Single income home

Happy_Sloth

This thread seems to have gotten off to a wrong start...  I can see things from both points of view

The OP is stressed and worried about their bills, which is completely understandable given the economic climate at present. However this really isn't a single person issue...

The reality of the situation is you've found yourself in a tough spot. Im sure when you moved into your home you did your math's and could afford it.  The economy tanked and suddenly your struggling.

The reality is most of us are finding the current situation hard... it doens't matter if your single, married, kids, no kids...  Most of us "live to our means" ... but when someone pulls the rug out from under you the bills you could once afford within your means, are suddenly not as affordable,  likewise sometimes peoples circumstances change... either way it sucks and you have to re-evaluate what you can afford. 

 I WFH... i use a lot of expensive computer equipment to do my job.  it uses alot of energy and i currently pay £450 per month for gas/electric which is horrific. 

Like MattMattMattUK Im a limited company director but that doesn't mean i have buckets of money laying around. i'm classified as a middle/higher earner but doesn't give me alot of disposable income. 

I bought my house in "Better times". We've had a horrific 3 years and our financial situation has drastically changed, since we bought it. The current state of things is putting extreme pressure on our finances.  Bills that where once "affordable" are no-longer affordable.   

I physically can't switch off my computer equipment.. because i need it wo work from home.. if i don't work i don't earn.. I cried down the phone to my mum on Friday because my electric bill is going upto £750 a month in October.  I was already struggling to pay my current £450.  Even though I need the computers/electric for work, there is no way to claim those costs back.  (There is a small expense i can/do claim but doesn't even scratch the surface of my electric bill) 

I don't pretend my problems are the same as lower earners...but if you look back over my posts over the last 2 years you'll see I've already had a lot of tough decisions to make.  i'm still "Clinging" on to my dream home.... clinging being the operative word and sadly this winter unless there is a drastic announcement I'm going to have to decide if i need to sell it and buy something more economical. 

People have made some good suggestions post of SOA, post your energy usage stats and a description of your home. 

People can and will help... the MSE bunch can be brutal but sometimes like it or not we need tough love. 

lindatoo

Deleted_User said:

So not only is it a discount on energy for singles now, it's a discount on food too?

l I don't think anyone else read that comment as the poster suggesting single people should get a discount on food. I believe the poster was simply trying to say supermarkets don't cater for the single person anymore. You can no longer buy most items by weight anymore. Most fruit and veg is prepacked nowadays. Most supermarkets have shut down deli and butcher counters so you have to buy that prepacked too.  Whilst I'm sure the supermarkets had good reason for making the changes and of course somethings can be frozen, it still means that some people have to buy more than they need. It's not a moan or a suggestion that single people be given a discount, it's simply the way it is. But this is the energy forum so probably not the right place for this subject.

markin

sharrison21 said:

Mstty said:

Hi, sorry to hear you are going to have a tough time, if it's any consolation you won't be alone and at least you have come to this realisation sooner rather than later when it's too late.

Most people I know will have to live more frugally over the next 2-3 years. 

1) Do you know your energy usage for the last year?

2) Do you know what what energy is likely to cost you in the coming year?
3) Can you reduce your energy use?
3) Have you don't your budget per month I presume with working from home?
4) Have you looked for better deals on everything you have from phone/broadband/insurance etc

This is a very practical, generally not emotional based forum, you will get forthright answers which seem very blunt so bear that in mind.

I’m trying everything I possibly can. And blunt answers are one thing but getting told you don’t deserve help is edging on harsh. I wanted information and wanted to know why it’s not getting talked about why nobody cares unless you’re elderly or got a horde if kids

Healthy adults can put a jumper on and can cope with a cool house, So no the government don't see you as needing help, And your opening post isn't asking for help on energy bills, maybe you meant to post on the benefits forum? Or in the closed general discussion forum.

TheBanker

I'm a single person too. What I am about to say is not intended as having a go at the OP but they may interpret it as such.

I am in a fortunate position. I earn a higher than average salary, so I do not struggle financially. Like everyone else I am trying to reduce energy usage but my situation is not as desperate as many - I want to reduce my usage so I can continue my social activities rather than because I cannot afford to pay the bills.

At the same time, my sister and her partner both work, they have two kids, and they are in a impossible situation and do not know how they are going to manage.

In terms of the government support, I'll get £400 to myself, they'll get £400 to cover four people. So no doubt they would argue the system is unfair because I am getting 4x what each of them get.

But this doesn't come down to whether people are single, married, co-habiting, house-sharing with friends or whatever. The problem is that some peoples incomes, whether sole or joint, are not enough to cover basic costs of living any more. Unfortunately the state does not have unlimited resources, so their support has to be targeted based on income and taking into account additional needs such as disabilities. I cannot see any viable system where there is a 'grant' for single people. 

pochase

Happy_Sloth said:

This thread seems to have gotten off to a wrong start...  I can see things from both points of view

The OP is stressed and worried about their bills, which is completely understandable given the economic climate at present. However this really isn't a single person issue...

The reality of the situation is you've found yourself in a tough spot. Im sure when you moved into your home you did your math's and could afford it.  The economy tanked and suddenly your struggling.

The reality is most of us are finding the current situation hard... it doens't matter if your single, married, kids, no kids...  Most of us "live to our means" ... but when someone pulls the rug out from under you the bills you could once afford within your means, are suddenly not as affordable,  likewise sometimes peoples circumstances change... either way it sucks and you have to re-evaluate what you can afford. 

 I WFH... i use a lot of expensive computer equipment to do my job.  it uses alot of energy and i currently pay £450 per month for gas/electric which is horrific. 

Like MattMattMattUK Im a limited company director but that doesn't mean i have buckets of money laying around. i'm classified as a middle/higher earner but doesn't give me alot of disposable income. 

I bought my house in "Better times". We've had a horrific 3 years and our financial situation has drastically changed, since we bought it. The current state of things is putting extreme pressure on our finances.  Bills that where once "affordable" are no-longer affordable.   

I physically can't switch off my computer equipment.. because i need it wo work from home.. if i don't work i don't earn.. I cried down the phone to my mum on Friday because my electric bill is going upto £750 a month in October.  I was already struggling to pay my current £450.  Even though I need the computers/electric for work, there is no way to claim those costs back.  (There is a small expense i can/do claim but doesn't even scratch the surface of my electric bill) 

I don't pretend my problems are the same as lower earners...but if you look back over my posts over the last 2 years you'll see I've already had a lot of tough decisions to make.  i'm still "Clinging" on to my dream home.... clinging being the operative word and sadly this winter unless there is a drastic announcement I'm going to have to decide if i need to sell it and buy something more economical. 

People have made some good suggestions post of SOA, post your energy usage stats and a description of your home. 

People can and will help... the MSE bunch can be brutal but sometimes like it or not we need tough love. 

Do you have a room/office only used for work? Without special arrangements you will only be able to claim the £26pm, but in your case it sounds like it is worth to do some additional work to be able to claim more.

Speak to your accountant, but you are able to claim for the additional cost incurred due to having an office eat your home. Maybe get a sub meter to proof the cost of electricity used by your business. That should give you at least  30% of the cost, corporation tax and personal tax if you pay from the company instead of personally.

ariarnia

Chrysalis said:

Deleted_User said:

So not only is it a discount on energy for singles now, it's a discount on food too?

What do you mean? there is no discount on either, and food costs more as large items designed for families are very heavily discounted.

a box of cereal lasts a week in this house. we buy one box a week. you can buy the exact same box at the exact same price but maybe buy one a month (or even less frequently as you don't have a son with hollow legs). how is our food cheaper?

Astria

ariarnia said:

Chrysalis said:

Deleted_User said:

So not only is it a discount on energy for singles now, it's a discount on food too?

What do you mean? there is no discount on either, and food costs more as large items designed for families are very heavily discounted.

a box of cereal lasts a week in this house. we buy one box a week. you can buy the exact same box at the exact same price but maybe buy one a month (or even less frequently as you don't have a son with hollow legs). how is our food cheaper?

I agree with you, I buy the family sized packs even though I typically live on my own. The food sometimes is past it's sell-by or best before date by the time I've finished it but to me, I don't notice much difference. A quick glance and sniff test quickly lets me know if it's still good to eat. When I buy family size packs of meat, I freeze what I don't use, and cook in batches and freeze the results too. In fact the whole first drawer of my freezer is nibbles and snacks based on ingredients I've bought in bulk and cooked at the weekend.

On a slightly different note, when I had a partner they wanted the heating on constantly at 24c else they felt cold, compared to the 18c I prefer myself, I'm actually saving money at the moment as their income didn't support their portion of the bills.

ariarnia

probably again the wrong forum but a good time to mention approved food and other online shops that sell things past their BB date but that are still good. 

MattMattMattUK

Happy_Sloth said:

I physically can't switch off my computer equipment.. because i need it wo work from home.. if i don't work i don't earn.. I cried down the phone to my mum on Friday because my electric bill is going upto £750 a month in October.  I was already struggling to pay my current £450.  Even though I need the computers/electric for work, there is no way to claim those costs back.  (There is a small expense i can/do claim but doesn't even scratch the surface of my electric bill) 

I would recommend that you get some energy monitors for the kit, then you will know the kWh used for work and can expense it accordingly. If you keep records I cannot see it being an issue with HMRC, but check with your accountant first to be sure.