Travelling On

badmemory

You really don't want my energy bill.  Before my supplier went kaput it was a correct just over £140/month, when I moved onto the SVR effective in Oct in went to a correct £225/month.  I expect it to go to at least £350 a month in April when the new SVR comes in.  As Martin says these rates so far are below ANY fixed rates available, I have checked plus I still haven't got my £350 that would have covered winter back, taken 4 months so far!  I am so lucky to have been able to make serious savings my last couple of years in work.  Does anyone know of anything that only went up by 3.1% in the year to Sept, because I only have my water bill based on rateable value not meter is the only thing that I know about.  It really is a bad job when you can't even trust official inflation figures.

Sorry folks - rant over.  Just a little concerned about things!

apple_muncher

Hope you slept well, karma, and didn't have stuff whizzing round your head.

rtandon27

Thanks for the link KC! Hope you were able to clear your head before falling asleep!

86 is what we currently use, but our direct debit is less as we've just moved here and it was based on a weird estimate of use in an empty house.  I keep the amount due ring-fenced and just let the direct debit go as they requsted. The rest  is there for when they request it.

I think that our usage is realistic as we have double glazed, a new boiler, keep the thermostat between 17 and 20, wear thermals and managed to close the loft hatch. Not much more I can think of to reduce usage!

Chiglepig

Argh! KC, you've got me researching gro-lights now - some decent budget options from the big Swedish flat-pack store, . . . then I started looking at Plantspectrum professional set-ups . . . oooh, the possibilities, for my new study layout

Suffolk_lass

We are paying £198 per month for electricity-only now and in winter I am topping that up because the supplier (also Scottish Power) refunded the cushion I had built up ready for winter (when we use our electric aga). I have ranted elsewhere about the stupidity of this and they now know that £55 a month is because we hardly use anything except washing machine and dishwasher in summer (not much TV, hardly any lights), shower runs off the boiler, which is oil. I still have not added enough back to be where we were in September but after the 3rd Jan bill (accurate readings) we are £3.96 in credit. It will all come out in the wash and the tariff is the best I could get at the time (and fixed until the end of August '23)

Karmacat

badmemory said:

You really don't want my energy bill.  Before my supplier went kaput it was a correct just over £140/month, when I moved onto the SVR effective in Oct in went to a correct £225/month.  
........

Sorry folks - rant over.  Just a little concerned about things!

Blimey, no, I really don't, badmemory!  I can't believe you're profligate with your energy usage, is your house big, or new-to-you and badly insulated?  I'm not at all surprised that you're concerned.

rtandon27 said:

86 is what we currently use, but our direct debit is less as we've just moved here and it was based on a weird estimate of use in an empty house.  I keep the amount due ring-fenced and just let the direct debit go as they requsted. The rest  is there for when they request it.

I think that our usage is realistic as we have double glazed, a new boiler, keep the thermostat between 17 and 20, wear thermals and managed to close the loft hatch. Not much more I can think of to reduce usage!

Absolutey, those are the main big things.  I think I'd still focus on getting curtains or blinds up, but then you get on to the little things - batch cooking, efficient freezer use, that sort of thing.  Closing the loft hatch - I can hear your own personal nightmare experience there!  I'm glad you managed to get it closed!Suffolk_lass said:

We are paying £198 per month for electricity-only now and in winter I am topping that up because the supplier (also Scottish Power) refunded the cushion I had built up ready for winter (when we use our electric aga). I have ranted elsewhere about the stupidity of this and they now know that £55 a month is because we hardly use anything except washing machine and dishwasher in summer (not much TV, hardly any lights), shower runs off the boiler, which is oil. I still have not added enough back to be where we were in September but after the 3rd Jan bill (accurate readings) we are £3.96 in credit. It will all come out in the wash and the tariff is the best I could get at the time (and fixed until the end of August '23)

Gosh, that's a lot!  No wonder my £62/£86 looks so tiny to people.  £3.96 in credit at this time of year sounds very good to me in terms of managing the direct debit.  I'm kind of ignoring the fact that I have a debt - they could put my DD up off their own bat if they wanted to, but they haven't.  And I've got the money to pay them instantly if they demand it in one go, so I'm just not fiddling with it, not right now. 

Tax declaration still not in, when I've finished here, that and cleaning the shopping will be my priorities.

Karmacat

apple_muncher said:

Hope you slept well, karma, and didn't have stuff whizzing round your head.

rtandon27 said:

Thanks for the link KC! Hope you were able to clear your head before falling asleep!

I think that our usage is realistic as we have double glazed, a new boiler, keep the thermostat between 17 and 20, wear thermals and managed to close the loft hatch. Not much more I can think of to reduce usage!

Thank you both!  The figurework didn't cause a problem in the end, though a late email from my eldest nephew did, the computer whiz guy up north.  Sent me a recipe for rabbit pie, I kid you not ... he wasn't dragged up in the Dock Road gutter, I don't understand that casual cruelty.  I'm not really a scouser at all, sometimes.

Karmacat

Chiglepig said:

Argh! KC, you've got me researching gro-lights now - some decent budget options from the big Swedish flat-pack store, . . . then I started looking at Plantspectrum professional set-ups . . . oooh, the possibilities, for my new study layout

Ooh, Chiglepig!  I *had* to get this little wand of LED lights from the big river store, to make up the basket, but I only bought one, because it's an experiment.  Never even thought of the Swedish one, but I remember now that they started to sell hydroponic equipment a few years ago, is that right?  Will definitely have a wander over there at lunchtime, thank you for the reminder!

Chiglepig

KC, I think their cultivation lightbulb that fits regular screw in lamps is called Vaxer ( ) - it's a large screw-in fitting (E27), the article I found was a couple of years old, but I'm going to check online then might be taking a trip next week (there are a few other bits I either want, or need to look at and the bulbs may be a tipping point to make it work while.

Edit:

Just checked on line, doesn't look like they still do it under that name, back to the research.

Karmacat

Thanks Chiglepig - that's *particularly* what I want, I have a lovely wooden standard lamp with an adjustable head, which I inherited from my mum, that would use that a treat.  Brilliant.

Just phoned SSE, I was so impressed with the woman who answered the call I stayed on the line to answer their survey - top marks in every question.  She had an extra side of unasked-for help that was extremely useful.