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Thread: Cost of Living

  1. #1
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    Cost of Living

    Is anyone else struggling with this right now? I had our energy bill today from British Gas and I don't know how many times I've asked for a monthly bill. They keep sending quarterly. Car insurance I had to stop the direct debit due to insufficient funds and now have a £20 late payment fee. This has been introduced recently despite their assurance it hasn't.

    Being a carer for Mrs F, we can't afford these bills in large chunks. This winter really will see us heating or eating I think.
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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
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    Re: Cost of Living

    Mate, I'm really sorry to read this. As you might know, I'm self-employed and as I write this, I am owed a four-figure sum and repeated requests for payment are not answered. The bank balance is in red at the moment, same as it is every month. Last winter was thankfully a mild one and so I was able to run my electric fire at a low setting and keep my main living area to 15C/59F. Blankets were necessary at times and this cut my heating bill drastically. Yet I pass a house every morning that's lit up with up-and-downlighters from dusk to dawn and has some permanently-lit "statement piece" that sort of looks like a giant letter Q in a massive window at the front of the house. How the other half live.

    For the first time in my life, I am now paying over £100 to fill the tank of the car - and that is petrol, not diesel. I have no choice - no chance of getting as well-paid work locally.

    Short of you changing energy supplier and finding someone who *will* let you pay your utilities monthly, I don't know what to suggest.

  3. #3
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    Re: Cost of Living

    Have you looked at the SSE supplier option, Fishman? I really don't rate British Gas services now. So much hassle to contact and always on strike as well.

    I lead a very frugal lifestyle anyway and am trying not to think about what lies ahead. It may not be as bad as we fear next winter.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2014
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    Re: Cost of Living

    Fishman, turn off any unused appliance, especially before going to bed. It can literally save you a huge chunk.
    I don't have a tumble dryer or dishwasher so I save there.
    Gas is a difficult one because its heating and sometimes cooking. A steamer saves because you only have the one ring lit on the cooker. If you can, get a oil fired heater, they chuck out loads of heat during the winter.
    Sewerage is estimated on your water usage but also what goes down the sink. So use the shortish cycle on the washing machine and things like not leaving the tap running when brushing your teeth or washing your hands can all help.
    Battery operated lights can last for ages and act as a lamp or night light.
    The kettle uses a huge amount of electric so only fill it for the amount you need.
    With car insurance, tell them you are looking for a better deal, speak to a salesperson and you may find they can do you a much better deal saving you quite a bit. Garage and off road parking minimises cost.
    But generally, I agree. Everything going up all the time including food. So buy stuff on deals and hoard if you can.
    Last edited by Carnation; 06-05-22 at 09:59.

  5. #5
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    Re: Cost of Living

    I guess this is something we all have to face up to over the coming months, and I agree with Carnation about rethinking our priorities and trying to be more frugal with our leccy, gas, water, etc, which is probably far more productive than incessantly bemoaning the current situation and playing the 'blame game', etc, plus many other countries around the world are also feeling the pinch right now.

    Also, tweaking many of our lifestyles may potentially have benefits in the long run, like using less leccy/gas/water, and (when and where possible) using our vehicles less.

    And will certainly be better for both the environment and our general longer-term health.

  6. #6
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    Mar 2020
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    Re: Cost of Living

    Quote Originally Posted by Pamplemousse View Post
    Yet I pass a house every morning that's lit up with up-and-downlighters from dusk to dawn and has some permanently-lit "statement piece" that sort of looks like a giant letter Q in a massive window at the front of the house. How the other half live.
    Good god PM, they must have dosh to burn right now!

    Plus it's also a drain on the planet and contributing to global warming to have constant 'Blackpool Illuminations' on one's property day in day out!

  7. #7
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    Re: Cost of Living

    Thanks for these ideas guys, I thought I'd set 'instant notification' for replies so hadn't checked back in to see.

    I knew that any appliance that generates heat uses by far the most electric, the in-house display shoots up whenever the kettle is on. Ditto the tumble dryer which I'd already cut the use of drastically. Mrs F and daughter insist on soft fluffy towels but that's going out the window.

    I'd started turning off appliances at the plug, eg the microwave. Tbh we hardly cook meals now, I eat porridge which is 4 mins 50 secs in the microwave. The only other thing I cook is boiled eggs, the rest is nuts, fruit and bags of green salad.

    Then there's the fish tank. That may have to go, though it barely registers on the IHD. Food bank here we come.
    __________________
    'It was a wedding ring, destined to be found in a cheap hotel, lost in a kitchen sink, or thrown in a wishing well' - Marillion, Clutching at Straws, 1987

  8. #8
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    Sep 2011
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    2,363

    Re: Cost of Living

    I feel you. Am looking toward a career change as I simply need to earn more, especially with the way things are heading.

    I’m lucky I was able to buy my house last year, as rents are rising and I probably couldn’t afford to rent anything that wasn’t a moldy basement now. I am also lucky that for now I can walk to work as that saves me on gas, even though I do have to drive for errands or on weekends. But with utilities and the price of food rising, it is getting tight. I hate having to make those calls at the store, or holding off on health care to try to save here and there.
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  9. #9
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    Re: Cost of Living

    Quote Originally Posted by pulisa View Post
    Have you looked at the SSE supplier option, Fishman? I really don't rate British Gas services now. So much hassle to contact and always on strike as well.

    I lead a very frugal lifestyle anyway and am trying not to think about what lies ahead. It may not be as bad as we fear next winter.
    Pulisa, I managed to get through on the phone to BG today, something of a miracle in itself. They assure me they have switched my bills to monthly from this point on. The big mistake was getting smart meters, before that we had dumb prepayment ones and knew exactly where we stood. SSE, is that Southern Electric?
    __________________
    'It was a wedding ring, destined to be found in a cheap hotel, lost in a kitchen sink, or thrown in a wishing well' - Marillion, Clutching at Straws, 1987

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
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    Re: Cost of Living

    SSE = OVO Electric.

    One other thing to help is as conventional ones fail, change to LED lightbulbs. They use tiny amounts of electricity. On the landing I have a battery-operated LED lamp with a PIR sensor in it which saves me putting on the main lights for the inevitable trips to the loo at night.

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