And now we go again...

joedenise

We did the same with the fixed rate a few weeks ago.  It's a big exit fee but we also decided it was worth it to know how much we'd be paying, particularly over the winter months.  Our DD got reduced from £99.15 down to £91.50 when we went onto the the fixed rate.  I'm still actually adding some money into a "pot" in case what we're paying isn't enough.  If we don't need it then it will probably end up going into the holiday pot as we probably spend a lot of holidays and short breaks over the year.

foxgloves

Just to chip in a little tale about energy bills. I phoned the Octopods last week about a twin problem we have atm & while I was on the phone, their advisor (who was v helpful re the issues I rang about) asked me outright if I'd like to increase our monthly DD with us just coming into the colder months. I said I most definitely wouldn't, seeing as they had only just reduced it by £40 a month & we currently have well over £600 credit!! 
Our thermostat is set to come on at 18 degrees at 6am where it remains until 9.30pm on a weekday (& a little later on a weekend) before dropping to 13 degrees just to keep the frost off overnight while we are tucked up under a duvet anyway. If we have a colder spell, we can boost the room we are sitting in by lighting the stove for an hour or two, or manually over-riding the thermostat for a couple of hours for a bit more heat. Am always conscious of energy wastage, but we don't have the £400 subsidy this winter, so am monitoring costs. 
F

dreaming

I put the gas CH on on Monday for the first time and yesterday checked how much it cost me and was a bit shocked. It's not actually awful but until a couple of years ago I wouldn't have dreamt of putting it on this early. Getting older though and having been ill last year means I can't be that active anymore. I'm ok moneywise as I have a decent company pension as well as state pension, and I know I don't particularly have to worry (and health is more important than money in the bank!), but it still made me a bit nervous. Having said that it clicked automatically yesterday when I was at the dentist (more expense!) and it was so mild that I had turn it off as soon as I got home. I think I will have it on manual for a while. Fortunately I had solar pv fitted a few years ago so save a bit on the electric as well as receiving cash back through the feed-in tariff.  Until last year the cash back covered both the electric and gas bills for the year but those days are gone.
I'd ordered some new thermal tops from Damart as I had a money off code and the delivery was today. By the time I got to the door the driver had gone and I realised the package was already open and one of the tops was missing. Of course the couriers (Evri) just said to contact the supplier.  Damart have said they will send a replacement but didn't seem surprised or query it. That's the first time anything like that has happened but it's making me concerned for Christmas shopping as I pretty much rely on deliveries. I just hope the person who has it enjoys the warmth.
Re the landing window - have you considered the opaque film you can fit to the glass? It saves having to remember to close the blinds if Mr EH is prone to wandering about in his scanties at odd times but still lets light in. My daughter has used it in most of her rented houses as she can just peel it off when she leaves. Not that you will be thinking of leaving your lovely new home, I'm sure.

lucielle

Hmmm good for thought regarding the leccy. I’m with them but haven’t fixed. You’ve got me pondering. 

L

beanielou

Good idea on the film for the windows.
Wish my neighbours would get some for their bathroom window!

badmemory

Me too.  Next door don't pull the curtain across   My shower is on the other side of the room totally invisible & if I dare draw the curtains back DS closes them the next time he goes in.  Mind you I think he would keep the downstairs curtains closed 24/7 if I let him.

savingholmes

It does seem like fixing would be a good option currently - with the uncertainty over the conflict. I'd fix if I wasn't moving.

rtandon27

Hmmmm - fixing seems sensible EH, but when I did the comparison on our current prices vs what they were offering, it was only a 50gbp annual saving & a 50gbp fine if we decide to leave the fix early - and also the added hassle of having to explain to them that yet again that no, we can't have a meter as we don't meet the space requirements!  On the other hand, future proofing rising prices with a fix is very tempting so food for thought!

The exercise did prove useful in that I discovered that as I'm 250 in credit, I could reduce my direct debit online instead of using their ridiculous chat feature or sitting on hold for two hours trying to get a live human being! - So only 10% less, but that is still more in my account than sitting around in theirs!

themadvix

@rtandon27, please feel free to ignore me, but I think Cheery has just had a smart meter fitted by the Cephalopods when other suppliers said there wasn’t room - worth checking with them?

joedenise

rtandon27 said:

Hmmmm - fixing seems sensible EH, but when I did the comparison on our current prices vs what they were offering, it was only a 50gbp annual saving & a 50gbp fine if we decide to leave the fix early - and also the added hassle of having to explain to them that yet again that no, we can't have a meter as we don't meet the space requirements!  On the other hand, future proofing rising prices with a fix is very tempting so food for thought!

The exercise did prove useful in that I discovered that as I'm 250 in credit, I could reduce my direct debit online instead of using their ridiculous chat feature or sitting on hold for two hours trying to get a live human being! - So only 10% less, but that is still more in my account than sitting around in theirs!

There might not be much difference at the moment but come January there will be a new price cap and no doubt that will be going up again! Also possibly every 3 months for the whole year.  It was the reason I decided it was worth fixing for a year.