How to live without heating - save £000s

YoungBlueEyes

I can't remember if you've mentioned this HL, but what happens with your standing charges? Have they cut you loose entirely now? No gas, no electric, no accounts, no charges, no nothing? 

HertsLad

YoungBlueEyes said:

I can't remember if you've mentioned this HL, but what happens with your standing charges? Have they cut you loose entirely now? No gas, no electric, no accounts, no charges, no nothing? 

Eon promised to refund standing charges if no energy is used for a year, and charge no more. So I started with electricity and managed to complete a year, relying only on a relatively small solar set up. I was pleased they actually did refund 12 or 13 months of charges, so I then had a net gain of £400, being the Government's pay out, If one severs the supply completely, it is expensive, something like £150 to leave and presumably £150 when you want to go back. 

I then intended to do the same with gas. I no longer use the boiler for heating the house, so my only need for gas is for my gas cooker. I use it quite a lot but the usage costs are less than half the standing charge. I hope Martin Lewis and others can persuade the energy companies to change this grossly unfair system. My plan was to convert the gas cooker to use propane and claim the standing charge back on gas, too. But I feared EON may wonder why they are keeping me on as a customer, if I am paying them nothing at all. So I have been slow to carry out this part of my plan and am still using a small amount of natural gas. 

YoungBlueEyes

I spose that's half the battle. What are the viable, safe alternatives and would they be more hassle/dearer in the end than just using normal gas...

Bigphil1474

I wouldn't generally let my house drop below 16oC during the day, night time not bothered. It's worth noting the legal minimum temperature at work is 16C for people sitting working, so I think that's a fair marker of what is acceptable. Maybe less if I'm tucked up under a blanket on the sofa watching a movie for a couple of hours, but otherwise not.

cribleader

I received my new electricity & gas rates from my supplier, Utility Warehouse, and was not happy because I am a very low user and because the meter rates will be increased I will stand to only gain about £11 per year.  I then saw the average rates payable as publicised by Martin Lewis and realised that my rates are considerably lower. For electricity I pay 37.167p/day meter charge including VAT. For gas I pay 22.260p/day meter charge including VAT. My k price for electricity will be 27.931p. My k price for gas will be 6.764p.  I have a working smart meter and have been with Utility Warehouse for as long I can remember.  Although I pay by direct debit I have NEVER paid a set fee, always whatever the monthly bill is, reading the meter each month before Smart meters.  I refuse to have my money sitting in someone else’s bank account!  My bills do not vary that much from winter to summer anyway.  I am careful with my usage.   I frequently compare prices and once when it looked like I could get a cheaper rate I almost changed.  As it turned out the new supplier did not fulfil their promise and set up a standing order at a set rate – something I said I would not agree.  Added to that it took ages to get to speak to someone by phone – something I have never struggled with Utility Warehouse.  So I didn’t complete the change and Utility Warehouse sent me £100 voucher for staying with them. I probably pay a little too much for my broadband with them but am reluctant to change because I get such good support.  I have a PAYG smartphone with UW and can't remember the last time I put any money on it, probably £5 over a year ago.  I use free online, WhatsApp messages unless an emergency.  

I regularly compare my bills, get vouchers, free and cheap food, free bus pass to travel during the day so that I don't have to put my heating on and manage to save some money each month from my state pension so do not struggle, even helping my grandchildren and great grandchildren out from time to time, teaching them how to save money.  I am glad I will not have to struggle as much as they will.

HertsLad

Bigphil1474 said:

I wouldn't generally let my house drop below 16oC during the day, night time not bothered. It's worth noting the legal minimum temperature at work is 16C for people sitting working, so I think that's a fair marker of what is acceptable. Maybe less if I'm tucked up under a blanket on the sofa watching a movie for a couple of hours, but otherwise not.

If anyone at work is wearing normal business attire or light workwear, then I'm surprised the legal minimum is anywhere as low as 16C. Most people would freeze, me included. After a few hours, let alone day after day, it would be dangerous, I guess, in terms of an increased risk or strokes, heart attacks or similar. But that's if wearing relatively light clothing. If you start adding layers, like I do, then the whole situation changes so I can't accept it's a marker of what is acceptable, at all.

Swipe

HertsLad said:

Bigphil1474 said:

I wouldn't generally let my house drop below 16oC during the day, night time not bothered. It's worth noting the legal minimum temperature at work is 16C for people sitting working, so I think that's a fair marker of what is acceptable. Maybe less if I'm tucked up under a blanket on the sofa watching a movie for a couple of hours, but otherwise not.

If anyone at work is wearing normal business attire or light workwear, then I'm surprised the legal minimum is anywhere as low as 16C. Most people would freeze, me included. After a few hours, let alone day after day, it would be dangerous, I guess, in terms of an increased risk or strokes, heart attacks or similar. But that's if wearing relatively light clothing. If you start adding layers, like I do, then the whole situation changes so I can't accept it's a marker of what is acceptable, at all.

I suspect most arrive to the workplace in a coat unless they have a parking space right outside the door.

Qyburn

HertsLad said:

If anyone at work is wearing normal business attire or light workwear, then I'm surprised the legal minimum is anywhere as low as 16C. 

The legal limit used to be 16 Deg.C within 30 minutes of starting work. From my experience in the office, sometimes it was pretty cold first thing, but the time people commented was around 11:00 when air temperature would be over 20 and the heating shutting off. "Nae affa warm in here" (touches radiator) "why's the heating off?"

By the way I say "used to" because I know some things have changed. It used to be illegal to heat office premises above 19 Deg.C but that got repealed probably in the late '80s or early '90s when everyone lost interest in energy saving.

dealyboy

@Qyburn said:

HertsLad said:

If anyone at work is wearing normal business attire or light workwear, then I'm surprised the legal minimum is anywhere as low as 16C. 

The legal limit used to be 16 Deg.C within 30 minutes of starting work. From my experience in the office, sometimes it was pretty cold first thing, but the time people commented was around 11:00 when air temperature would be over 20 and the heating shutting off. "Nae affa warm in here" (touches radiator) "why's the f***in heating off?"

By the way I say "used to" because I know some things have changed. It used to be illegal to heat office premises above 19 Deg.C but that got repealed probably in the late '80s or early '90s when everyone lost interest in energy saving.

If that's in Scotland you missed out a word ... there I've put it in for you  .

silverwhistle

Seems a bit early for this thread to be resurrected: the temperature in my (north facing) lounge today was nearly 22 degrees and I'm still in summer trousers and sleeveless tops.

As I get older I tend to like it warmer so in last calendar year, in addition to evenings with the wood burner, I've used under 2200KWh of gas, which also does my hot water when there's not much solar and a deep post sport bath is called for.

But browsing this thread I see some houses get down to ridiculously low temperatures, which mine never does: I've seen 14 in my lounge after a freezing cold night but never lower than that. I'd be busy with the insulation if I saw some of the figures quoted!