Discontent #4 Food, energy, transport, jobs, housing, cost of living etc

[IfTheCapFits]

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The Winter of Discontent #3 Food, energy, transport, jobs, housing, cost of living etc

Can you get a dehumidifier? I think someone mentioned screwfix/toolstation sell relatively cheap ones. Good idea, I will definitely get one

tattle.life

 

[emmer_moans]

I really hope there isn't lots of food spoiling in queues

Who would want to be a lorry driver at the moment, queuing for days


BBC News - Hauliers want priority for perishable goods at Dover

Hauliers want priority for perishable goods at Dover

Drivers say deliveries of produce like meat are losing quality and value in long waits at the port.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Brigitjonesbuttcheek]

I really hope there isn't lots of food spoiling in queues

Who would want to be a lorry driver at the moment, queuing for days


BBC News - Hauliers want priority for perishable goods at Dover

Hauliers want priority for perishable goods at Dover

Drivers say deliveries of produce like meat are losing quality and value in long waits at the port.

www.bbc.co.uk

It's mad to think they don't already have priority

 

[wideopenspace]

I was updating our weekly food shop last night. Milk up 4p, yoghurt up another 10p so in total a 20% rise since Christmas. I was talking to a colleague and even he was moaning about how quickly food prices are rising. My weekly shop doesn't include alcohol or fresh meat. Last year some weeks I struggled to get to the £40 but now it's between £50-60. I'm lucky as I've just increased to full time hour so that can help with the increases but not everyone is in that position.

 

[rainbowlemon]

Saw this today:

Iceland selling veg for just 1p until Thursday to help with cost of living crisis

Discount supermarket Iceland will be selling veg online for 1p until Thursday to help with the cost of living crisis.

uk.finance.yahoo.com

The 500g pasta in my local Aldi has gone up an additional 4p after previously already being raised by 10p. New price is now 59p.

 

[Duee]

Guys, sorry hopefully it does not sound ignorant or something but I am curious. UK is supposed to be more independent (energy-wise) from Russia than most of the European countries. Yet, now you mention increase, paying hundreds of pounds for energy and heating costs. Is it per month? Are your references for a 3bedroom appartment or for a house? How do you heat? Electricity, central heating, gas? Also, I just don’t get it, what would be the avg price for lets say 50sqm appartment for electricity and heating? I am honestly lost. Sounds too expensive so I wanted to doublecheck.

Saw this today:

Iceland selling veg for just 1p until Thursday to help with cost of living crisis

Discount supermarket Iceland will be selling veg online for 1p until Thursday to help with the cost of living crisis.

uk.finance.yahoo.com

The 500g pasta in my local Aldi has gone up an additional 4p after previously already being raised by 10p. New price is now 59p.

Around 2-3€ in EE (but Italian brand at local Lidl)

 

[pixxyy]

Guys, sorry hopefully it does not sound ignorant or something but I am curious. UK is supposed to be more independent (energy-wise) from Russia than most of the European countries. Yet, now you mention increase, paying hundreds of pounds for energy and heating costs. Is it per month? Are your references for a 3bedroom appartment or for a house? How do you heat? Electricity, central heating, gas? Also, I just don’t get it, what would be the avg price for lets say 50sqm appartment for electricity and heating? I am honestly lost. Sounds too expensive so I wanted to doublecheck.

I think it varies what heating/energy source we all use. My House is a 3 bed semi but we've now got a extension so think use wise it might be similar to a 4bed.
We use Gas & Electric, Since the price update on the 1st we've spent £36.79 on Gas and £18 approx Electric. Our Electric is still old rates though and we use a pre pay meter which I believe makes it cost more than paying monthly/quarterly.
I was expecting it to be higher but we are still going to cut down on things just incase.

We bought a Air Fryer as I heard thats much cheaper than using the Oven so much.

 

[Jc456]

Guys, sorry hopefully it does not sound ignorant or something but I am curious. UK is supposed to be more independent (energy-wise) from Russia than most of the European countries. Yet, now you mention increase, paying hundreds of pounds for energy and heating costs. Is it per month? Are your references for a 3bedroom appartment or for a house? How do you heat? Electricity, central heating, gas? Also, I just don’t get it, what would be the avg price for lets say 50sqm appartment for electricity and heating? I am honestly lost. Sounds too expensive so I wanted to doublecheck.



Around 2-3€ in EE (but Italian brand at local Lidl)

We only were getting a small amount but I guess we are now sharing our supply with countries that were more dependent on Russia but I think it was going to go up quite a bit before the war started.
Mines a 2 bed house semi detached house (69 sqm) and paying £84 for both gas and electricity (hasn't gone up despite me giving readings at the end of my fixed deal in Dec and end of March), I've had a lot of issues with my supplier so half expecting a huge bill at some point. House is 2 years old so it's quite economic for heating

 

[Brigitjonesbuttcheek]

I've just had my revised bill through. Gas up from £20 pm to £90 pm. I feel like we've not been stiched that bad, that makes £150 for duel fuel. Hubbie nearly had a heart attack.
People in my area have got £500 pm for houses same as mine. I'm pretty tight with the heating though. I grew up in a cold house, only because my parents grew up in cold houses too. Thrifty runs in the family.

But my question is, is electric going up too? I've only had an increase in the gas.

 

[Jc456]

Does anyone know what the withdrawn charges on my bill means? It's with the ombudsman at the moment so not sure if it's to do with that?

 

[Brigitjonesbuttcheek]

Does anyone know what the withdrawn charges on my bill means? It's with the ombudsman at the moment so not sure if it's to do with that?

I think you're in credit for that 40 odd so they are taking that off your last bill, you then pay the difference.

 

[Jc456]

I think you're in credit for that 40 odd so they are taking that off your last bill, you then pay the difference.

I'm £250ish in credit. This is my 3rd electric bill this week one for £45, one for a £3 refund and then this one

 

[Brigitjonesbuttcheek]

I'm £250ish in credit. This is my 3rd electric bill this week one for £45, one for a £3 refund and then this one

Ok, I think they billed the £45 by mistake. And that one you screenshot is them withdrawing that bill and amending the balance.

Sounds like they've been messing the bill up then messing it up more trying to fix it.

I had similar with my electricity. They had a wrong reading that came out of nowhere. They re billed me like 4 times in one month before they fixed it.

 

[Jc456]

Ok, I think they billed the £45 by mistake. And that one you screenshot is them withdrawing that bill and amending the balance.

Sounds like they've been messing the bill up then messing it up more trying to fix it.

I had similar with my electricity. They had a wrong reading that came out of nowhere. They re billed me like 4 times in one month before they fixed it.

It's with the ombudsman at the moment because the incorrect meter is registered to my house. Have only paid electric once in 2 and a half years so I'm not looking forward to the bill think they are catching up but billing as they go rather than 1 bill

 

[a.pain]

It's with the ombudsman at the moment because the incorrect meter is registered to my house. Have only paid electric once in 2 and a half years so I'm not looking forward to the bill think they are catching up but billing as they go rather than 1 bill

When I was a student I lived in a rented flat by myself for a year. Never got any letters through from an energy provider and the landlord didn’t know. The meter said British Gas but when I called them up they said the address wasn’t supplied by them. I ended up having to call up the council or something to try and get it sorted, they just sent me back to British Gas who continued to say it wasn’t them. Eventually I gave up. Never paid for a single unit of electric for the whole year! I still wonder what was going on. Surely the supply had to come from somewhere. It was an old tenement flat in Edinburgh so I wonder if it was hooked up to another flat who hasn’t noticed

 

[Brigitjonesbuttcheek]

It's with the ombudsman at the moment because the incorrect meter is registered to my house. Have only paid electric once in 2 and a half years so I'm not looking forward to the bill think they are catching up but billing as they go rather than 1 bill

That's what happened to me . I changed suppliers and they had the wrong meter and initial reading. So when I gave my actual reading they billed me like £2k.

Luckily I had been taking photos of my meter for years and was able to prove the actual reading before I came to them. I found the complaints system very lacking though.

 

[Jc456]

That's what happened to me . I changed suppliers and they had the wrong meter and initial reading. So when I gave my actual reading they billed me like £2k.

Luckily I had been taking photos of my meter for years and was able to prove the actual reading before I came to them. I found the complaints system very lacking though.

I've been complaining for months. Finally had someone actually pass it to the erroneous transfer and cross meter team in October and still ongoing now.
@a.pain mines crossed with my neighbour, found out via octopus because e.on wouldn't speak to me because they kept saying I was with octopus (must be the neighbours supplier). Their reading is 2000 higher than mine so probably why they've not chased ot up

 

[chapterthree]

The student loan interest rate is the last straw for me. I feel so deflated and just can’t take all these price hikes on everything anymore. I don’t even pay off the interest as it is…

 

[Brigitjonesbuttcheek]

I've been complaining for months. Finally had someone actually pass it to the erroneous transfer and cross meter team in October and still ongoing now.
@a.pain mines crossed with my neighbour, found out via octopus because e.on wouldn't speak to me because they kept saying I was with octopus (must be the neighbours supplier). Their reading is 2000 higher than mine so probably why they've not chased ot up

Honestly I have a complaint background in a different industry and the complaints handling at energy compaies is criminal. I coulndt get through to anyone, couldn't get an answer, coulndt get updates of the complaints team when it finally got to them, all the while I had this massive bill hanging over my head. It's took 2 months to sort out and had photo proof of my readings.

I couldn't believe it when they told me they only had 7 people working on the complaints team. I'm with one of thos big energy companies!

I would also advice everyone to always take photos of your meter when you do a reading and save them for at least 3 years.

 

[no-no]

The student loan interest rate is the last straw for me. I feel so deflated and just can’t take all these price hikes on everything anymore. I don’t even pay off the interest as it is…

I wasn’t aware of this They take £200 off me a month for two years of tuition and I still owe £20k. And I’ve just read if you earn over £49k, which nowadays isn’t a “high earner” as they put it, you’ll be hit with even more to pay.