Single income home

ariarnia

MattMattMattUK said:

sharrison21 said:
Which just makes it harder to find a partner to make things easier. 

I would love to find a partner, but I would never do it to "make things easier", rather I hope I find someone that I can enjoy spending the rest of my life with and to genuinely make each other's lives better for being together. 

yess. a housemate or lodger would make things easier. an OH makes things better but much more expensive and difficult (compromise negotiation and not being able to impulsively do things). things were much easier during the last recession when i only had to think about myself and what i wanted. im sure he says the same thing about me and we both ageee that the kids are the most expensive and difficult way we could have chosen to spend the hundreds of thousands of pounds we surely could have otherwise saved or spent on holidays   

EssexHebridean

sharrison21 said:

[Deleted User] said:

Nothing.  Everyone can pick something that they think makes them a "special case" and need extra help.

What about a large family in one house that therefore needs a lot more hot water?  We already had someone saying they wanted extra help because they worked from home rather than commuting.

Should be even easier for you because you only need to heat one room at a time.

So you’re saying I shouldn’t get help because I chose not to have kids? Doesn’t matter if i get into debt because I don’t have kids. Doesn’t matter if i loose my house because I don’t have 4 people to feed? Why do I matter less? I’m still struggling, just because it’s just me doesn’t mean I’m not drowning. 

No, nobody has said this at all - literally the only person to that point who mentioned you not having kids is you. In fact, it hadn’t even occurred to me that you hadn’t! The decision not to have children already comes with an awful lot of people feeling that they have a right to criticise it - for goodness sake save a defensive reaction for when that unjustified and intrusive criticism is levied, not when it’s not even been touched on! 

Help then - as you’ve already alluded you have the single person council tax discount. On top of that you have also presumably had the council tax rebate worth £150, and you will be getting the £400 energy rebate through the winter also. If your income is low enough you’ll be entitled to apply for exactly the same means-tested benefits as any other household - it doesn’t work that two people in a household are judged independently for that sort of thing. On the flip side, you are only paying to heat your hike to a standard you are comfortable at - that’s your choice, and your choice alone, no compromise needed for someone else who perhaps feels the cold more. Yes, the cost of cooking is roughly the same for one as for two, but it’s ludicrous to suggest that a couple spend the same amount in things like laundry, showers etc as you do! It’s as though you think that a couple share towels, wear less clothes and even hop in the shower together on a daily basis (or perhaps you think they take it in turns, one showers one day, the other the next?)  If I was on my own, as a relatively small female I would almost certainly do one load of clothes plus one load of bedding/towels each week.as it is, living with a substantially larger husband who also has his own sport based hobby that’s as a general rule an extra couple of loads of clothes, plus potentially an extra load of towels at least every second week. His rugby kit also tends to be far dirtier than anything that a “quick wash” will cope with. Add in the TV being on when, quite frankly I’d probably just read a book, additional charging of appliances etc, and there is without question an increased cost! 

Swipe

I wouldn't want a lodger. They could absolutely bankrupt you with a hidden fan heater in their room and that's on top of you having to use your heating to maintain a reasonable base temperature. From what I was reading this morning, it wouldn't surprise me if the £400 is off the cards now in place of a 5% VAT cut on energy bills and a hike in the higher rate tax threshold.

sharrison21

PennyForThem_2 said:

Sarrison21:  What is your actual consumption per annum?  What are you doing to cut that consumption?  Maybe the forum could offer advice on cutting it further?

Is your career boosting extra hours working paid or is it unpaid 'overtime'?  If unpaid - would it be worth cutting it to take on an extra job?

Do you cook from scratch or do you buy ready meals?  

Have you cut the flow rate so that hot water temperature is lowered and not using so much gas?  You haven't means of showering at work/gym but maybe going back to cutting showers to 2-3 times a week and washing in old fashioned way in between would cut costs.

How long is your CH on?  What themostat temperature?

I am a single too and yes, I gripe about couples getting cheaper deals i.e. discount on subscription costs as a couple - why isn't it the same cost for each person?  So see where you are coming from.  But as a single, you have complete flexibility to alter your lifestyle, to do or not do as you please.

It’s unpaid. But it’s mostly needed unfortunately things get ‘noticed’

I do cook from scratch, happy to switch if it would be cheaper but I always thought ready meals would be more expensive. 

I haven’t lowered my flow rate as I don’t know what that means i thought i just had to have my heating on less or lower the temperature on the boiler. CH not been on for months because it’s warm enough but I’m worried about the winter any advice on how to effectively heat in those months greatly appreciated as it’s a very old house. I have saved and put in a new door early this year as the last one had a gap so i am hoping the house will be warmer and take a little less heating this winter than last. I’m also looking into backing for radiators to help if that’s useless please say. 

I have started to have what I like to call a ‘pits and bits wash’ and have a full shower a few times a week as that would lower water bill too. Also started having cooler showers. 

MattMattMattUK

sharrison21 said:

I do cook from scratch, happy to switch if it would be cheaper but I always thought ready meals would be more expensive. 

Cooking from scratch is mostly cheaper, but for things that require a long time in the oven not so due to increased energy costs, particularly for electric ovens rather than gas. One thing that saved me far more money was cutting down on meat, cheese and olives (all of which I love).

sharrison21 said:

I haven’t lowered my flow rate as I don’t know what that means i thought i just had to have my heating on less or lower the temperature on the boiler. 

The boiler heats water on demand, firstly if it is too hot then it does not condense, which makes it considerably less efficient, secondly there is no point in having the boiler heat the water to 60c or more, then blending that with cold water to bring it down to a comfortable temperature, so it would make more sense to lower the temperature on the boiler, as well as having cooler showers overall.

sharrison21 said:
CH not been on for months because it’s warm enough but I’m worried about the winter any advice on how to effectively heat in those months greatly appreciated as it’s a very old house. I have saved and put in a new door early this year as the last one had a gap so i am hoping the house will be warmer and take a little less heating this winter than last. I’m also looking into backing for radiators to help if that’s useless please say. 

Have you looked at available grants? Some councils are still offering insulation grants, discounts on loft insulation etc. In an old house loft insulation pays for itself very quickly, as do draft strips around any draughty doors and windows. The radiator reflectors do help with putting the heat into the room rather than heating the wall so they can be effective, they are also very cheap. On top of that good curtains help keep heat in during cold and dark winter evenings and in old house as the radiators are often under the windows it is best to tuck the curtain behind the radiator so the heat goes into the room, not between the curtain and window. 

sharrison21 said:

I have started to have what I like to call a ‘pits and bits wash’ and have a full shower a few times a week as that would lower water bill too. Also started having cooler showers. 

A quick but normal shower should be <£1 and could easily be 50p, a navy shower could be 20p. 

sharrison21

MattMattMattUK said:

sharrison21 said:

I do cook from scratch, happy to switch if it would be cheaper but I always thought ready meals would be more expensive. 

Cooking from scratch is mostly cheaper, but for things that require a long time in the oven not so due to increased energy costs, particularly for electric ovens rather than gas. One thing that saved me far more money was cutting down on meat, cheese and olives (all of which I love).

sharrison21 said:

I haven’t lowered my flow rate as I don’t know what that means i thought i just had to have my heating on less or lower the temperature on the boiler. 

The boiler heats water on demand, firstly if it is too hot then it does not condense, which makes it considerably less efficient, secondly there is no point in having the boiler heat the water to 60c or more, then blending that with cold water to bring it down to a comfortable temperature, so it would make more sense to lower the temperature on the boiler, as well as having cooler showers overall.

sharrison21 said:
CH not been on for months because it’s warm enough but I’m worried about the winter any advice on how to effectively heat in those months greatly appreciated as it’s a very old house. I have saved and put in a new door early this year as the last one had a gap so i am hoping the house will be warmer and take a little less heating this winter than last. I’m also looking into backing for radiators to help if that’s useless please say. 

Have you looked at available grants? Some councils are still offering insulation grants, discounts on loft insulation etc. In an old house loft insulation pays for itself very quickly, as do draft strips around any draughty doors and windows. The radiator reflectors do help with putting the heat into the room rather than heating the wall so they can be effective, they are also very cheap. On top of that good curtains help keep heat in during cold and dark winter evenings and in old house as the radiators are often under the windows it is best to tuck the curtain behind the radiator so the heat goes into the room, not between the curtain and window. 

sharrison21 said:

I have started to have what I like to call a ‘pits and bits wash’ and have a full shower a few times a week as that would lower water bill too. Also started having cooler showers. 

A quick but normal shower should be <£1 and could easily be 50p, a navy shower could be 20p. 

Thanks for advice. I’ve looked into grants in my area particularly for loft insulation but nothing unless your elderly 
50p shower. Every little helps. 

EssexHebridean

Right - come on then OP, let’s see if we can give you some help here. First off, you’ve been given a link already for the SOA calculator - there is also a link in my signature. Complete that being as open and honest as possible - it should depict how things are for you financially right now although in this case I would suggest that you note the level that you expect your energy costs to rise to from October. Get it all completed - being sure to add any “one off” payments for things that you pay out for annually rather than monthly (insurances are a good example) then use the “format for MSE” option and copy and paste into a new thread over on the Debt Free Wannabe board. No, it’s absolutely not just for people who are in debt - we are as happy to help people who are worried that they could end up heading that way, and who need some help with trimming a budget as a result. I would suggest though that you would be well to avoid the defensive and, frankly, at times rude attitude to folk on there as you have shown here when people haven’t given you the answers you were hoping for. You won’t get magic solutions on DFW, but you will get honest, knowledgeable advice. If you think that is of use to you (and from what you have said, I think it should be) then that is a good course of action.

Secondly, get some details together on your current energy bills - so the annual use on each gas and electric, which region (roughly, no need for being precise) you are in, which supply company or companies you are with and what tariffs you are on. A rough idea of the size of your home and it’s type would be useful too - so 1 bed top floor flat/ 1 bedroom terraced house for example. Post those details in here and as a starting point we can get an idea of whether there might be areas you can reduce your use at all, and make suggestions based on that. Someone will also be able to work out where they envisage your annual bills increasing to once the cap change takes effect, so ensuring you’re better armed for what is coming. 

I get that you’re frustrated about the increases, and yes, I also get that you feel as though you’re worse off than a lot because of the single income, however all people here have been trying to do is to show you that in fact this is very possibly not the case - it’s not automatically the case that a couple will have higher income, and if they do, they almost certainly have a higher set of outgoings as well. Best advice here is to form us in your own situation and how you can improve that, and not think too much about comparisons with others. The phrase “comparisons are odious” exists for a reason! 

Crimsonlake

Sharrison21 as a fellow single person I understand you and feel the same way. There will be a lot of angry people around when it comes down to it and I am becoming increasingly one of them. Extra help seems to be targeting low income families and those on benefits. A recent newspaper article highlighted a couple on UC with an older child, in benefits and other support they were receiving approx £2,300 in benefits monthly, complaining after bills they were left with £1200 a month.There were a lot of negative comments about this. 

FreeBear

sharrison21 said: I haven’t lowered my flow rate as I don’t know what that means i thought i just had to have my heating on less or lower the temperature on the boiler. CH not been on for months because it’s warm enough but I’m worried about the winter any advice on how to effectively heat in those months greatly appreciated as it’s a very old house. I have saved and put in a new door early this year as the last one had a gap so i am hoping the house will be warmer and take a little less heating this winter than last. I’m also looking into backing for radiators to help if that’s useless please say.

I suspect the poster meant to say "lower the boiler temperature (for central heating)" which you appear to have done. On a modern condensing boiler, running at a lower temperature should make it more efficient. Turning the temperature down for hot water (out of the taps) to say 45°C will save you a bit more.

If your radiators are mounted on an external wall (favorite place is usually under a window), reflective foil behind the radiator will save you a negligible amount. If you can improve the insulation in the loft and add some to the walls combined with decent double/triple glazing, radiators can be moved to an internal wall - I appreciate that this type of work is expensive and disruptive, so probably isn't an option. But before you jump down my throat, I'm also a single income/occupier in an old property. Slowly replacing doors & windows and insulating the walls as funds allow. Just had the last few windows done, and another section of wall insulated - This should help to cut energy consumption even further. 

brewerdave

Swipe said:

I wouldn't want a lodger. They could absolutely bankrupt you with a hidden fan heater in their room and that's on top of you having to use your heating to maintain a reasonable base temperature. From what I was reading this morning, it wouldn't surprise me if the £400 is off the cards now in place of a 5% VAT cut on energy bills and a hike in the higher rate tax threshold.

If that happens at this late stage ,there are going to even more shouts of outrage - many, many people have assumed that this will be there when the cap goes up in October - after all, 5% VAT cut is less than half of the £400 for most households.