Mooloo's struggle with babies and bills

Savvy_sewing

The girls put £50 a week towards the housekeeping. The problem was that we had based things on the old houses bills, and in this house, we seemed to have gone off of the stratusfear!. I have already paid them £450 which was what I could afford earlier in the year. I have been aware that the bill was high, since I first got a bill in February, and have been chipping away at it, and asking for help all the time. This is the final reading bills, added to the outstanding bill!.
I have told the girls that they are going to be liable for a third each, as thats how the bills were supposed to be split, but to tell you the truth, I doubt that they could afford it either!. So althugh I have mentioned it, the bill is in my name, and it will be me that gets chased for it!.
I just didnt want to ever get into debt again!
Its probably my fault, as I didnt chase the utilities for a bill, and the first 4 months were of course the winter, when the mums had everything on and DS had heaters etc in the garage!.
Once the first bill came in, there was a change, in the electric usuage, but Twin2 kept putting the heating back on when I kept turning it off, or down!.
Well I suppose its done now.
I will just have to deal with it!. I am not going to panic anymore.
Life is too short. I have had two years of stress that I dont need to continue!.
I have been relaxing more, programming myself to be more positive. and I am determined not to buckle back into that spiral of stress, depression and exasperation that I have been in.
I have to have a quick shower and get to my EPP course!.

BallandChain

What is an EPP course Mooloo? lol, you probably have mentioned it but I don't recall.

ETA: On the link below it mentions NPower's 'Spreading the warmth' tariff, but also you may get help on the 'First Step Fund.'

npower - First Step Scheme
npower’s First Step Scheme offers advice and help if you're struggling to pay your npower bills. The scheme offers:
Advice about paying npower bills
First Step advisors will work with consumers on a one-on-one basis to help them manage their energy bills. The advisors will set up a payment plan that suits the consumers circumstances, and provide advice on how to save energy and money around the home.
First Step Fund
Some consumers may be eligible for help from the First Step Fund, which could clear all or part of the debt owed. If elligible the debt will be placed on hold for an agreed period of time, as long as the consumer commits to a payment plan and doesnt default on payments. After an agreed period of time (no less than six months) the First Step fund may write off all, or some, of a consumers debt. If the consumer is in quite a lot of debt we may clear it in several instalments - as long as regular payments are maintained.
For more information click here.

http://cfe.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/cfe.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=5111&p_created=1210078248&p_sid=BO6Z9tgj&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfcm93X2NudD01ODQsNTg0JnBfcHJvZHM9JnBfY2F0cz0mcF9wdj0mcF9jdj0mcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT1hbnN3ZXJzLnNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=&p_topview=1

Savvy_sewing

BallandChain wrote: »

What is an EPP course Mooloo? lol, you probably have mentioned it but I don't recall.


Hi, EPP stands for Expert Patients Programme, its a community self help course for people who need to Self-management of long-term Health conditions.
Learning how to cope strategies etc. There are about 15 people on the one I am on. We all have different problems. So its not disease specific.

I have been incontact with NPower about the problems all along. I just dont seem to have qualified for thier help, one minute they say I do, and the next they say I don't!. But I will battle on.

DS is currently cutting the lawn for me, as although its threatening rain, it hasnt arrived here yet!.
I need a sleep. As is par the course for me these days.
Exhaustion is a big problem for me.

Savvy_sewing

Well I have had two water bills, one for the water we had used at the old house, and one for the water of the future of this house. It totals £670.75
I managed to make a payement of £100 today, and the very nice man has then arranged a DD for me, of £50 a month until I clear the bill. Wish Npower were as helpful.
DLA have refused me again.! I am not eligable for either elements!.
I will appeal, but I don't hold out that much hope, I seem to slip through the net. Its annoying when I have seen an old college who has been given the lower rate, and yet she is much fitter then I am!. Ah well, thats just another annoying thing that I cannot do anything about. So I will just have to get on with it.
The good news is that the Council have worked out my Housing Benefit for the cottage, and have given me the requested overlap of two weeks. (I know I could have gone for the month, but I had the funds so I didnt). I have received a cheque for £649.78 so I will bank that on Monday. That will Pay my next months rent. It will also give me a few quid that I can then offer NPower off of my debt.
The electric bill for my first month here, is £64.60 which is about accurate.
I will have enough to pay that one off immediately. Then there will be the final bill when I swap over to NPower, which I have to do, to get even a hope of a payement plan going.
The weather here is yuk, but it means I will only have to water the plants in the greenhouse. Although most of them died off, when I went to Oxford for a couple of nights earlier in the week. It was so hot it killed them!.
Will need to re think the watering system.
I have been pondering whether I should start a new thread for the new part of my life. But at the moment, the problems I have are all bills left from having taken the family in.!
DS has been out again. He is hardly ever in. He went to Judo last night. Something he seems to have started now that he has met Twin1's BF, who is a Judo coach.

shaz_mum_of__2

I think a new thread is a great idea "a new start for mooloo"

re the bill not sure if things have changed but a prepayment meter is often used for people who are in debt and there is a legal limit of how much debt repayment the company can take each week through one if you are on benefits .......................might be worth checking ? you do pay more per unit and the debt is always taken first when you put money in but at least you know where you are

also is the cottage well insulated you may be entiled to a warm front grant for cavity wall and loft insulation which will help cut your next years bills ......i get esa and we qualified ....................i have been claiming since november and still had no medical assesment(backlog in the area) so my money has not gone up yet ...........but will be backdated apparently


take care

Shaz

ohh forgot if plants in greenhouse are in small pots you can leave in old mushroom tubs full of water to help water for a couple of days

Savvy_sewing

Well I have managed to talk to AWA and they have agreed that I can pay £50 a month if I put down a payment. So I have paid £100 towards the bill, and the rest will be spread over the year etc.
NPower have also accepted a similar offer of £150 deposit towards the electric bill, and £30 for each utility bill every month.
I have not managed to get the deals that were on offer? But at least I can start to do a more comprehensive budget! Its going to be tight, but the panic has drained from me.

I have put the plant trays out in the rain at the moment, and I will see what I can salvedge tomorrow.
I have been pottering around the house all day. Sitting down for a rest then doing a bit more.
DS has just arrived home. Was beginning to wonder where he was!
I have emptied several boxes and bags, and I have moved one of the wardrobes (its only a canvas one), and rehung my clothes, and the internal pockets.
I put the legs back on the dining room table, and put it up. Dont know how to repair the tear in the chair that was damaged on the day before we moved.
I have also cleared out the fire grate, and moved on washing!. All boring and mundane things. But its taken me all day, and I have now done as much as I can.

Savvy_sewing

http://http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1736271
I am hoping that I have done this correctly, and this is the link to my new thread, if anyone is out there wanting to follow me on my next stage of the journey!.

Savvy_sewing

Ahem, it doesnt appear to work.?
What am I doing wrong I wonder?

BallandChain

Let's try this!

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1736271

Edited to add that this is the new link for Mooloo's Diary.