Oct price cap increase likely to push energy bill to over £10k... for a family of 4...

NeverendingDMP

Just to say I did the maths a few weeks ago and we will be firmly with you in the fuel poverty club on Oct first or earlier if we fix. Rumour has it it's gonna be a popular club. We are almost at it now but not quite. I'm also trying to reduce what we use but we still are meant to wash eat, see in the dark at times. 
Not sure who you are with but Im with octopus. They have a crystal ball thing which predicts my bills each month. I would imagine only now till Dec is accurate but to give an example my monthly energy consumption is estimated at 750! Quid for jan based on what they expect us to use.
I've written down the monthly amounts and they are the target to beat. My next target is to only be an average user but that will rely on us cutting a lot and I've not figured that out yet. I suppose someone with access to their bills last year could look at the units they use and attempt to beat that

MariaAH

QrizB said:

With respect, you're a family of four with three working adults. You're already in a better position than the majority of families with only one or two working adults.

This forum has given you the tools you needed to identify and reduce your energy consumption but it's going to take commitment from all of you to make it work.

You need a proper family discussion about how you can get through this.

Absolutely agree, and we have had multiple family discussions. And I shall be forever grateful to the contributions and advice from this thread. Three working adults, but only two paying the bills...although son will have to contribute more now. I know we are in a better position than many, which means if we cannot afford to pay these bills, goodness knows how others will cope.  

MariaAH

NeverendingDMP said:

Just to say I did the maths a few weeks ago and we will be firmly with you in the fuel poverty club on Oct first or earlier if we fix. Rumour has it it's gonna be a popular club. We are almost at it now but not quite. I'm also trying to reduce what we use but we still are meant to wash eat, see in the dark at times. 
Not sure who you are with but Im with octopus. They have a crystal ball thing which predicts my bills each month. I would imagine only now till Dec is accurate but to give an example my monthly energy consumption is estimated at 750! Quid for jan based on what they expect us to use.
I've written down the monthly amounts and they are the target to beat. My next target is to only be an average user but that will rely on us cutting a lot and I've not figured that out yet. I suppose someone with access to their bills last year could look at the units they use and attempt to beat that

Super useful...We are with British Gas (supplier of last resort). I hope the TP link monitors will help us navigate the coming months as to where we can save electricity.

nadsat

We are a similar household and I'm afraid we have to accept that we are going to be in the high end of costs unless we do something drastic. Our annual usage (in a 4-5 bed Victorian semi which is a bit bigger) is about 25,000 kWh gas, 9,500 kWh electricity, and it is the electricity that is the much bigger cost. 

We have two teenagers but thankfully only one gaming PC but I work at home with a two screen setup and my wife has been working at home. I can bill some energy costs to my company but I still have to earn the money. We have a large fridge freezer and separate freezer, both fairly new and I'm hopeful they are more energy efficient than the old ones. Electric oven but gas hob - that's an advantage. The oven can be used less with a gas hob and microwave. 

My main aims are to run the gas central heating more and not use electric space heaters as well but it's an old house, and try and cut down on washing, drying and the dishwasher, and insist everyone uses the shower room fed from the hot water tank and not the electric one in the main bathroom. 

But I reckon we are looking at at best £8000 a year from October. 

MariaAH

nadsat said:

We are a similar household and I'm afraid we have to accept that we are going to be in the high end of costs unless we do something drastic. Our annual usage (in a 4-5 bed Victorian semi which is a bit bigger) is about 25,000 kWh gas, 9,500 kWh electricity, and it is the electricity that is the much bigger cost. 

We have two teenagers but thankfully only one gaming PC but I work at home with a two screen setup and my wife has been working at home. I can bill some energy costs to my company but I still have to earn the money. We have a large fridge freezer and separate freezer, both fairly new and I'm hopeful they are more energy efficient than the old ones. Electric oven but gas hob - that's an advantage. The oven can be used less with a gas hob and microwave. 

My main aims are to run the gas central heating more and not use electric space heaters as well but it's an old house, and try and cut down on washing, drying and the dishwasher, and insist everyone uses the shower room fed from the hot water tank and not the electric one in the main bathroom. 

But I reckon we are looking at at best £8000 a year from October. 

We are making a dent with gas but making a dent with the electricity is proving much harder (thank you TP link monitors). We only have gas for hot water (combi boiler).

My showers are now... get myself wet then turn off shower whist I wash my face... turn shower on to rinse face, and turn off again whilst I soap myself, turn shower on for a final rinse, then out. And come winter it will be jumpers, blankets and thermal socks...

ian1246

Do you have a link for the energy monitor your using? Sounds like a good investment!

MariaAH

ian1246 said:

Do you have a link for the energy monitor your using? Sounds like a good investment!

Here you go… https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Tapo-Monitoring-Required-P110/dp/B097YBXHTW/ref=pd_cart_rp_sccl_2/261-4707921-5006739?pd_rd_w=kWmDA&content-id=amzn1.sym.50644f10-3d5b-49b5-83c9-4920ec767568&pf_rd_p=50644f10-3d5b-49b5-83c9-4920ec767568&pf_rd_r=8Q056V2TAT32WPCBS6J1&pd_rd_wg=olcS2&pd_rd_r=ae374554-5fc7-480f-8af3-fc2a146b8e9c&pd_rd_i=B097YBXHTW&psc=1

pochase

Currently expensive, they keep going from £9.98 to £14.99 and back

ian1246

MariaAH said:

ian1246 said:

Do you have a link for the energy monitor your using? Sounds like a good investment!

Here you go… https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Tapo-Monitoring-Required-P110/dp/B097YBXHTW/ref=pd_cart_rp_sccl_2/261-4707921-5006739?pd_rd_w=kWmDA&content-id=amzn1.sym.50644f10-3d5b-49b5-83c9-4920ec767568&pf_rd_p=50644f10-3d5b-49b5-83c9-4920ec767568&pf_rd_r=8Q056V2TAT32WPCBS6J1&pd_rd_wg=olcS2&pd_rd_r=ae374554-5fc7-480f-8af3-fc2a146b8e9c&pd_rd_i=B097YBXHTW&psc=1

Thank you. Much appreciated.

michaels

MariaAH said:

sienew said:

Honestly? This isn't a fuel poverty issue, this is an overuse issue. This is 3x the average households usage (there are EV's to consider as well).

With respect, we have 3 adults that work from home, at home all day, using electricity for their occupations, and light and heating during the winter, vs other households where all adults work away from the home during the working week. I did not create the definition for 'fuel poverty', but it states that spending more that 10% of net income on energy is fuel poverty, hence we are in fuel poverty even before the Oct increase.

Your critique would be better served being aimed at the Government, the 'fat cat' CEOs at the energy companies and the greedy shareholders, all of whom are complicit in this crisis.

Please be kind! We are all in this together and are trying to support each other...

And it's all relative...we have always lived within our means...our means may be a little more than some due to our jobs, but this is now well exceeding our means. It's all relative, everyone is being pushed beyond their means, and being pushed into fuel poverty. There are very few in society who will not be impacted by this madness.

For those that may be interested...

Our March 2021 annual energy summary was £2157, with a monthly DD of £170 (similar consumption, albeit without the EVs/Gaming PC)
Our annual consumption at the moment stands at £5880 (£4200 without the EVs/Gaming PC), and our monthly DD is £545.
In Oct, annual usage will be £10,850 (£7850 without the EVs/Gaming PC), with a DD which will be in the region of £900.

So from Oct 1st, this is an increase of £5693 in our annual energy bill from where it was at March 2021. We do not have £5693 per annum spare to absorb these breathtaking increases. How many people would!

This is reminiscent of the late 80's early 90's when the staggering increases in interest rates saw so many people across all sections of society in negative equity and losing their homes. People across the whole of society are impacted by this crisis, not just the poorest, although their plight is the most devastating.

The bit in bold is simply not true. The cap means there is no profiteering by the supply companies and the only govt decision that could have made a difference was not to support Ukraine against Russia.