2023 Frugal Living Challenge

RateTartExtraordinaire

Reporting a small win yesterday that was inspired by this group

A few days ago I read a couple of posts about being in credit for Gas and Electric and how to ask for a refund (thank you @cw18).

I was waiting for my Energy company to review my direct debit. I've been keeping an eye on my account and the amount for the direct debit for April kept going up and down on their website. Anyway, once the Price Cap was officially announced as staying from April, I rang them to ask for a refund.

I'd read their refund policy, did a meter reading, looked at the direct debit calculator on MSE website and did my calculations for my usage - all ready to have a fight on my hands.

Once I got through to a human being, it was amazingly easy. They agreed to keep a credit of one month on the books and my dd is going to stay the same! Although they did warn that the direct debit would be reviewed again in 2 months time (?!) Their system seems to be continuous reviews and revisions of my estimated usage. They are always over estimating it by about 20%. 

Now I'm waiting for my refund which should come in the next 3 to 5 working days. It will be spent on things that are more immediate. I'm hoping that the prediction of wholesale prices falling in July and my reduced usage will mean I will remain in credit. 

cw18

JIL said:

Our council has put the cost up by the maximum and added an additional charge for "green waste" collected fortnightly, such things as grass clippings, so a seasonal collection in that a few months of the year the "green" bins arent put out.

I don't know how much extra it is, but the council my Mum and daughter come under started with this charge at least a couple of years ago.    My daughter doesn't pay it, and the money she'd have paid them goes towards paying the 'little man' who mows her lawns (and takes away the cuttings).   She just puts food waste into her general bin now, but her council take a lot less food waste than mine does anyway, and I got the impression she couldn't be bothered trying to sort it even when she didn't have to pay.

If I mowed my lawns as often as I should, then I'd have to pay if/when my council start doing this (and I'd probably have to pay a higher rate, as I should have an additional half sized bin due to the amount of lawn/garden I have).    But I've only had my mower out once in the last 3 years as I've not had time/energy after work since Covid kicked in, so if it were in place now I'd just put most of the food waste into my compost bin and the rest in with general waste and tell them what to do with the charge (I'd also have to weigh up their cost against the cost/hassle of taking grass cuttings to the very local tip).  I think my green bin has been out a couple of times a year since then - purely because the food waste started to small nasty.   It needs to go out for that reason next week......

cw18

2Scratters said:

A comment made by DH made a lot of sense that the bins are on lease as they belong to the property. Therefore damaged ones should be replace free of charge.  If that green waste charge was put onto my CT bill and had no garden I would be demanding a refund. That's naughty.

When we bought the house, which was a new build, we had to pay for our black bin as the council only gave them free to houses that were already built when they started with wheelie bins.   As they introduced the other colours we were given one of each for free.   But they announced in 2021 or 2022 that each bin will only be replaced for free once (whether it's been stolen or damaged).    I've already had my green one replaced a number of years ago, and it's not clear if they have a full history or if they started the count when they made the announcement.   I now see a lot of bins out for collection that are well wrapped in duck tape !!!


The charge for green bin collection isn't automatically put onto the bills for m Mum and daughter.   They have to pay it as a separate charge, and they then get a sticker to put on the bin which shows the year they've paid for.

Auntycaz

my garden waste doesn't come under my council tax. I have to pay for it separately. It's £60 for the year or £57 if I pay by direct debit and it is collected fortnightly. When I lived in lincolnshire my garden waste bin was free and all my bins were collected weekly, so it must have been included in my council tax. It's strange how different councils do things differently.

mama67

Auntycaz said:

my garden waste doesn't come under my council tax. I have to pay for it separately. It's £60 for the year or £57 if I pay by direct debit and it is collected fortnightly. When I lived in lincolnshire my garden waste bin was free and all my bins were collected weekly, so it must have been included in my council tax. It's strange how different councils do things differently.

I live in Lincolnshire ( come under ELDC) and we have to pay £50 pa for a green bin collection. This is paid by February for the next year. 

It used to be free but they decided to start charging and change what could go in. 

All veg waste etc went in when free now we pay it is literally only Garden waste. 

bellabella

Wow some  cheap garden waste collections our council tax up 5% and green bins £70 for once a fortnight except xmas and new year times think its time to move somewhere cheaper it was £58 last year

Soontobeoap

I guess it all depends on the final number. Some cheaper ct may have gone up 5% whilst some more expensive ones could have only gone up 3%. Doubt it though. When we downsized we moved into a cheaper band. We got rid of our mortgage and reduced our bills. Worth considering but you do have to factor in travel costs. 

RavenRover

I am so glad to live north of the border when I read what you folks have to deal with.  It would truly melt my wee brain!!!

On top of the C T rise and just the price of living going up constantly I have now been hit with the threat of redundancy.   Looks like the frugality is going to have to increase a notch or two!

Had planned to grow a lot more veg this year anyway as I got rid of my pond - it appeared to be toxic to the 4 dead frogs I found!  So that will be filled in and a load of potatoes put in.  Need to do a bit of research on preserving and freezing for the winter months.  Got some seeds from our local seed library, so will hopefully have chard and kale for the winter months.

Wish I could use olio but to go to the nearest shop using it is a 30 mile round trip and I can't justify that.  No one locally posts anything.  Lately I have discovered that the ex SIL is on it too and she really doesn't need to know where I am!!!!

willow_loulou

Very pleased to have my blue badge back today! Almost a year after my last one ran out thanks to the ridiculously slow PIP process! It will save me a fortune in parking as it’s bonus but being able to park right near my refill shop and other cheaper places it’s wonderful.  Actually getting to places has been so difficult for me - I can’t do half the activity if I’m shattered just getting in the building. It also means when I travel for work we can get parked too - working after struggling across town isn’t exactly productive. So yay!  

kboss2010

Sounds simple but use the calculator on your phone to compare price per unit when shopping so you can choose the best saving (if you don’t already)

(I mentioned this on a money-saving Facebook group and I got several responses of ‘not everyone has a phone or wants to carry it/pick it up!’ so to pre-empt that, pen & paper or a calculator is also fine or if it’s not for you then that’s ok too!)