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

[Jc456]

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.

It wouldn't surprise me there's only 7 people working in the complaints team. Took months to get it to the erroneous/cross meter team and then to be told it'll take 10 days every time I contacted for an update over the last 5 months
These latest bills now have my meter and my neighbours electric meter on (no charge from neighbours).
I always take a picture of mine

 

[Purrrrrrr]

I have been talking about this for a few years now. heating air conditioning then they will say only use your washing machine twice a week. no dryers.. rolling power cuts will be the norm. but I'm just a crazy CT

Emergency measures could allow networks to switch off household power

A series of backdoor 'modifications' to the Smart Energy Code have been proposed by officials and look set to pass into law by next spring.

www.thisismoney.co.uk

But still they want you to switch to electric cars don't do it!! in fact, don't buy a brand new car buy an old car that they cant mess with.

 

[Brigitjonesbuttcheek]

I have been talking about this for a few years now. heating air conditioning then they will say only use your washing machine twice a week. no dryers.. rolling power cuts will be the norm. but I'm just a crazy CT

Emergency measures could allow networks to switch off household power

A series of backdoor 'modifications' to the Smart Energy Code have been proposed by officials and look set to pass into law by next spring.

www.thisismoney.co.uk

But still they want you to switch to electric cars don't do it!! in fact, don't buy a brand new car buy an old car that they cant mess with.

So they want us to get electric cars and electric heating systems, then they want us to install smart meters that will allow them to turn off our heating and car chargers.

I won't be doing any of that.

I've always been very suspicious of smart meters. O refuse to have one. Everyone I know that's had one has issues. Since the price rise smart meter customers seem to be worse off. I also saw an article that said one "idea" was to charge smart meter customers cheaper and higher rates for peak and off peak electric. So what are people suppose to do, cook their dinner in the middle of the night.

 

[wideopenspace]

I've always been very suspicious of smart meters. O refuse to have one. Everyone I know that's had one has issues. Since the price rise smart meter customers seem to be worse off. I also saw an article that said one "idea" was to charge smart meter customers cheaper and higher rates for peak and off peak electric. So what are people suppose to do, cook their dinner in the middle of the night.

I completely agree with your suspicions plus the claim they'll save you money is only because people became more aware of their usage. Since prices have sky rocketed I do regular metre readings to ensure my direct debit is correct.

I don't give it long until there's a mass outcry as the energy suppliers automatically change those in debt to pay as you go metres.

 

[IfTheCapFits]

15 days ago I moaned about our weekly food shop for 2 costing £89 (previously £60-65), spent £95 today & bought even less! no frozen broccoli for 3 weeks now, but no other regular items missing.

 

[lastdis]

15 days ago I moaned about our weekly food shop for 2 costing £89 (previously £60-65), spent £95 today & bought even less! no frozen broccoli for 3 weeks now, but no other regular items missing.

Our local Lidl is mussing everything, shelves are empty, all other shops near are ok .

 

[Moth]

Emergency measures could allow networks to switch off household power

A series of backdoor 'modifications' to the Smart Energy Code have been proposed by officials and look set to pass into law by next spring.

www.thisismoney.co.uk

So given that this article was published in September 2020 I guess the question is whether the Government did give energy providers the power to switch off domestic electric supply for central heating systems (let alone washing machines) via a new type of smart meter 'next Spring' i.e in 2021? The answer is of course that it didn't and amazingly, given the Daily Mail's reputation for highly accurate reporting and never publishing distorted scare stories, it was never asked to.

This 'story' was spun out of a proposal by Scottish and Southern Electricity Network for changes to the Smart Energy Code "to enable electricity Distribution Network Operators to use Smart Meter infrastructure to modify Electric Vehicle charging load within a household. This is in order to avoid the risk of overloading low voltage circuits from secondary substations to properties, and therefore avoid power outages". The proposal was not supported by other providers and never went beyond the working group set up by the Smart Energy Code panel. These proposals were dropped in favour of an alternative method of managing demand caused by electric vehicle charging at peak times. It was even reported in The Daily Mail.

... and I've had a 'smart meter' for all over a year now with absolutely no problems and of course without it having any effect on the tariff I pay.

 

[hol20x]

My wages are due but my boss has taken sick so I don’t know when I’ll get paid. I have an autistic child who only eats certain food and my fridge is empty. I have no idea what I’m going to do. I have no other income.

 

[Brigitjonesbuttcheek]

15 days ago I moaned about our weekly food shop for 2 costing £89 (previously £60-65), spent £95 today & bought even less! no frozen broccoli for 3 weeks now, but no other regular items missing.

Wow that is a lot. We're on about 85-100 for four but that doesn't include alcohol. Not that long ago I could get it for 45-70.

We're meat free though and only tinned and frozen fish now.

We've have lots of broccoli but couldn't get my daughter's favourite yellow vegetable rice. I couldn't get cous cous in Aldi but got some in Tesco. Tomato's were limited in aldi too.

 

[IfTheCapFits]

Wow that is a lot. We're on about 85-100 for four but that doesn't include alcohol. Not that long ago I could get it for 45-70.

We're meat free though and only tinned and frozen fish now.

We've have lots of broccoli but couldn't get my daughter's favourite yellow vegetable rice. I couldn't get cous cous in Aldi but got some in Tesco. Tomato's were limited in aldi too.

We don't drink & I do an online meat order to fill the freezer for about £65-70 every 5 or 6 weeks.

Very few processed/expensive items, nearly all fresh goods & probably two thirds tesco regular own branded range.

I could happily shop at Lidl every week (no local Aldi & only a Sainsbury near us), but husband is too picky on food unfortunately!

 

[Brigitjonesbuttcheek]

We don't drink & I do an online meat order to fill the freezer for about £65-70 every 5 or 6 weeks.

Very few processed/expensive items, nearly all fresh goods & probably two thirds tesco regular own branded range.

I could happily shop at Lidl every week (no local Aldi & only a Sainsbury near us), but husband is too picky on food unfortunately!

I mix up between Aldi and Tesco. Our Aldi is a bit manic and sometimes I just can't face it and it's easier to do scan as you shop at Tesco. Tesco do a few bits that I can only get there too.

I've really noticed the quality of food has gone down at Tesco though. Their feta was not very nice last time I had it, I also buy these mixed bags of stir fry and Mediterranean veg, but the last time I got them it's was all crappy little bits and no big bits of the good stuff.

 

[IfTheCapFits]

Wow that is a lot. We're on about 85-100 for four but that doesn't include alcohol. Not that long ago I could get it for 45-70.

We're meat free though and only tinned and frozen fish now.

We've have lots of broccoli but couldn't get my daughter's favourite yellow vegetable rice. I couldn't get cous cous in Aldi but got some in Tesco. Tomato's were limited in aldi too.

We don't drink & I do an online meat order to fill the freezer for about £65-70 every 5 or 6 weeks.

Very few processed/expensive items, nearly all fresh goods & probably two thirds tesco regular own branded range.

I could happily shop at Lidl every week (no local Aldi & only a Sainsbury near us), but husband is too picky on food unfortunately!

I mix up between Aldi and Tesco. Our Aldi is a bit manic and sometimes I just can't face it and it's easier to do scan as you shop at Tesco. Tesco do a few bits that I can only get there too.

I've really noticed the quality of food has gone down at Tesco though. Their feta was not very nice last time I had it, I also buy these mixed bags of stir fry and Mediterranean veg, but the last time I got them it's was all crappy little bits and no big bits of the good stuff.

Scan & shop is main reason for tesco, so easy! Don't know why more don't offer it. Quality is pretty consistent at ours, but short dates on nearly everything we bought today. Regular stuff that's usually got at least a week on it was all just 2-3 days at most, even if I ferreted my way to the fresher ones at the back of the shelves

 

[WilmaHun]

Scan & shop is main reason for tesco, so easy! Don't know why more don't offer it. Quality is pretty consistent at ours, but short dates on nearly everything we bought today. Regular stuff that's usually got at least a week on it was all just 2-3 days at most, even if I ferreted my way to the fresher ones at the back of the shelves

I'm finding the same issue with Asda for short dates! It's annoying, I work full time so don't have time to keep nipping out for top up shops because stuff had short dates on when I did my main shop! It's the main reason I don't like doing online shopping either because I feel like they don't check the dates to make sure you're getting good dates! I need my food to last a week not a couple of days!

 

[pixxyy]

My Dad passed away from Covid, so since then me & Mum haven't been able to shop around as much as we used to.
As no Car & with Taxi's its cheaper to do it online. I've just looked at for April we've spent just under £300.
Some items like the Cat food will last a few Months. And our loo roll from who gives a crap arrived that was £40 but should last around 8 months.
Occasionally we get the chance to go to lidl but I miss Aldi. Might have to be cheeky and see if anyone I know is going there

 

[Brigitjonesbuttcheek]

We don't drink & I do an online meat order to fill the freezer for about £65-70 every 5 or 6 weeks.

Very few processed/expensive items, nearly all fresh goods & probably two thirds tesco regular own branded range.

I could happily shop at Lidl every week (no local Aldi & only a Sainsbury near us), but husband is too picky on food unfortunately!


Scan & shop is main reason for tesco, so easy! Don't know why more don't offer it. Quality is pretty consistent at ours, but short dates on nearly everything we bought today. Regular stuff that's usually got at least a week on it was all just 2-3 days at most, even if I ferreted my way to the fresher ones at the back of the shelves

I've noticed that too. Somtimes it's hard to get stuff that's not only got 3 days on it, when it's stuff that normally has a month on it.

 

[Blonde_moment]

Scan & shop is main reason for tesco, so easy! Don't know why more don't offer it.

Sainsburys and Asda both do scan & shop. I do my main shop at Sainsburys nowadays. I like their range and they do “My Nectar price” offers if you use their SmartShop app. This is basically where you pay a reduced price for regular items you buy. Some weeks are better than others for the offers, but it’s definitely worthwhile. I find it cheaper than Tesco and I prefer their own brand stuff.

 

[rainbowlemon]

My wages are due but my boss has taken sick so I don’t know when I’ll get paid. I have an autistic child who only eats certain food and my fridge is empty. I have no idea what I’m going to do. I have no other income.

Do you have any friends or family that live nearby? Or a community page? Are there any local food banks near you?

 

[hol20x]

Do you have any friends or family that live nearby? Or a community page? Are there any local food banks near you?

I just have my parents and they are struggling too. The problem with food banks is that my child will only eat particular things (mostly fresh) and it has to be certain brands. I’m easy, I can live on toast if I have to.

 

[Brigitjonesbuttcheek]

Do you have any friends or family that live nearby? Or a community page? Are there any local food banks near you?

There's olio I think it's spelt where you can get free food. Friend of mines on there and it's mad how nuch stuff she gets.

 

[masterone]

The local Aldi has had to get a security guard because so many people are helping themselves same with Asda now 3 security guards when there used to be 1. Sad thing is both these stores are in very upmarket part of town, so imagine how those who are not so well off are managing.