help for OAP with very low energy use

Firies

Hi I am new to this but need help. My 95year old mother-in -law has just moved to a one bed flat in a well insulated purpose built block. Her energy (only electric) will be very low because she gets main meal provided and so will hardly cook at all just kettle and toaster. Hot water is supplied, so it is really only lights TV and heating which is seem to be dimplex heaters in living room (she says she never uses heating in the bedroom). I need to find best tariff for her, funds are low and she is on Guaranteed Pension Credit so we need to save as much as possible. I have no idea where to start and what to look for. Also the flat was empty for some time and so there are no details of usage from the previous owner. Any help would be great.

cifpower

Is the electricity Economy 7?

It appears she would get £140 warm home discount and £300 winter fuel payment which could easily pay her electricity for the year.

Nada666

Even if she only uses heating in the sitting room she will still be above the usage where standing charges will be onerous. She won't really have a 'very' low consumption.

Simply look at the tariffs available at her postcode and choose one of the fixes (if she is happy to pay by direct debit.) Make sure the supplier you choose is part of the warm home discount. Even if she wants to pay quarterly a supplier like EDF will only charge £60 extra. Whether she uses four, five or six thousand kWhs a year the choice will not be critical - any good tariff will cover a decent range.

And if she is a very low user and only using ten or fifteen hundred kWh then - tell her to sort herself out and put the heating on!

Are you near enough to visit regularly? If so pop round and monitor her meter and show her how little her insulated home costs at a decent temperature - particularly when she will receive £440 towards her bill.

footyguy

Firies wrote: »

Hi I am new to this but need help. My 95year old mother-in -law has just moved to a one bed flat in a well insulated purpose built block. Her energy (only electric) will be very low because she gets main meal provided and so will hardly cook at all just kettle and toaster. Hot water is supplied, so it is really only lights TV and heating which is seem to be dimplex heaters in living room (she says she never uses heating in the bedroom). I need to find best tariff for her, funds are low and she is on Guaranteed Pension Credit so we need to save as much as possible. I have no idea where to start and what to look for. Also the flat was empty for some time and so there are no details of usage from the previous owner. Any help would be great.

Start here:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/you-switch-gas-electricity

You don't need usage data to use a comparison site, but the output will be more accurate if you did have it.

Edit: Do pop back when you have more time if you need additional help ...