Energy bill increases

[Ming the Merciless]

Right now I'm paying £55 direct debit to Ovo Energy a month and have credit of £199 built up. I wonder how long that'll last.

Don’t forget it won’t kick in till April when your energy usage will have dropped significantly anyway. Won’t be till next winter you really feel it.

 

[iluvmybike]

Right now I'm paying £55 direct debit to Ovo Energy a month and have credit of £199 built up. I wonder how long that'll last.

Your monthly payment will be double so a couple of months then

 

[johnnyb47]

Time to stick that magnet back on the meter wheel again 🤔

 

[mjr]

Don’t forget it won’t kick in till April when your energy usage will have dropped significantly anyway. Won’t be till next winter you really feel it.

After another increase in October...

Better to spend the summer analysing things with tools like emonpi and making improvements... if you have the money or can get it.

And if I write more, I'll be sent to the NACAs yard.

 

[Milkfloat]

I currently pay 16.08p per kWh for Electric and 2.76p for gas. The jump to 28p and 7p will be big.

 

[mjr]

I currently pay 16.08p per kWh for Electric and 2.76p for gas. The jump to 28p and 7p will be big.

That's a 75% increase on your electricity and a 153% increase on your gas.

 

[DCLane]

I'm very relieved we fixed our energy prices for 2 years last September whilst it was much cheaper.

 

[presta]

I'm very relieved we fixed our energy prices for 2 years last September whilst it was much cheaper.

Yes I fixed mine with Shell last September, IIRC is was only about another £50 over a variable rate tariff. Unusually and conveniently, the cheapest option was to stick with my existing supplier, but it was still a 73% price hike.

 

[ianrauk]

I'm very relieved we fixed our energy prices for 2 years last September whilst it was much cheaper.

Did the same in October. Bulb raised their prices quite a bit so switched to a 2 year fixed with EDF.

 

[Milkfloat]

That's a 75% increase on your electricity and a 153% increase on your gas.

You should see the jump if I wanted to stay on a fixed rate.

 

[Illaveago]

The price increases aren't going to help anyone . It will hit manufacturing and retail who will then have to raise their prices , inflation will go up , the Bank of England will raise interest rates and it will all go round again !

 

[Saluki]

Technically I am still with bulb. It’s definitely more. However, I am moving next month - fingers crossed the other mutual exchange tenant doesn’t change his mind - and will have a house either side of me. I just don’t have my heating over 14 degrees and wear jumpers. I can’t afford 14 degrees so thermostat is set to 11 so the dogs don’t freeze solid while I am at work.

At home I have my running leggings under my jeans or joggies, big fleece hoodie, wrist warmers and a buff and we basically enclose ourselves in the bedroom as it warms up with me, 2 greyhounds and a duvet. I have a little TV in there so we watch tv, read etc.
Living solo is expensive as there is nobody with whom to share the rent, bills and whatnot. I suggested it when I was dating that guy, ages ago, but after 2 years of dating he did not want to cohabit as his council tax would go up. I decided that being single was more expensive but better for my mental health. Financially, I am finding it difficult but I can shower at work now and use the microwaves for a daily hot meal 🙂

 

[mjr]

I just don’t have my heating over 14 degrees and wear jumpers.

Yikes! I'd not be able to do that because one of my illness is limiting how cold I can have the house right now... and I'm not that bad, so have it set to 18 or similar during the day while I'm moving about. Some of the people really up against it are those with illnesses where they are at home a lot but also cannot let it get below 20 (which I think is what's shown on those "Warm and Well" leaflets from the GP surgery).

For an illustration of how farked the electricity retail market is, here's a look at the "Octopus Agile" tariff (which I'm not on, but I have an app that compares it to mine). It varies its retail price in 15-minute intervals based on the wholesale price. It's spending almost all the time pinned at its maximum and has rarely fallen below the new 28p/kWh price cap, except at night during the Xmas/NY holiday and all-day except 4-7pm on Bank Holiday Monday 3 January. Here's the last two months (the most I can see), with the red line and leftmost scale showing the agile price in p/kWh:

 

[Saluki]

I have asthma. If I have my hood up, the air around, in the big hood, is warmer. I think.
Heat is an invisible expense to me.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

A blanket and hot water bottle can also help if you need to keep any heating as low as possible.