Energy bill increases

[mjr]

- this suggest to me that they think the market price is going to rise again.

I think everyone is expecting another rise in October. Even if the market starts to fall, the retailers will want to recoup some of the money they've not made, so almost all will charge the cap for as long as they can, until one of the big companies starts lowering.

 

[fossyant]

Just submitted my readings this morning - I'm doing it monthly. No noticeable change in KWh usage compared to last 3 years, but the bills have risen. Just £70 in 'debit' - given this is the 'dearest' month for energy (I was about £250 in credit in October but the energy supplier automatically gave it me back into my account - grr). Updated my DD amount, wouldn't let me increase by say £50 per month, oh no, based on 'estimates' (price rises), that's another £100 per month thanks. Going to see how the added insulation to the 'hot tub' decreases energy use this next month.

Looking back the last 12 months, we seem to be using roughly the same amount of electricity month on month, until we're heating the conservatory/shed for WFH, and more use of the dryer is made (we're going down the clothes hanger and de-humidifier route shortly). I'm hoping this drops with the return to work. Electricity is the killer at our house, and I know where it is... (MrsF's hot tub) - the less the 'heater' is on the better - it's like running a 1KWh kettle 24/7. More insulation, less heating. We're using about 1000 KWh on average

Gas has jumped from 200 KWh in summer , rising steadily per month to about 1,300 KWh at present - that's less of a worry as we average about £45 per month in gas, but I'll be paying a keen eye on the leccy from now on.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

My direct debit is £2 less than usage at moment, currently have credit. Interesting gas and electric costs are roughly the same. I’d have have thought that gas, which is the heating and cooking would be more, but apparently not. Both will drop as the seasons turn.

 

[numbnuts]

Smart meters
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1563061/Smart-meter-surge-pricing-Ofgem-ont

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I have no idea where we are up to with energy bills

The previous companies I was with would ask for a meter reading every month and I could tell where I was up to
EDF seem to just send a bill every 6 months and ask for a reading just before this - so I could be owing loads and not know
I have actually sent them a reading every month - but initially their web site wouldn't allow even that

Hardly a good way to help people keep control of their bills and energy usage.

Mind you - a working 'smart' meter would be nice - mine went dumb when I changed from Sainsbury's (i.e. BG) and then went even dumber a couple of years later!

 

[iluvmybike]

Smart meters
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1563061/Smart-meter-surge-pricing-Ofgem-ont

Hmmm - could that be a cheeky way of getting folk to have a smart meter?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Smart meters
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1563061/Smart-meter-surge-pricing-Ofgem-ont

That does sound like a sensible thing to do
However, it does need publicising - e.g. how many people have a washing machine that can easily be set off at a time in the future
or dishwasher etc etc
If people knew this is coming then they can work out how to use it to their advantage - and from a National point of view t makes sense to reward people who use up excess wind power (etc) at times when it is being generated but the demand is too low

 

[DCLane]

@ebikeerwidnes - my washer/dryer and dishwasher both have Bluetooth. Not sure why or how it works and I've never set it up, but I can see the benefit of running them on non-peak times should time-based pricing be implemented.

 

[Speicher]

Prices for energy are rocketting, and already some people will need to choose between "heating and eating".

Why are the biggest (Shell alledgedly) making enormous profits?

On the news they defended themselves saying the profits will be reinvested in "renewable" energy sources. Is there a limit to how much they can do in one financial year? I imagine the shareholders are still receiving their two (? ) per cent? I am reliably informed that Pension funds will make up 90% of share holders, so that may be a different scenario.

 

[gavroche]

I get an email every month from Octopus advising me to provide my own readings for gas and electricity. Once done, they send me another email telling me how much I have used and the cost with a balance on my monthly payments.
I like it that way and have no intention of getting a smart meter.

 

[fossyant]

That does sound like a sensible thing to do
However, it does need publicising - e.g. how many people have a washing machine that can easily be set off at a time in the future
or dishwasher etc etc
If people knew this is coming then they can work out how to use it to their advantage - and from a National point of view t makes sense to reward people who use up excess wind power (etc) at times when it is being generated but the demand is too low

Worth doing it on-line just so you know. I got out of the habit of sending readings last winter and got a bit of a shock at the electric use when we'd been heating both the conservatory and shed for WFH.

Both me and MrsF are very different with heat - she get's cold, I run too hot. I'm currently in the conservatory, MrsF at work, but I've the oil radiator on low, house heating off, and I've got a jumper on. We'll both be here on Friday, and I'll be battling turning the heating down in the conservatory as she'll say it's making her cold on the other side of the lounge.

Oh and no Smart Meter here either - they can bog off.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I get an email every month from Octopus advising me to provide my own readings for gas and electricity. Once done, they send me another email telling me how much I have used and the cost with a balance on my monthly payments.
I like it that way and have no intention of getting a smart meter.

They used to do that with me when I was with them
WIsh I hadn't switched but Green Network Energy seemed just as good and as green
until they went bust and I got palmed off onto EDF - who tbf - have been good except for their 6 monthly billing

If I could go back to Octopus on my current fixed tariff I would!

 

[Alex321]

That does sound like a sensible thing to do
However, it does need publicising - e.g. how many people have a washing machine that can easily be set off at a time in the future
or dishwasher etc etc
If people knew this is coming then they can work out how to use it to their advantage - and from a National point of view t makes sense to reward people who use up excess wind power (etc) at times when it is being generated but the demand is too low

We are having Solar panels installed tomorrow (but the battery doesn't come until next month), and are thinking of going onto the Octopus Agile tariff, which does charge and pay variable rates for import/export according to demand.

So I would expect we will set it up to store in the battery during off-peak times, and export at peak times. We are having a pretty hefty system put in, and I don't expect we will be using much more than about 35% of the generated energy over a year (until we get an EV, when charging that will increase our usage significantly I expect).

Looking back the last 12 months, we seem to be using roughly the same amount of electricity month on month, until we're heating the conservatory/shed for WFH, and more use of the dryer is made (we're going down the clothes hanger and de-humidifier route shortly). I'm hoping this drops with the return to work. Electricity is the killer at our house, and I know where it is... (MrsF's hot tub) - the less the 'heater' is on the better - it's like running a 1KWh kettle 24/7. More insulation, less heating. We're using about 1000 KWh on average

We used about 3000KWh in the last year (our system is predicted to supply about 9,500KWh per year).

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Knocked roughly half an hour off the times when the heating might be on and dropped temp by 0.5C. Let’s see how that affects bill

 

[presta]

my washer/dryer and dishwasher both have Bluetooth. Not sure why or how it works and I've never set it up

If you don't set up a password Chinese hackers will use them for laundering money.