Message Boards for the CF Trust

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dawnypink

Posts: 39
From: North East
Registered: 06-Nov-2006

Gas and Electric Prices!!
Posted: 09-Dec-2006 20:16

Reply

I get my gas and electric supplied by Powergen. Before the price increases I always payed £42 per month direct debit, which paid for my usage. After the price increases I increased my payments to £52 which I thought would cover the increase. Well I've just got my quarterly bill and I am almost £250 in debit!! I know they have had a lot of price increases but when I phoned up she told me I had to increase my payments to £111 per month - I can't afford that, it's rediculous. Can you get funding or grants from anywhere to help pay gas/electric??

Dawny xxx

ladybird

Posts: 227
From: Northants
Registered: 05-Nov-2006

Re: Gas and Electric Prices!!
Posted: 09-Dec-2006 20:59

Reply

Have you been on Uswitch.com/simplyswitch.com or the like and found out if you're with the cheapest supplier for your area?

Are you careful about your usage too? We are careful to turn off lights, etc when not using them, have energy saving bulbs everywhere, our heating isn't very high and only on morning and evening at the moment as it's not that cold yet. Is your house insulation good?

We've just had our payments changed for our annual reviews and now pay £16/mth for gas and £30 for elec (roughly, can't remember exactly and can't be bothered to check the filing cabinet next to me!). We are a family of 5 in a 4 bed house. What you are paying is ridiculous!!!!!

clrhay

Posts: 19
From: uk
Registered: 10-Feb-2004

Re: Gas and Electric Prices!!
Posted: 09-Dec-2006 21:25

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we dont have gas we only have elec and we just had our first bill in and for the last 3 months it was £200 we dont wanna put our elec heating on now as its so much

andrewh

Posts: 860
From: South London
Registered: 06-Feb-2004

Re: Gas and Electric Prices!!
Posted: 09-Dec-2006 21:30

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Hi Dawny, that's an horrendous increase!!! I'd query it with Powergen, possibly the meter reading was taken incorrectly or they based it on an estimated reading? Either way it sounds very wrong to me.

Andy

dawnypink

Posts: 39
From: North East
Registered: 06-Nov-2006

Re: Gas and Electric Prices!!
Posted: 09-Dec-2006 22:54

Reply

No the meter reading is correct, I have checked it. I have started to be a right scrooge, I've turned the heating down a couple of degrees, ive put it on for less hours during the day. If i turn radiators off in rooms that I don't use would that make a difference to the amount of gas it uses??

Dawny xx

colster

Posts: 39
From: Southampton, UK
Registered: 06-Nov-2006

Re: Gas and Electric Prices!!
Posted: 09-Dec-2006 23:10

Reply

Dawny, you can try a few things:

1. Lights off in rooms when you leave
2. Don't leave things on standby ie. tv.
3.Don't have your boiler on 24 hrs a day. Heat your water an hour in morning and the same in the evening.
4. Energy saving lightbulbs
5. Simple thing like keep cutains closed to keep heat in

In answer to your question, the longer your radiators are on for, the more hot water needs pumping through, so your boiler will be continuously heating the water, thus spending more money. Put it on a timer perhaps?

Hope you get your bills down

Colin

Merlin

Posts: 46
From: North East
Registered: 07-Nov-2006

Re: Gas and Electric Prices!!
Posted: 10-Dec-2006 06:14

Reply

There are only 2 of us in a three bed house,and we pay £83 p/mth for gas and electricity. But havent wholesale gas prices come down due to new supplies ??
So why are'nt the robbing bas...ds reducing the prices.
I'm definitely switching.
Question though,if i turn radiators off that are not in use will it save me money ?

ladybird

Posts: 227
From: Northants
Registered: 05-Nov-2006

Re: Gas and Electric Prices!!
Posted: 10-Dec-2006 06:59

Reply

Turn radiators off in rooms that aren't being used and close the doors. Also I recently googled to find out whether it was more cost efficient to keep the heating on low all day or to have it on higher just when your are in and needing it. The answer - have it on only when you are in. Sounds obvious but I wasn't sure whether it was costing more to heat the house up to the right temp. and then keep it there or to keep it warm at a constant all the time.

Still doesn't sound right - I know what I mean

sandylizz

Posts: 97
From: Shrewsbury
Registered: 10-Nov-2006

Re: Gas and Electric Prices!!
Posted: 10-Dec-2006 12:53

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I live o my own in a on bedroomed flat and stay in most days as Im on oxygen so my heating is on all day nearly.. I pay £30 a month for electric and £15 for gas, Ive just switched and I m hoping that will be enough to cover costs as I live on benefits and cant afford to pay anything else.. (esp as Im waiting for my incapacity to be soreted out so Im living on my DLA.

xx Sandy xx

jayjay

Posts: 13
From: Northampton
Registered: 06-Nov-2006

Re: Gas and Electric Prices!!
Posted: 10-Dec-2006 14:58

Reply

Sounds VERY familiar.

We had exactly the same problem with Powergen. The prices went up so much that even though we were paying £30 elec and £35 gas per month, we suddenly found ourselves £350 in debt. (there's only 2 of us in 3 bed house and heating is only on morning and evening.)

Powergen just put it down to price increases and put our direct debit monthly payments up to £150 per month!!!

At long last, after months of ridiculous payments we are now in credit (although it's nearly bankrupt us!). I am def going to switch companies now. I think Powergen just take the pi**. My husband was made redundant last week too so goodness knows how we are going to pay next months bills

jayjay

Helen

Posts: 26
From: East Devon
Registered: 09-Nov-2006

Re: Gas and Electric Prices!!
Posted: 10-Dec-2006 15:43

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Snap! Powergen tried to up our gas/elec direct debit, but I spun them a story about having had an elderly relative staying with us temporarily (a big fib!) and came to a compromise with them, upping our monthly bill to £45.00 from £30.00 for gas and elec., after paying an excess bill of over £150. I'm sticking with Powergen, though, as they are the cheapest supplier in this area. We only have our heating on one hour daily, at 16 deg, and heat the lounge with a gas fire in the evenings. There's only the two of us, so not much washing, etc., we shower rather than have a bath and we have a combi boiler (very efficient at heating water, but I hate it!), we do the ironing and hoover if we feel cold and put more layers of clothing on - sad, or what! When visitors come in the winter, we tell them to wrap up warm and bring a hot water bottle or two.
Modern dishwashers use less energy than washing up by hand, apparently - yippee!
Tumble dryers are one of the biggest energy eaters, try to avoid using, unless absolutely vital.
The UK is well known for being one of the worst countries in the western hemisphere for energy efficiency because our houses are not well built.

Roll on spring, only 4 -5 months to go!

Helen

PAMMIE

Posts: 11
From: Manchester
Registered: 06-Dec-2006

Re: Gas and Electric Prices!!
Posted: 10-Dec-2006 16:59

Reply

We are with Brittish Bass (hehe) and we went to change to n-power and they gave us a really good quote so we were gnna change, BUT then when it went to sighn over they gave us a different quote which was much more than we are paying now, So we asked why and they said because they needed to use a different tube (or whatever the word is cant think right now) and that it was more expensive cuz of that, so we told them to poke it. Sometimes you think ur getting a better deal by moving but if one puts the price up then theres a reason why and also sometimes theres a BUG catch "Always read the small print!!"

Rubabes

Posts: 32
From: North East
Registered: 13-Nov-2006

Re: Gas and Electric Prices!!
Posted: 10-Dec-2006 17:08

Reply

Hi Dawnypink,

You may be eligible for a some free energy saving stuff if you're on DLA - ring your council and ask. The council don't actually do the work but there are firms in the area who are paid by the government and the council will know who they are. We got the loft insulation put in for nothing and they gave us some energy efficient light bulbs.

Its worth saving up for some good quality thermostatic valves fitted on the radiators as then they switch off automatically when they reach the temperature you've selected instead of just carrying on belting out the heat. Quite pricey though.

I turn the radiators off in the rooms we're not using, and only put the heating on loads when I'm feeling really poorly. Tend to rely on keeping one room warm during the main part of the day.

love Rubabes xx

PAMMIE

Posts: 11
From: Manchester
Registered: 06-Dec-2006

Re: Gas and Electric Prices!!
Posted: 10-Dec-2006 17:16

Reply

Yeah they send you energy saving lightbulbs its 4 a year and also you can get a grant to sort your heating system out and all that stuff also you can get a grant to help with the heating bills in winter they give you a reduction. But you have to apply. I dont claim it but i know people whi have. x

Rubabes

Posts: 32
From: North East
Registered: 13-Nov-2006

Re: Gas and Electric Prices!!
Posted: 10-Dec-2006 17:50

Reply

Sadly, I don't think they give you money towards the actual fuel bill but do one off things/give grants to help in making your home more energy efficient. Worth claiming it if it's there!

It annoys me that regardless of income people over 65 get £200 towards winter fuel but disabled people do not. It should be for vunerable people regardless of age. Time for letters to MPs methinks?

love Rubabes x