Fuel Poverty Q&A with Drew Hendry MP 2pm today. Share your experiences!

UKParliament

You can watch the debate live from 4.30pm tomorrow or catch-up via Parliament TV.

Gigervamp

MSE_Andrea wrote: »

Hi Gigervamp, just in case you haven't seen it we have a Cheap Heating Oil guide.

Yes I have, but because we couldn't afford the initial cost of filling the tank, we've had to sign up for a budget account with one supplier.

We did have an account with another supplier, but one time, when we needed a top up, they decided they couldn't deliver to us any more as our tank didn't meet their requirements any more.

New supplier came and had a look at it and said there was no problem with the tank, so we went with them as we could set up a monthly payment plan with them.

We're happy with the supplier we're with now, as their customer service is excellent, but it does mean we're stuck with their price.

DrewHendryMP

I will be leading the debate in Westminster Hall tomorrow at 4.30 pm, if you wish to email me any points then you can reach me at [EMAIL="drew.hendry.mp@parliament.uk"]drew.hendry.mp@parliament.uk[/EMAIL]


Thanks once again for inviting me to take part

Pete_Davis

I am a 61 year old man , just been 'laid off' from my job as I was honewst with a customer. I am Diabetic and have had a heart attack a few years ago. I pay £15 a week for electric, all I use is the television...computer...clock...electric blanket and electric to run my boiler, which is only used once a week for a bath. I see this as being rather expensive !!! I only ever put the heating on when my grandchildren are brought to see me as they are all under 4 yrs old. My gas works out around £10 a week and it is used for cooking, just the oven. Now and again for the boiler for hot water. How a guy my age is supposed to stay alive through winter with no heating I will never know. I get £72 a week from unemployment.This country needs to help people like me, but no, they send money all over the world for different causes while people who have been here all their life freeze to death. I dont even use lights when going downstairs at night because of the costs. Will we ever help our own in Britain ???????

sapman17

I went to the energy ombudsman with my complaint against BG they did give me £50 back as a goodwill gesture as BG had messed up my direct debit they didn't rectify the situation at all my debts all came from when I was unfairly dismissed from 2009- 2011 my job seekers hardly covered my mortgage i don't know how other people survived on it I couldn't. My water bills went the same way I owe them £1400. I had to survive on charities like the print charity who gave me a bit of a lifeline. They paid for my security licenses but i did't realize it was also an industry where they don't pay a living wage. the government should be making sure the sia check the employees getting there licenses are getting a fair deal.The employers see there officers as cheap labour

D_M_E

There should be an outright ban on all fuel companies charging customers a termination fee when/if they switch before the end of their current contract/agreement.

With the recent falling prices, it cannot be right that power companies ONLY pass on any reductions solely to customers on their standard, expensive tariffs - any price cuts should be applied across the board to ALL tariffs.

Also, the National Database which stores details of energy used at a property over the last 70 years should either be scrapped or updated - it is useless when the property is sold and the new owner/occupier uses far less energy than the previous occupier and, if the new occupiers then decide to switch, as a result of this database there is very often a dispute raised because the estimate "agreed" between suppliers and the database bears no resemblance to actual usage.

Finally, when doing price comparisons, the customer's ACTUAL usage should be used for comparison, NOT about 60% or so of the figures supplied - using the lower figure is misleading and could potentially see the customer paying more AFTER the switch than before should they decide to switch.

bella165

MSE_Andrea wrote: »

This is your chance to have your stories and experiences mentioned in Parliament tomorrow.

Tell Drew how you're coping with your fuel bills and he'll feed your stories into the debate tomorrow.

I have copd and is registered disabled with 3 kids but i cant afford to put any gas on due to the meters standing charges had built up i put £30 on last week and got a hours worth of heating!! , i didnt want the meter yet i still have to pay for it. im dreading it when it gets even colder

fiftyeighter_2

I know I'm probably too late now, only just seen this.
I'm an OAP with asthma, COPD and arthritis. I only have a small 2 bed roomed bungalow but am finding it extremely hard to keep warm. It is costing me £40 per week just for the gas central heating in winter. The electric maybe £10 per week. My total income is 150 per week so a third on heating alone. I worked full time all my life from age 15 till retirement.
I am not alone, many of my OAP friends are in the same predicament.
Thankyou.

crin

I have been leaving my heating off as I don't want to end up with a bill I can;t pay I already pay a lot out each month, more almost more than a weeks income. I have heart problems among other things so not ideal to get cold. When I first moved into my home my gas and electric together was a fraction of what I pay now. I change tariff every year too.

Even when I use minimal gas and electric my bill can be quite high(eg summer) because of the standing charges as I usually read the meter myself I fail to see why these costs should be so high they never do anything to the pipes on our estate and if I have to pay it on a low income why can't others.

I don't agree with people getting over £100 a year from the gas and electricity suppliers to help with their bills just because they are on income support sometimes people on income support are better off than me as I have to pay for everything that they get for free plus they also get the £25pw from the state again people like me on low incomes do not get this.

The whole utility business needs sorting our big time I'm tired of being cold when I've worked all my life.

PlymouthMaid

I don't have bigger bills purely because I do not have the heating on before 5pm even when it is very cold. I started this last Winter to try to reduce my bills but they were higher anyway so that means that I definitely cannot risk using it more. Lack of warmth makes my rheumatism flare up more which is miserable and it also encourages damp in the house.