Energy Price Rise, Storage Heaters, Council Property

brendan79

Hi all

So I just got my email from eon next with my new direct debit amount from 1 April. I knew the increase would come but it still hit me like a brick.

I live in a small council flat, 2 bedrooms, just me and my son (age 24)

My direct debit is changing from £102.00 per month to £163.93.  I have always thought my bills were too high even taking into consideration the fact that my flat uses storage heaters that are known to be expensive and wasteful.

I'd be interested in hearing about other peoples usage and what they pay in similar situations to mine as well as people who live in houses with bigger families to get a good comparison.

Council will not spend money installing more efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly and as far as they are concerned won't move me to another flat or house because as far as they're concerned I have a roof over my head and housing need is met. So a move would have to be a swap and without going into war and peace, i feel disadvantaged due to area, aesthetics and a number of things less desirable to a potential swapper.

Eon will come and check my meter but say if there is nothing wrong they will charge me £100 for the testing. 

What are everyone else's experiences and thoughts on the increased prices? Any suggestions or tips? Does my electricity seem high compared to yours? Happy for any conversation at all about the rises or how people are going to cope!

Thanks.

Verdigris

Your energy costs have gone up in line with everybody else's.

The_Fat_Controller

If those amounts are actually covering your usage then they are quite reasonable for an all electric property.

Have you actually checked whether your account is in credit or debit ?

brendan79

The_Fat_Controller said:

If those amounts are actually covering your usage then they are quite reasonable for an all electric property.

Have you actually checked whether your account is in credit or debit ?

Yeah quite a bit in credit but kind of evens out during the winter and builds up in the summer. 

I mean, I can afford the amounts.  When I talk to friends they always say compared to theirs mine is high. People who live in 2-3 bedroom houses with a family of 4+ and they say pay 20-40 pounds less than me in my 2 bedroom shoebox with just me and my son.  Ive aways just put the extra I pay down to the expensive storage heaters.

victor2

brendan79 said:

Hi all

So I just got my email from eon next with my new direct debit amount from 1 April. I knew the increase would come but it still hit me like a brick.

I live in a small council flat, 2 bedrooms, just me and my son (age 24)

My direct debit is changing from £102.00 per month to £163.93.  I have always thought my bills were too high even taking into consideration the fact that my flat uses storage heaters that are known to be expensive and wasteful.

I'd be interested in hearing about other peoples usage and what they pay in similar situations to mine as well as people who live in houses with bigger families to get a good comparison.

Council will not spend money installing more efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly and as far as they are concerned won't move me to another flat or house because as far as they're concerned I have a roof over my head and housing need is met. So a move would have to be a swap and without going into war and peace, i feel disadvantaged due to area, aesthetics and a number of things less desirable to a potential swapper.

Eon will come and check my meter but say if there is nothing wrong they will charge me £100 for the testing. 

What are everyone else's experiences and thoughts on the increased prices? Any suggestions or tips? Does my electricity seem high compared to yours? Happy for any conversation at all about the rises or how people are going to cope!

Thanks.

Look at your actual annual usage of electricity in kWh rather than cost. Do you provide regular readings, do you have a smart meter (maybe not in a flat), are the readings estimated?

Is your account in debit or credit?

Can you easily read your meter whenever you want?

If you can establish how much electricity you are actually using, you can get better advice on possible ways to reduce usage and subsequently save money.

Meters don't go wrong as often as people would like to believe, and it's a relatively simple thing to do a basic test on without risking paying the supplier.

Verdigris

When I talk to friends they always say compared to theirs mine is high. People who live in 2-3 bedroom houses with a family of 4+ and they say pay 20-40 pounds less than me

Perhaps they shopped around for energy? EDF aren't noted for competitive prices.

Academic, now, of course.

coffeehound

@brendan79 are your storage heaters meeting all your heating needs, or do you need to use extra peak-rate heating in the evening?

brendan79

coffeehound said:

@brendan79 are your storage heaters meeting all your heating needs, or do you need to use extra peak-rate heating in the evening?

Well this is a good question.  Weather in this country is a lottery lol. How do I know what to set my heating to from one day to the next? I know I can check the weather? but who makes a daily choir of looking at the weather to adjust their heater programme so that they have just the right amount of warmth. It just isn't practical. Even if you check the weather it could turn out to be wrong.

To answer your question - I think more than meeting my needs, the storage heaters are brand new replacements and I honestly think theyre too big for the rooms they are used in.

brendan79

Look at your actual annual usage of electricity in kWh rather than cost. Do you provide regular readings, do you have a smart meter (maybe not in a flat), are the readings estimated?

Is your account in debit or credit?

Can you easily read your meter whenever you want?

If you can establish how much electricity you are actually using, you can get better advice on possible ways to reduce usage and subsequently save money.

Meters don't go wrong as often as people would like to believe, and it's a relatively simple thing to do a basic test on without risking paying the supplier.

Yes, more now than ever before I need to get on top of this and learn how this all works. It's just such a complicated thing to understand when you dont know.

Aylesbury_Duck

brendan79 said:

coffeehound said:

@brendan79 are your storage heaters meeting all your heating needs, or do you need to use extra peak-rate heating in the evening?

Well this is a good question.  Weather in this country is a lottery lol. How do I know what to set my heating to from one day to the next? I know I can check the weather? but who makes a daily choir of looking at the weather to adjust their heater programme so that they have just the right amount of warmth. It just isn't practical. Even if you check the weather it could turn out to be wrong.

To answer your question - I think more than meeting my needs, the storage heaters are brand new replacements and I honestly think theyre too big for the rooms they are used in.

Isn't that what a thermostat's for?  I don't change my temperature or timings, I just set the thermostat at the desired setting and let the system do the rest.  Why would I check the weather forecast?

victor2

brendan79 said:

Look at your actual annual usage of electricity in kWh rather than cost. Do you provide regular readings, do you have a smart meter (maybe not in a flat), are the readings estimated?

Is your account in debit or credit?

Can you easily read your meter whenever you want?

If you can establish how much electricity you are actually using, you can get better advice on possible ways to reduce usage and subsequently save money.

Meters don't go wrong as often as people would like to believe, and it's a relatively simple thing to do a basic test on without risking paying the supplier.

Yes, more now than ever before I need to get on top of this and learn how this all works. It's just such a complicated thing to understand when you dont know.

Start with simpler steps...

Do you have a smart meter with an In-House Display, or do you have to read it yourself?

Do you have copies of your bills? If you rely on logging in to your account to view them, download copies so that you can view them offline.