Desperately worried about energy usage

jazzyja

Hi all, probably the millionth thread on here asking what is best to do. 

I’m worried. 2 children, not the best wage. I do not want my children to feel the drastic effect of this. I fear they will. 

I’m currently with UW on variable for electricity (£132 a month) and British Gas pre pay meter for gas (approx £50 a month with no heating). I know prepay costs more but I really want to be in full control of how much it’s going to cost. If some months I can’t afford it, wel have to go without. Should I stick with variable? I just don’t know what to do I feel lost with it all. Any advice appreciated 

rjmachin

Do you have meter readings for both Electricity and Gas?   First for approximately 12 months ago and today, and then readings from a month ago and today for you gas?

For Gas, I am currently using £10 per month without heating, but I am on a cheap fixed price, at the April cap, it would cost me £15 per month.

Trynsave2

Don't go onto prepayment if you have any choice. Seems nonsense to pay more than you have to. Better to save any additional money you have in a separate account. 

You don't say how old your kids are but if space allows, as heat rises, try to move to living upstairs and shut off downstairs. Hang a blanket to barricade the banisters and stop the colder and warmer spaces meeting. Don't block the top of stairs unless you have a stair gate in place. If old enough, buy the kids and yourself sleeping bags to go under duvets and aim to change all lightbulbs to led. Batch cook a week's worth of dinners in one oven's worth of energy and start scouring charity shops and Freecycle for gifts you know they would like for Christmas.

Most of all, don't beat yourself up. They won't notice most of what you can implement. However, they will notice if mummy is upset and stressed. That will affect them more than any going without ever will.

macman

Basics please. What is your annual kWh usage on each fuel, and how is the house heated and hot watered?
How big is the property?
If you have gas CH and DHW, then your quoted amounts seem all wrong. £50pm just for hot water, or do you have other gas appliances?
Do you have debt on the leccy, because, again, the amount quoted seems far too high.
Your PPM costs about 2% more, but the problem is that it means you can't spread the cost evenly over the year: up to 80% of your annual spend is over the winter months, and in your case most of this would be gas, if that's how you heat.

theoretica

What are you using the gas for?  Cooking and hot water?  Is that a hot water tank or a combi boiler?  If a tank is it set to be hotter than it needs to be to kill legionella and how well insulated is the tank?  How much hot water do you use?  Getting into habits like turning the shower off while you soap, shampoo and scrub can save quite a bit of water without being much of a hardship.