Living without electricity.

Chid1

EssexHebridean said:

OK - I'll bite. How have you managed to live in a house without using any electricity since October? 

I care for a relative and get no payment for it - not even carer's allowance. Instead I share the meals that I make there and use the  shower and internet facilities . I go home to either work in the garden (where I cut the grass with a manual push mower) or, in the winter, go home to bed.
 I've lived in my current home for over 14 years and when I moved in had to learn to live on a very tight budget. Since moving in I have never had a fridge, freezer, cooker, television or central heating. There was a storage heating system which I didn't use  - but I took advantage of the cheap night time electricity to shower, do a wash ( I did have the luxury of a washing machine which I use on a cold wash cycle) and, in the morning before the cheap rate went off, I would boil a kettle and fill a flask for cups of tea.I would charge up my digital radio and basic mobile 'phone at night. I installed a multi-fuel stove on which I could heat up soup and make toast. and for other food I had a microwave. I also learned to cook pasta, rice and eggs in a food flask - using just one boil of the kettle instead of having to keep a pan on a hotplate for much longer.
I was working at the time and spent much of my days away from home but, because of Covid had to give up my jobs to protect the person I am now caring for. This means that the only guaranteed income I have is £50 per week form a company pension - until I get my "stolen" contributions back from the govt in three years time - six years later than it should have been paid.
 At one point I was able to get a "No Standing Charge Tariff" and my bills for the two year period were approx £16 for each year . After the standing charge was added I didn't need to top up for another year and so kept the rate low for three years in total. Now my annual bill will be around £200 - and that is without using a unit.
To begin with this was all done out of necessity - now I see it as a challenge to deprive the energy companies of as much as I can possibly manage.
I'm lucky because I live in a rural area and there is so much one can do outdoors - even in Scotland!

Chid1

Ultrasonic said:

Chid1 said:

I wondered if there was a way to do it without informing the landlord. I haven;t used one unit since October and yet I'm facing a standing charge of nearly £200 per year under the new rates. I can no longer find a "no standing charge" tariff.

If you read your letting contract I bet you'll find a clause prohibiting you from having the electricity supply disconnected.

As asked above, I'm baffled as to how you might use zero electricity. What do you do for lighting as a start?

Do stuff during the daylight and sleep when it's dark - as nature intended. 

Chid1

coupleuk said:

You can apply to have your Electric supply "de-energised" which is not the same as having it disconnected altogether.

BUT there is even a charge just to have a computer tick box pressed to de-energise and then to re-energise again.

Thanks - might do that. According to Martin I can avoid the increased standing charge until  I next have to re-fill the meter - that will be when I get the voucher for the £200 loan from the govt in October so Once I have put their money in would be the time to do it.

sevenhills

[Deleted User] said:

Let us assume that your Landlord agreed to your request, which I very much doubt they will, you would have to pay your supplier to remove your electricity meter and to cap the supply. On relinquishing responsibility for the property, the landlord would reasonably expect you to arrange and pay for the supply to be reconnected. 

Why should the landlord object? Government, councils and all large organisations believe in climate change and want us all to reduce our energy consumption.

I have solar panels, there are systems that use batteries, in order to live off-grid.

Chid1

QrizB said:

Chid1 said:

I wondered if there was a way to do it without informing the landlord. I haven;t used one unit since October and yet I'm facing a standing charge of nearly £200 per year under the new rates. I can no longer find a "no standing charge" tariff.

There's a charge of around £200 to have a supply disconnected, too.

And in October you'll receive a £200 bill credit, which will more than cover a year's standing charges.

Why/how haven't you used any electricity since October?

The credit has to be repaid  and it will cover the standing charge with 90p to spare - hardly "more than cover".

Chid1

[Deleted User] said:

Surely this is a wind up. 

No - it isn't a wind up. 

spoovy

sevenhills said:

[Deleted User] said:

Let us assume that your Landlord agreed to your request, which I very much doubt they will, you would have to pay your supplier to remove your electricity meter and to cap the supply. On relinquishing responsibility for the property, the landlord would reasonably expect you to arrange and pay for the supply to be reconnected. 

Why should the landlord object? Government, councils and all large organisations believe in climate change and want us all to reduce our energy consumption.

I have solar panels, there are systems that use batteries, in order to live off-grid.

Because the average landlord is none of those things.

Chid1

Chid1 said:

Ultrasonic said:

Chid1 said:

I wondered if there was a way to do it without informing the landlord. I haven;t used one unit since October and yet I'm facing a standing charge of nearly £200 per year under the new rates. I can no longer find a "no standing charge" tariff.

If you read your letting contract I bet you'll find a clause prohibiting you from having the electricity supply disconnected.

As asked above, I'm baffled as to how you might use zero electricity. What do you do for lighting as a start?

Do stuff during the daylight and sleep when it's dark - as nature intended. 

Why lighting in particular? The lightbulb has only been around since 1879 - not a long time in the history of human evolution.

EssexHebridean

Chid1 said:

Deleted_User said:

Surely this is a wind up. 

No - it isn't a wind up. 

OP - you can multi-quote by simply hitting the "quote" option again within one post, Otherwise there is a risk that you will get flagged up for using this as a "post builder" exercise - increasing your post count by replying separately to everyone. 

Chid1 said:

[Deleted User] said:

Surely this is a wind up. 

No - it isn't a wind up. 

See? Multiple quotes - and responses, in one reply. 

Sea_Shell

Is the person you care for going to be able to continue to support your usage of their power once their prices rise?