Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

[Deleted User]

Sorry you're feeling fragile after the grief counsellor phoned, HH, but I'm not surprised. Lets hope they can do something to help you as the loss of 2 close loved ones in such a short time must be so hard, especially with everything else that's darkening your life at the moment. Take care:kisses3:


I never got my shower last night, chickened out of being doused with potentially tepid water. Filled 2 hot water bottles and went straight to bed where I slept really well. It had been an emotionally exhausting day as I'd been asked to keep an eye on my friend's brother and he was acting very unpredictably all day and wandered off twice:eek:


I'm feeling euphoric otherwise because I've just settled my biggest debt at a really good discount:j. I bit the bullet and did it over the phone. I'm such a wimp dealing with difficult situations on the phone so my rare courage this time surprised me. I won't pay until I receive the written confirmation that I won't be chased for the outstanding balance and then I'll transfer the money straight away. I thought this day would never come, being free of what was my biggest and most troublesome creditor. Not only that but they agreed to backdate the default to the very start of my DMP instead of the 3 years into it that they did originally and, in what was a massive surprise to me, awarded me £660 in wrongly charged fees and interest as a result. Then, to cap it all she gave me £100 by way of apology, paid straight into my current account and now safely in my F&F pot awaiting my next settlement attempt. I need to keep pinching myself as such good luck rarely comes my way.


I was feeling pretty sorry for myself:o when I posted last night all cold and tired. Amazing what a new day brings. Even the sun's shining today and my cold seems to be drying up. happy days:j

HairyHandofDartmoor

That's fantastic news about your F&F settlement Carboot :T. Very well done :beer:. How much did you owe on the debt and what discount did you negotiate? Definitely a good idea not to pay until they confirm in writing.

Hopefully this will cheer you up after your difficult day at the funeral yesterday.

[Deleted User]

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

I forced myself to ring NPow3r as it's been niggling me for weeks and I wanted to sort it out one way or another. It's not good news .

I spoke to someone and although we are using LESS power, wholesale electricity prices have gone up 50% and gas prices have gone up 25%. Unbelievable I know. I got her to repeat it three times. Did you say 50%? Fifty per cent not fifteen percent? 50%? But yes electricity really HAS gone up 50% :eek: :eek:. Unless you're lucky enough to be on a fixed tarrif, which we are not.

So despite not using the heating, not using the tumbler, and DS3 having moved out, we still have to pay £45 per week :eek:. We could move onto a fixed rate but that would be £47 per week.

We can't move to another supplier because we're in debt to this one, now even more in debt apparently :mad:. So all we can do is try to use less.

So DS1 has been banned from having the tv on in the daytime (he has a laptop and phone he can use, or books he can read). And we're going to ask DS2 to give us £20 a week towards fuel, which would actually cover the increase.

Anyway, this has made up my mind that we won't be going to my niece's wedding in Scotland in the spring. It would cost around £500 and if we had that money to spare we could pay off our debt to NPow3r.

Well done on finding the courage to phone NPower:beer:. I know how hard those sort of calls can be. I wimp out all the time:o.


That's just terrible news from NPower:(. 50%?????:eek:. No wonder you had to ask 3 times. I'm sure there's some help out there for fuel payment problems when people are on a low/irregular income. No one should have to suffer this way, you've cut your usage to the bone already. Having a TV on shouldn't increase your usage much though. Good idea to ask DS for a bit of help over the bills as he'll be the gainer in the long run by maybe being able to have his equipment on.


I'm on a fixed electricity tariff but my monthly DD has gone up by about £8 since my last 'fix'. We're all electric here (no mains gas for miles of here) although we have an oil boiler for the central heating (which we never have on:mad:) and the hot water which is on very little. I usually have to boil a kettle or 2 for the washing up some nights which I keep telling OH probably costs more than the oil. I don't suppose he cares though as he pays for the oil and I pay for the elctric:eek:

HairyHandofDartmoor

The trouble is Carboot that as we're self employed we only have last year's accounts to go on and last year we got the pension money to pay off our debts. We're on the borderline where we get no help, and they only take account of two adults in the house as the DC are over eighteen. Which is why we are going to HAVE to ask DS2 for regular money.

It's very stressful but I don't know what else we can do. You're lucky to be on a fixed rate. When does it end? Why don't you swop with OH and get him to pay for the electricity?

HairyHandofDartmoor

I found this article online but I'm not sure it fully explains it. The woman I spoke to said wholesale electricity prices had gone up 50% and wholesale gas by 25% :huh:


https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/ofgem-energy-price-cap-hike-bills-gas-electricity-consumer-advice-switch-provider-a8481381.html

HairyHandofDartmoor

I found this article by Martin about energy price rises

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2018/09/energy-bill-hikes-following-ofgem-s-price-cap-rise/

beanielou

Great bews carboot crazy.
I am so pleased for you.

beanielou

HHD~~I really did not think electricity had gone up by 50%.
So you really really do need to apply to that energy trust thing that EE has mentioned.
50% :mad: :mad:

please-let-me-be-lucky

Is there any chance DS may be eligible for Warm Homes discount even if you aren’t? Not sure if he’d have to be named on the NPow3r account? I’ve been sent a cheque before rather than it being applied to the account so it might be a possibility. Just a thought. It’s worth £140 Xx

HairyHandofDartmoor

beanielou wrote: »

HHD~~I really did not think electricity had gone up by 50%.
So you really really do need to apply to that energy trust thing that EE has mentioned.
50% :mad: :mad:

That is what the NPow3r woman told me on the phone and I got her to repeat it three times :mad:. Not that I trust them at all.

I could try asking them about the energy trust I suppose, but I doubt if we'd be eligible as we only have last year's income to give them until we get our accounts done. And we had a massive pension payment last year .

We earnt about £7000 each last year, so £14,000 between us (plus the pension money on top), but that was paying for five adults of course. I just don't think we're eligible for any help . Not unless we had another baby and I'm a bit old for that at 54 :eek:.