landlord would provide evidence that you have consistently paid the rent on time every month?

If so, a lot of LLS would accept that.

You need to look for house being let by private landlords, and maybe to look over a wider area.

Why is the second adult not working?

dancingfairy

Regarding the original question - you owe 32,000 grand and at the moment don't appear to have any way of paying it back but if you were to move house would you then want/be able to make payments to pay off that 32,000? personally bankruptcy is looking like the best option - have a check on the bankruptcy board and I'm sure you they will help you - I would have thought the electric arrears would go into the bankruptcy as well.
Regarding moving you would have to probably rent privately as agencies will credit check you or require 6 months rent up front or a gurantor. You may also be able to get help from the council re getting a deposit etc. It's not easy though. I believe there was a thread on this question on the bankruptcy board recently - you could also try the housing board on here as well and see if they can help.
df
Edit: Bankruptcy Board is here:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=136

limboland

RAS wrote: »

So your landlord would provide evidence that you have consistently paid the rent on time every month?

If so, a lot of LLS would accept that.

You need to look for house being let by private landlords, and maybe to look over a wider area.

Why is the second adult not working?

Yes landlord would provide evidence if i asked.

Second aldult is working he has opened up a shop and at the moment no income is coming to the house because as soon as stock is used he puts money back in the business for more stock. (not great deal of money coming in just yet, has been running for only 5 months)

RAS

So the shop restricts your capacity to move? How far radius could you move?

limboland

Not really the shop, its the kids school. And also my work. Needs to be within a half a mile radius really.

limboland

dancingfairy wrote: »

Regarding the original question - you owe 32,000 grand and at the moment don't appear to have any way of paying it back but if you were to move house would you then want/be able to make payments to pay off that 32,000? personally bankruptcy is looking like the best option - have a check on the bankruptcy board and I'm sure you they will help you - I would have thought the electric arrears would go into the bankruptcy as well.
Regarding moving you would have to probably rent privately as agencies will credit check you or require 6 months rent up front or a gurantor. You may also be able to get help from the council re getting a deposit etc. It's not easy though. I believe there was a thread on this question on the bankruptcy board recently - you could also try the housing board on here as well and see if they can help.
d:

Hia, thanks for reply. I have asked my landlord if he has any other properties to lease, but he hasnt at the moment.

Will have a look at the other parts of the forum you mentioned.

RAS

Hi

if you restrict yourself to that radius, is there any chance of getting alternative housing?

As really, you are not even earning enough to pay electric and oil costs, so if you have to move, even if your income goes down whilst you re-build your client base, you will be quids in. You need to get out of that house this summer.

limboland

RAS wrote: »

Hi

if you restrict yourself to that radius, is there any chance of getting alternative housing?

As really, you are not even earning enough to pay electric and oil costs, so if you have to move, even if your income goes down whilst you re-build your client base, you will be quids in. You need to get out of that house this summer.

I do agree actually. Noone ever believes me when i tell them how much i spend on utilities. Do people really think i want to waste money on them lol. Going to hunt for private landlords and see what happens. (The house i lost only cost me 15 pound a week electricity and that was four bedrooms.) Thankyou ras. Its good to hear other peoples opinions.

limboland

And its actually quite nice talking about my hidden debts.

rogerblack

limboland wrote: »

I do agree actually. Noone ever believes me when i tell them how much i spend on utilities. Do people really think i want to waste money on them lol. Going to hunt for private landlords and see what happens. (The house i lost only cost me 15 pound a week electricity and that was four bedrooms.) Thankyou ras. Its good to hear other peoples opinions.

For anyone thinking they're spending too much on electricity - I would _strongly_ urge people to investigate where it's all going.

Some energy companies offer free energy meters, that you connect to your electricity meter.
You can also get http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PLUG-ENERGY-MONITOR-SAVING-ELECTRICITY-USAGE-METER-/140509521913?pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item20b70527f9 - for example (not endorsing this particular seller).

This type of device is _wonderful_ for tracking energy.

First - unplug and turn off _everything_.
Now, check your meter (the electricity companies one) does not move.

Plug in a (full) kettle to the above meter, and say it measures 1600W.

1600W is 1600watt-hours per hour, or 1.66KWh. (around 16p per hour)

Now, go and look in your meter cupboard.
It should say something like "200 flashes per KWh" or "166 2/3rd revs per KWh".

There are 3600 seconds in an hour.
If you see a flash every 30 seconds.

3600/30 = 120 flashes an hour.

200/120 = 1.666KW.

If these match (roughly), and your meter is stopped when all loads are off, then your meter is probably right.

Now begins the boring stuff.
Unplug and measure every single appliance you own.
For a washing machine, this might be a typical load, plus looking at the standby use for a day.
For a microwave, a couple of days use.

Then there are 'hidden' loads.
Do you perhaps have your hot water heated by electricity?
Is your tank properly lagged? A roll of insulation wrapped round an existing tank can greatly reduce energy loss.

Then there is faulty, or improperly installed stuff.
For example, my sister found that with everything off, there was 50W 'spare'.
This eventually turned out after investigation - turning off all the breakers one by one - to be on the bathroom circuit.
Eventually, it was tracked down to a couple of shaver sockets, that were using stupid amounts of standby power.

You probably can't really with children take the approach I have this winter - heat the place to 5C, and wear _lots_and_lots_ of jumpers, and use a electric blanket.