My electricity bill has just tripled: how about yours? Alternative suppliers?

[High Voltage]

I still don't know how I was using so much for so much of the year for so long - surely can't be carelessness with 9 watt LED lamps ... even raising seedlings under up to 70 watts of light 24/7 only adds up to 1.7 units a day ...
When I was working and bathing every Sunday that was 1 kwh per day - weighed against not being home during the day.
Well I'm hopefully on top of it now.

Just go back and check some of my earlier posts. I was nearly going spare trying to understand my energy usage

I've ended up with a spread sheet listing, pretty much, everything in the house that uses power, their hourly (or daily) power consumption and how long approx they're on for, with some rounding for sanity, and I've got a model which pretty accurately reflects our summer usage. So much so that I can explore what having stuff switched on for different lengths of time or numbers of cycles in the case of, say, the dishwasher, looks like

It was a combination of using those plug in meters, checking on the manufacturers web site for power usage of the white good in question (they're all pretty new so the figures for the actual unit can still be found or one close enough to use, the owl reader turns out to over read by 25%, so an 8KWh day is actually only 6 from the main consumer unit.

This also highlighted that we had a broken AND jammed three way powered valve on our hot water/central heating system that I didn't know about. So when the lpg boiler was coming on to heat water only it was also running the central heating as well. This is now fixed. And the 3KW(?) immersion heater which is used to boost the water temperature in the hot water tank has been switched off. And the daily lpg burn used to give hot water has been reduced from 1 hour a day down to 30 minutes with no noticeable effect on the hot water. Underfloor heating in the bathroom - OFF for all the summer, this will be the only extra winter power usage so easily monitorable

I've also got in touch with the lpg supplier to see if they do a more accurate measuring system, they do, and I'm exploring getting one of those installed so I can see if getting this and next winters gas usage out of our tank is feasible, I think it might be if we're frugal, but like you we're both home now, as both recently retired, so use will almost certainly increase. I suspect wood and coal will probably do the heavy lifting on our heating

Edit: stupid typos

 

[weltweit]

While I am glad to see that petrol and diesel prices are now coming down again, electric and gas is still cause for concern.

 

[cupid_stunt]

While I am glad to see that petrol and diesel prices are now coming down again, electric and gas is still cause for concern.

Indeed, I guess at least we have this new 'price guarantee' of £2,500, which isn't ideal, but a lot better than the 'price cap' projections of over £6.600 from March 2023.

 

[Looby]

Just got an email from EON

My gas and electricity is going up from 185 quid a month (which I’ve been paying for two years) to……..150 Quid a month

I am now a really confused

Isn’t it because of the £400 payment? Our DD has gone down too although technically our monthly bill is now 40 quid more.

 

[weltweit]

Indeed, I guess at least we have this new 'price guarantee' of £2,500, which isn't ideal, but a lot better than the 'price cap' projections of over £6.600 from March 2023.

There are going to be plenty of people that can't afford £2,500 though, what is to become of them?

 

[cupid_stunt]

There are going to be plenty of people that can't afford £2,500 though, what is to become of them?

That's why I said 'not ideal'.

In fact it's £2,500 - £400 discount this winter, then there's extra for the most vulnerable households, but yeah it's still going to be hard for a lot of people.

The significant intervention includes a new, one-off £650 payment to more than 8 million low-income households on Universal Credit, Tax Credits, Pension Credit and legacy benefits, with separate one-off payments of £300 to pensioner households and £150 to individuals receiving disability benefits – groups who are most vulnerable to rising prices.

Rishi Sunak also announced that the energy bills discount due to come in from October is being doubled from £200 to £400, while the requirement to pay it back will be scrapped. This means households will receive a £400 discount on their energy bills from October.

The new Cost of Living Support package will mean that almost all of the eight million most vulnerable households will receive at least £1,200 of extra support this year, including the £150 council tax rebate that many families received last month – equal to the average energy price cap rise over this year.

Millions of most vulnerable households will receive £1,200 of help with cost of living

Millions of households across the UK will benefit from a new £15 billion package of targeted government support to help with the rising cost of living, the Chancellor announced today (26 May).

www.gov.uk

 

[MickiQ]

British Gas have sent me 2 emails entitled "Important Information About Your Tariff" which might be more accurately titled as "Yo Sucker We Gonna Rob You Blind"
I am currently massively in credit on both gas and electric since they only charge debits to my account once every 6 months and the next time will be next month when I expect my credit balance to evaporate like morning mist.
They haven't asked me to raise DD's but the amounts they are estimating are £144 for Gas (currently £95) and £127 for Electric (currently £115)
Tariffs haven't gone up evenly leccy has gone up by 19% but Gas has gone up by 40%
So once (and if) DD's get raised then it will be £271 pm but for 6 months I will get a payment of £66/67 pm back probably a week later.

 

[MickiQ]

There are going to be plenty of people that can't afford £2,500 though, what is to become of them?

They will sit in the dark shivering but at least they will be able to look forward to a tax cut.

 

[brogdale]

While I am glad to see that petrol and diesel prices are now coming down again, electric and gas is still cause for concern.

Yebbut...don't forget the fall-out from Kwarteng's event...

 

[weltweit]

£6 extra is about 10%, I can live with that.

 

[_Russ_]

 

[cupid_stunt]

I've been in the pub too, and I seem to have ordered a new fridge-freezer online.

what's the power consumption?

Well, that's thing, I am not sure, I 'think' it's going to save lots, but I hadn't completed my research!

I've been giving sanctuary to an old mate for a few weeks now, following his marriage break-up, he's pissed off with me obsessing over the electric use of the 20 year old fridge-freezer and possible savings if I get a new one, and has promised to pay for it, if it doesn't pay for itself in 3 years, but I have nothing in writing.

Updates will be on the electricity bill thread, rather than further derailing this one.

The obsessing revolved around a number of things, I was confused that almost all fridge freezers I was looking at had a energy rating of 'F', which seemed very poor, until I discovered they changed the scale last year, so 'F' is the new 'A*' rating, so fairly good.

Secondly, I am not sure how much the old F/F is using, I think it's somewhere under 2kwh per day, but it could be more, it's hard to tell using the smart meter monitor, because it's not constantly fired up, and when it does get going it can draw anything from about 120w to 280w for a number of minutes.

Finally it was size, the current one is a standard large one, split about 50/50, so I was looking for something smaller, but I think I would find the standard under the counter 70/30 ones a bit small. Finally I found a non-standard sized one that's basically bang in the middle of those standard sizes and is 60% fridge/40% freezer.

Anyway, after a few beers and my mate saying, 'FFS just order it, if it doesn't pay for itself in 3 year I'll fucking pay for it myself', the deal was done.

It's costing £250 including delivery and taking the old one away, it's consumption is 229kwh per year, so about 630w per day, therefore it should save at the very least 1kwh per day, about £130 a year at the rates from Oct, and pay for itself in under 2 years, so my mate's money is safe, or, at least that's theory!

 

[gentlegreen]

all these figures banded about as if life was like a laboratory experiment

 

[alex_]

The obsessing revolved around a number of things, I was confused that almost all fridge freezers I was looking at had a energy rating of 'F', which seemed very poor, until I discovered they changed the scale last year, so 'F' is the new 'A*' rating, so fairly good.

Secondly, I am not sure how much the old F/F is using, I think it's somewhere under 2kwh per day, but it could be more, it's hard to tell using the smart meter monitor, because it's not constantly fired up, and when it does get going it can draw anything from about 120w to 280w for a number of minutes.

Finally it was size, the current one is a standard large one, split about 50/50, so I was looking for something smaller, but I think I would find the standard under the counter 70/30 ones a bit small. Finally I found a non-standard sized one that's basically bang in the middle of those standard sizes and is 60% fridge/40% freezer.

Anyway, after a few beers and my mate saying, 'FFS just order it, if it doesn't pay for itself in 3 year I'll fucking pay for it myself', the deal was done.

It's costing £250 including delivery and taking the old one away, it's consumption is 229kwh per year, so about 630w per day, therefore it should save at the very least 1kwh per day, about £130 a year at the rates from Oct, and pay for itself in under 2 years, so my mate's money is safe, or, at least that's theory!

The government should be giving these away to people who can show they have and can scrap a less than ( say ) B rated fridge and requiring rentals to have A rated appliances.

 

[existentialist]

The government should be giving these away to people who can show they have and can scrap a less than ( say ) B rated fridge and requiring rentals to have A rated appliances.

They're more likely to fling £10bn at the CEO of a white goods company, and hope that the benefits somehow trickle down.

 

[alex_]

They're more likely to fling £10bn at the CEO of a white goods company, and hope that the benefits somehow trickle down.

Fair point - you could buy Miele appliances for the top 1% instead.

I genuinely don’t understand the lack of focus on insulation and any other demand reduction measures

 

[existentialist]

Fair point - you could buy Miele appliances for the top 1% instead.

I genuinely don’t understand the lack of focus on insulation and any other demand reduction measures

It's far too "woke". Why insulate, which isn't very profitable, when we can pay companies billions to frack?

 

[alex_]

It's far too "woke". Why insulate, which isn't very profitable, when we can pay companies billions to frack?

Surely they could reduce benefits and if energy bills were lower ?

 

[two sheds]

or landlords could put up rents

 

[Fruitloop]

Had thought to get the fireplace sorted so that we had an alternative heatsource for the winter, but we got a chimney sweep in and it's been condemned. For £95 which stung a bit.

Apparently we can get a liner, but that would cost thousands which I have not got.

 

[alex_]

or landlords could put up rents

Thinking like a Tory

 

[CH1]

Had thought to get the fireplace sorted so that we had an alternative heatsource for the winter, but we got a chimney sweep in and it's been condemned. For £95 which stung a bit.

Apparently we can get a liner, but that would cost thousands which I have not got.

How did that happen - is there a chimney equivalent of GasSafe?
I've got 2 fireplaces - and I think they are both open. Certainly "bits" fall down them both - and on one occasion about 25 years ago a live pigeon got down one. A bit of a drama trying to get it out the window.

BTW is there an official "chimney blocking bag" available. I tend to put books & old copies of the FT up but that seems to attract mice. And very messy to take back down in summer. Must be a lot of hot air goes up uncapped chimneys.

 

[alex_]

How did that happen - is there a chimney equivalent of GasSafe?
I've got 2 fireplaces - and I think they are both open. Certainly "bits" fall down them both - and on one occasion about 25 years ago a live pigeon got down one. A bit of a drama trying to get it out the window.

BTW is there an official "chimney blocking bag" available. I tend to put books & old copies of the FT up but that seems to attract mice. And very messy to take back down in summer. Must be a lot of hot air goes up uncapped chimneys.

You can get a kind of balloon thing

Eg Keep warm air in and cold air out with Chimney Balloon! - Chimney Balloon

This isnt a reference just the first useful hit on Google

 

[alex_]

It's far too "woke". Why insulate, which isn't very profitable, when we can pay companies billions to frack?

Seriously - I can’t even find any oped’s in the telegraph on why insulation in is bad.

I don’t get it - are they really this shit at running a country, they they cannot figure out “less spent on heating = more spent on everything else, county is richer” ?

 

[Storm Fox]

Had thought to get the fireplace sorted so that we had an alternative heatsource for the winter, but we got a chimney sweep in and it's been condemned. For £95 which stung a bit.

Apparently we can get a liner, but that would cost thousands which I have not got.

That seems a bit excessive. It might be worth getting a 2nd quote, if you can get one for free.

 

[cupid_stunt]

That seems a bit excessive. It might be worth getting a 2nd quote, if you can get one for free.

It can get very expensive.

The average cost to supply and fit a chimney liner is approximately £250 per metre. Your chimney may need other remedial works e.g. new pots, flaunching, repointing, repairs etc. This will be an additional cost to the above. The average cost of just supplying the liner will be between £175 per metre and the rest will be the labour. It can take between 1 and 3 days to install a chimney liner depending on the complexity and the average cost of the tradesman will range between £180 – £250 per day.

https://www.checkatrade.com/blog/cost-guides/chimney-liner-cost/

 

[Storm Fox]

It can get very expensive.

https://www.checkatrade.com/blog/cost-guides/chimney-liner-cost/

I had a metal liner in my chimney and they completed the job in 1/2 a day. I need to check the price as it sold with the fireplace.
Of course things, vary I must have been really lucky.

 

[two sheds]

Apparently the chimney liner in one of my chimneys was installed (before I came here) upside down. Now that I think of it I wonder whether that's why there's a leak down the chimney breast when it rains, which had confused me somewhat because I'd got up there (not very high) and bichumen treated round the base of the chimney then had someone get up there and do it properly.

 

[WouldBe]

It's far too "woke". Why insulate, which isn't very profitable,

It is for insulation companies.

 

[existentialist]

It is for insulation companies.

Far more profit in fossil fuels...unless you're in the inflammable insulation business, I guess...