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Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

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  • Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

    Hope i am not coming across as bombarding the forum with new threads since i have just joined but i am really struggling financially and can barely afford to keep our home lit etc

    I'm with scottish power on pre-payment for gas and electric,and i'm told that i am apparently on the cheapest tariff they offer.

    RE the electric: i am topping up at least 3 times per week,each top up consisting of £8.

    I live in a 3 bed house,occupants are myself and 2 children aged 4 and 2,so it is not like they are charging up phones,laptops etc. i keep the bare minimum on at all times,the only things i cannot turn off are the fridge freezer of course, the washing machine (the mains plug is behind the machine,no idea what genius designed my kitchen) and the hallway light at night for the kids.

    There is a small debt left on this meter,and i'm paying it back at around £1.50 per week.

    I have tried speaking to them to see if i am really on the best tariff but am just being told i am and nothing else. an average of around £96 per month seem far too much to me.

    I have qualified for the warm home discount (i think that is what it is) of £130 credit added to your meter,but that won't be put onto the meter until around March 2014. I can't see what good that does,i need to use more electric with dark night etc.

    RE the gas: this is the sad part,i think the last time i attempted to put any money on my gas card was April 2013,as i just can't afford it all my money is going to the electric,shopping and other bills,even when i was putting something on,around 90% of the top up would go to debt.

    I'm a single parent on benefits,i can't look at getting into work because i've destroyed my foot pretty badly,broken bones in an awkward place,toes are starting to splay so probably going to need surgery and in quite a bit of pain most days,being told to rest etc. hard to do when i am running about with school and nursery runs and running a house.

    Luckily the house has recently had new loft insulation and cavity walls so we are not freezing,but i am starting to worry now we are getting into the cold days and nights.

    I feel like a complete failure,in that i can't even keep my children warm.

    I've tried looking around online for any help available but can't seem to see anything,apart from the energy saving trust who i have already been in touch with. All they could help me with is basically making sure i turn everything off etc which i already do.

  • #2
    Re: Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

    I'm on the same tariff as you

    How are you doing on the emergency meter - I know we spend half our time in emergency, then we have to make sure we put enough on to take us at least £3 back in credit (presumably why you put £8) to ensure we have the £5 emergency.

    Electric wise we are on about £20 a week - 3 bed council house, 2 adults - 3 kids. So quite similar.

    Do you have gas or electric cooker ? Presumably electric if you haven't put the gas on for a long while.... which will bump up the cost. Also your water heating - is that your electric immersion tank ? We have our heating on gas, but my last house the heating and water was all electric and it was very very dire - the house was a victorian two up two down and damp too, so it was bloody freezing in Winter....we got down to -9 one morning and used to snuggle up me and the three kids on the sofa under blankets. Eventually my partner (who now lives with us) gave us a portable fire run off a gas cannister thing which really helped (don't recommend it though unless desperate).

    Washing machine and tumble drier especially eat electricity - when we low I hardly dare use either.

    Sadly it is the way things are - we're quite anal here about turning lights, pooters. tv etc off - it's not that rare we play board games by candle light on an evening because the leccy ran out.

    Anyway not really a lot of help but hope you don't feel like you are alone, and you certainly aren't a failure.
    #staysafestayhome

    Any support I provide is offered without liability, if you are unsure please seek professional legal guidance.

    Received a Court Claim? Read >>>>> First Steps

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

      Are you getting all your benefits ? have a quick check on the Turn2us website - http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx just to be sure - they also have ideas re grants / help available - very few and far between though but worth a look.

      ( oh and bombard all you like, t'is why we exist )
      #staysafestayhome

      Any support I provide is offered without liability, if you are unsure please seek professional legal guidance.

      Received a Court Claim? Read >>>>> First Steps

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

        Oddly enough,,my leccy seemed cheaper when I was on PAYG...but I think that proves the point about being anal Ame,it becomes a way of life,,now my lot know better than to risk my wrath if they're wasting it.
        One thing you haven't said jmxrocks,,is that even though you haven't been using the gas the standing charge will still be applied.
        British Gas ( and other suppliers I believe) have an Energy Trust fund that can,and do,wipe debts for people,,it's not a loan,it just clears the arrears so you can start afresh.

        And you're not a failure,,you've just hit the same rock as everyone else

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

          It depends what tariff you are on Inca re the standing charge - some include it in a slightly higher unit rate - which is very good on prepayment meters as you don't suddenly lose £2.40 odd on a Friday evening If jmx can put up the exact tariff details - I have both mine with SSE and both prepay.
          #staysafestayhome

          Any support I provide is offered without liability, if you are unsure please seek professional legal guidance.

          Received a Court Claim? Read >>>>> First Steps

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

            Seemed like everyone else was surviving but me. Nice to know that i am not alone but not that other people are in this situation.

            i am forever going into the emergency,not a lot i can do about that. more than once when ive phoned scottish power,ive been told in a less than polite manner to not go in to the emergency. it would be nice to be able to afford not to but unfortunately we'd be living without essentials then.

            i was looking into switching for electric anyway,to a provider who isn't one of the big 6 but quite confused there,as i know there is at least 1 that doesn't have standing charges but a slightly higher rate per kw,around a penny more i think so wasn't sure if i would really be saving anything.

            i had the arrears wiped off the meter about 2months ago now,on the intention that i could afford to top up at least a fiver per week but things have gotten really dire and i haven't been able to top up.

            its got so bad this week,that friday after paying bills that were due we were left with £8 for a food shop for that week and surprised the power was down to pennies so had to go on that.

            i am convinced there is some sort of problem,topped up last friday at half 9 had 2.52 (plus emergency) checked on saturday morning before 9 and i was down to 44p, i just cant get my head around where does 2.08 go in less than 24hours.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

              dug out the last letter i can find from scottish power dated oct 2012 so no doubt they have went up by now,the rates on the back are as follows...

              11.645p per kw
              32days x 23.850p

              my debt comes off on a wednesday and standing charge is per day.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

                Double check with SSE about your emergency. We had a problem as we weren't going into enough credit to make the emergency available again...eg if we only topped up by £7 when we were completely out of electric - then it only gave us £2.00 to use as the emergency wasn't available to use. Which had caught us out a few times. You have to go into credit by £3.00 before you will get the emergency credit available once you get back down to zero.

                One good thing is if you run out after 8pm the electric doesn't switch off until 9.05 the next morning. If you run out just before 8pm though you're stuffed if you don't have a local top up shop.

                Also if you can find out your exact tariff and see if there is a standing charge on it. (I'll dig out what I'm on )
                #staysafestayhome

                Any support I provide is offered without liability, if you are unsure please seek professional legal guidance.

                Received a Court Claim? Read >>>>> First Steps

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

                  i definitely always get my £5 emergency,learned from experience to top up at least £8 so i get it.

                  like you mentioned the only good thing i can say about them is that my meter wont go off at night if i run out. slightly different for me,if i run out after 6.30 i stay on and get until half 9 the next morning to top up.

                  i suppose i should thank my lucky stars i am not with BG after the horror stories i've read about them

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

                    Good that your standing charge is taken daily rather than weekly

                    Our electric is 12.47 pkwh, I might give them a buzz tmw to check the rest of our rates and let you know.

                    Check your benefits out http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx
                    #staysafestayhome

                    Any support I provide is offered without liability, if you are unsure please seek professional legal guidance.

                    Received a Court Claim? Read >>>>> First Steps

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

                      100% not alone. We're with SSE. We pay by card - a weekly amount, and have just had £1200 of debt written off through a grant. Apparently we have exactly the same tariff as a prepayment meter, but obviously while we won't 'run out,' we can run up a bill.

                      We too are totally anal about switching everything off that can be on standby, including mobile chargers which are not in use. Things we forget about occasionally we have put on timer switches.

                      We have recently replaced most of our light bulbs with 3w LED bulbs (thank you Aldi special offers!) which we hope will make a big difference. We couldn't afford to replace all of them, so, being shameless, I've written begging letters to LED lightbulb suppliers asking for some freebies - they can only say no.

                      Even the laptop is charged, then switched off and run on its battery, charged, run off battery etc.... It's only leaning over the arm of the settee to turn the socket off (switchable extension leads).

                      With the gas, we have a timer on the boiler, and we leave it as late as possible for it to come on, and then have it on for 15 minutes, off for 30, on for 15, off for 30 - this keeps our HUGE lounge comfortably warm.

                      We are yet to have a bill to see what effect all the above has had.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

                        i phoned them again this morning,quite a rude eejit i spoke to and their words were 'you are on the best tariff we can't help goodbye' and that was that.

                        i've spoken to the enegry savings trust and they are going to get in touch with some organization around here so fingers crossed they can help out.

                        got council tax breathing down my neck now

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

                          Originally posted by jmxrocks12 View Post
                          i phoned them again this morning,quite a rude eejit i spoke to and their words were 'you are on the best tariff we can't help goodbye' and that was that.

                          i've spoken to the enegry savings trust and they are going to get in touch with some organization around here so fingers crossed they can help out.

                          got council tax breathing down my neck now

                          How much do you spend on shopping a week ?

                          What supermarkets are within easy reach ?

                          Do you use quidco, topcashback, shopitize, mysuperlist, mysupermarket etc ?

                          Can you walk around a supermarket relatively easily ?

                          M1

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

                            Originally posted by jmxrocks12 View Post
                            Seemed like everyone else was surviving but me. Nice to know that i am not alone but not that other people are in this situation.

                            i am forever going into the emergency,not a lot i can do about that. more than once when ive phoned scottish power,ive been told in a less than polite manner to not go in to the emergency. it would be nice to be able to afford not to but unfortunately we'd be living without essentials then.

                            i was looking into switching for electric anyway,to a provider who isn't one of the big 6 but quite confused there,as i know there is at least 1 that doesn't have standing charges but a slightly higher rate per kw,around a penny more i think so wasn't sure if i would really be saving anything.

                            i had the arrears wiped off the meter about 2months ago now,on the intention that i could afford to top up at least a fiver per week but things have gotten really dire and i haven't been able to top up.

                            its got so bad this week,that friday after paying bills that were due we were left with £8 for a food shop for that week and surprised the power was down to pennies so had to go on that.

                            i am convinced there is some sort of problem,topped up last friday at half 9 had 2.52 (plus emergency) checked on saturday morning before 9 and i was down to 44p, i just cant get my head around where does 2.08 go in less than 24hours.
                            Have you asked them to come out and check your meter?

                            Unfortunately as others have said it is pretty much the same for everyone. But of course, when you are not working, it does make a big difference having to pay out of the minimum amount of benefits you receive.

                            As Amethyst suggest, have you checked you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to?

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Looking for some help with cost of my electric/gas

                              Originally posted by jmxrocks12 View Post

                              got council tax breathing down my neck now
                              Good luck with the grants, and sadly I think there is an element of luck in it.

                              Re the Council Tax, if you state what the problem is, if it causing you real problems, tell us and we will be able to help. Most of my replies are in the bailiff area giving help on CTax issues etc... and I do a fair bit with debt repayment plans, so post up early, BEFORE it becomes a big problem, and we'll do all we can to help you.

                              Comment

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