MSE News: Energy prices: 'The only way is up'

[Deleted User]

I agree that UK houses should be more energy efficient. Super energy efficient homes are a big part of the answer but as Trix3y points out it is not our fault. Houses were not built like that. And what is worse about the whole situation as far as houses go, there is still no legal requirement about house sizes, quality or energy efficiency. All new builds should be double glazed, AAA energy efficient and so on - but they are not. I still remember going to Germany on holiday as a kid and examining the door that lifted up and then down again when you opened them to make a draughtproof seal when closed. That was a long time ago!

Not-for-profit State ownership of state assets seems to me basic common sense. Why would I want to sell the family assets to foreigners so they can take the profit. It's a bizarre idea. But it is the market and the market knows best. Nearly all of our power companies are now foreign owned.

And anyone who thinks the old and sick on low incomes shouldn't be subsidised hasn't read the statistics and doesn't know any old people living in freezing houses. I do. My father had to go back to hospital when he was ill because the temperature at home was just too cold and fluctuating and detrimental to his health. I couldn't live in my friend's mother's house - too cold for me!

And also there is no "real" reason why wholesale prices keep rising - it's market speculation and manipulation that does that. There is no shortage of gas for example - just a price set by the market that like everything else just keeps going up as all the dealers from source to us want to take as big a cut as they can get away with. That is the market. That's how it works. That's OK for stuff we don't need to buy like Mars Bars. And that is the problem of being dependent on other countries.

[Deleted User]

SandraScarlett wrote: »

We're a pensioner couple and I've just received my gas bill for the quarter from Scottish & Southern :eek: I pay £60 a month DD and I still owe them £197!!!!

DH has Alzheimers and feels the cold so much. We have a 2 bed semi detached bungalow, with new double glazing, but it's been such a long and rotten winter, and we've had the heating on nearly every day. And for quite a large chunk of the time, we've had it on 24 hours a day.

The 19% rise hasn't helped either. :(:( Oh well, there's no pockets in a shroud.

xx

Actually your house must be quite energy efficient if that's all you pay. My mother pays double that out of her pension. Not much comfort I know.

Pincher

We used 35,000kWh gas from October 2012 to May 2013.

Usually 25,000kWh should be enough, but this winter has been horrendous.

This is after some major renovations which included lots of Kingspan lining the roof, which the government would never have subsidised. The few rolls of rock wool we got for free are just a joke.

silverwhistle

Pincher wrote: »

We used <SNIP>/QUOTE]


I'm moving back to the UK soon, so for budgetting reasons have asked my aged mum what she pays DD for gas in her 3-bedroom house, and it's nothing like the last few posters have mentioned (2/3 oreven a fair bit less). It would appear that the variability in property really makes a difference..

keith1950

We used 35,000kWh gas from October 2012 to May 2013.

You must have your heating on full for 24 hours a day !

When I visit my mother , walking in its like hitting a wall of heat, it makes me feel unwell within minutes, she gets too used to having it too hot. She uses 28,000 kwh/year.

I used 15,500 kwh for the whole the last 12 months.

Pincher

keith1950 wrote: »

You must have your heating on full for 24 hours a day !

There is no OFF mode, so it is effectively on 24 hours.
On the other hand, because the boiler is simmering, it is condensing most of the time, so I get maximum benefit from the gas I burn. I have been using 20 degrees when people are in, and 18 degrees for over night. I tried 16 degrees, but people were complaining.

jem16

Pincher wrote: »

There is no OFF mode, so it is effectively on 24 hours.
On the other hand, because the boiler is simmering, it is condensing most of the time, so I get maximum benefit from the gas I burn. I have been using 20 degrees when people are in, and 18 degrees for over night. I tried 16 degrees, but people were complaining.

Assuming you are using a programmable thermostat, the OFF mode is having the temperature set low enough not to bring the heating on.

I have 19 degrees from 4pm to 7.30pm, then 21 degrees from 7.30pm till 10pm. 10pm till 6.30am it's usually set to 10 degrees which means it's usually off. Sometimes I'll make this 15 degrees if it's really cold but even at that it very rarely kicks in. An overnight temperature of 18 degrees seems far too high.

During week days when I'm out it's set to the same temperature as overnight so heating isn't on. At weekends I have the daytime temperature at 18 degrees as I'm usually at home.

Using these temperatures and having a large 3 bedroom bungalow I very rarely go over 22,000 for the whole year.

Pincher

jem16 wrote: »

Assuming you are using a programmable thermostat, the OFF mode is having the temperature set low enough not to bring the heating on.

I am aware of it, but I have tenants, so I cannot let it get too low. I have tried 16 degrees overnight, but people were complaining. I did manage 25,000kWh last year when I was by myself, when I kept the TRVs low in rooms not in use. It's a five bed bungalow with the volume of at least 1.5 times a normal four bed semi, so 35,000kWh is not too bad. If a well insulated four bed takes 25,000kWh a year, then 1.5 times that is 37,500kWh.

Edwardia

Just received our annual energy statement today..

24 Oct 2011 to 23 Oct 2012 2,648 kWh electricity and 20,288 kwH gas total cost £1,197.22

24 Oct 2012 to 23 Oct 2013 2,693 electricity and 24,598 kwH gas total cost £1,469.36

Four bedroom Edwardian house, partially double glazed, above standard loft insulation. Gas central heating and two log/coal-burning fireplaces if needed.

Just fixed with EDF to March 2017 as previous fix expired 1st Oct and OH forgot. OH did switch us to nPower in past but their customer service was dire so went back.

We cook with gas as well as using it for heating and hot water. As far as electricity is concerned we don't have TV (watch catch-up on laptop) microwave or tumble drier but we have fridge, freezer, washing machine (three loads a week), CCTV 24/7, two laptops, pedestal fans and gadgets/games.

France exports electricity to Kent and Kent to France via an under-Channel cable as with the hour time difference it helps with peak demand. Kent has a nuclear power plant and a couple of wind farms .