Advices needed for prepayment meters user

kimp22

Hi my question is most people paying for energy spread it out over the year in direct debits. I am over prepayment meters so I put in what I use. So at the moment on average its £160 a month on electricity and not used heating since April but still have hot water which is about £10 a week. When it's starts to go cold and dark I will need to use more of both. I received a letter for Scottish Power saying on April's new charges my electricity would be £11 each a week and £9 for the gas.
So my question is should I be saving a set amount every month now for the gas. Total gas bill they said for this year went up from £600 to £1119.

Thanks 
Kim

pochase

Do you have enough spare money to just pay a high bill during the winter months without problem? Than  you don't need to set money aside.

If you can't afford the high bill than you need to set money aside starting  now.

This is by the way not only the case if you are on prepayment, but also if you are paying by variable direct debit.

QrizB

Can I just add that £160/month for electricity seems quite high? Are you paying off arrears?

kimp22

I have no arrears on my prepayment meters but I don't work so I am home all the time and I have a disabled child so washing machine gets used alot.
I am going to try not to use the heating as much this winter, make sure kids are in school everyday and I can layer up or sit in bed. So thinking about at least £100 a month for gas if I do it over 12 months just in case its a bad winter and that on the April price rise not the one in October. My neighbour said his direct debit had gone up to £335 a month and there's no way I could pay that. Definitely need a plan

Thanks kim

Benny2020

£160 a month on electricity at this time of the year is a lot even with the washing machine on each day, surely is room to cut down there so what else are you using?

kimp22

I have 2 freezers one i will be getting rid of soon and a normal fridge/freezer. My husband like Google home devices and have about three with screens on all the time. But he's say they take pennies and they control an extension lead at night which comes on a few hours to charger older sons phone and younger son tablet. My older son has a big gaming computer and I think that takes a lot of power and the oven is on and off constantly because they make there own meals but it's never at set times.
I just thought it might be because I am home all day. 

Thanks 
Kim

QrizB

Benny2020 said:

£160 a month on electricity at this time of the year is a lot even with the washing machine on each day, surely is room to cut down there so what else are you using?

I agree with Benny2020; an energy audit could be a great help.

kimp22 you've said you're with Scottish Power but not what tariff you're on. Are you able to share these details with us?

If it's a standard variable tariff, £160 a month will be something like £15 for standing charges and £145 for energy. £145 will buy around 500kWh, which is at least twice what a typical home would expect to use.

If you run the washing machine every day, at say 2kWh/load, that's 60kWh so you're still 200kWh/month above "normal".

So where is it all going?

Mstty

kimp22 said:

I have 2 freezers one i will be getting rid of soon and a normal fridge/freezer. My husband like Google home devices and have about three with screens on all the time. But he's say they take pennies and they control an extension lead at night which comes on a few hours to charger older sons phone and younger son tablet. My older son has a big gaming computer and I think that takes a lot of power and the oven is on and off constantly because they make there own meals but it's never at set times.
I just thought it might be because I am home all day. 

Thanks 
Kim

The biggest cost here would be the electric oven on and off at different times. Realistically you should aim for once a day.

We are at home all day and use the washing machine most days and the tumble dryer 5 times a week. With the oven on 4 days a weeks we average 50kWh a week now so including the electricity service charge £78 a month.

We are turning off things at the plug and rather than have every Amazon echo device including the screen shows on we select which ones to have on and when. 

Meal planning means the over is on for less and we max it out and then re heat in the microwave.

Some very small steps have led us to a decent reduction but mainly it's about getting everyone onboard with saving energy and money. If your husband and children don't buy into it then you won't save too much money.

kimp22

It's having difficulty children my daughter went out today got some mozzarella stick things from asda and when I came home she had them in the oven and it was like five sticks. Now shes making a cheese toastie in the grill I have told them if they want something in the oven it has to go in at five for tea. They don't worry about the cost of stuff its me what has to worry.

Kim

Mstty

I would flick the switch in the fuse box or remove the fuse from the oven wall switch til 5pm.🤣🤣🤣

kimp22

Could do she would think its broken if it doesn't come on at Wall switch. Today she asked if I wanted any thing from tesco and I gave her my card and said bread, milk and oranges. She came back with extras saying the petrol money for her car. She wasn't that interested in putting petrol in mine when I was taking her and picking her up from work.

Kim