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

[masterone]

Definitely! I’ve just bit the bullet this weekend and bought one because of the heating costs and it’s filling up within a day. It says it’s eco but will keep an eye on how much electricity it uses. I’d love one for downstairs but too expensive right now. The air is so much fresher, it’s sad how many people are basically priced out of fresh air. South-facing is definitely something I’ll be paying attention to when I move. The front isn’t so I spend summer days in the shade then sweat my off at night.

I've had 3 dehumidifiers running in my house for the past 10 years, it's the big ebac ones. They are on the eco setting and we empty out 6 litres every 2 days in the winter. Don't think I could live without them now. I have a smart metre and can tell you they honestly cost pennies to run.

Electric shower and hair dryers are running my bills up though. My daughter has very long, thick hair, she wants it cut... Hoping it will cut her showering/drying time down.

 

[WilmaHun]

It’s so worrying

 

[Yel]

It’s so worrying View attachment 996777

It's worth saying his estimates are a fair bit higher than others. He's talking about a £1000 increase and others have been saying £600. I guess until later in the year we won't know who was right.

My energy account was £450 in credit, put my latest readings in and I'm now £50 in credit. Hopefully that's some kind of silly calculation mess up if I've put them in during peak yearly usage as god knows what will happen in April.

 

[IngressUK]

It is bad news for mobile phone users...

This year's price rises are as follows:

RPI contracts = 7.5% increase.
CPI + 3.9% contracts = 9.3% increase.
RPI + 3.9% contracts = 11.4% increase.

This translates to 75p, 93p, or £1.14 per £10.

If your contract is currently around £40 a month, you'll see increases ranging from £3 to £4.56 per month, depending on your contract and who you are with.

Most networks have now adopted the CPI +3.9% annual price increases. O2 have the even more expensive RPI + 3.9%.

Three mobile have a fixed 4.5% increase.

More here:

Mobile network price rises: which providers are best and worst for inflation? - Which? News

As this month's inflation figures are announced, find out which mobile providers have hiked prices the most, and how you can beat the increases

www.which.co.uk

To limit your exposure to price rises:

You should aim to start a new contract as soon as possible in April each year. You'll then practically get a full year with no price rises.

 

[Yel]

Isn't there a regulator or something to deal with this? It seems outrageous to add inflation + nearly 4%.

Three add 4.5% every year regardless of inflation, which almost seems like a deal compared to the others

 

[IngressUK]

Isn't there a regulator or something to deal with this? It seems outrageous to add inflation + nearly 4%.

Three add 4.5% every year regardless of inflation, which almost seems like a deal compared to the others

Unfortunately not.

As it has been stated elsewhere, the mobile networks have you over a barrel. You agreed to price rises when the contract was signed.

Although I did argue that technically being forced to agree to something, does not make it right, nor ethical.

Besides OFCOM are utterly useless. They allowed networks to adopt the xxx + 3.9% increases to begin with.

 

[emmer_moans]

It will be everything that goes up. I can't afford everything to go up. It never seems to go down though does it?

 

[veryfondoftea]

I work for a company providing housing for NHS staff. At a meeting today we were advised that rents are due to go up by RPI + 1%. Depending on the property, that's an increase of at least £65 a month. I am doing all I can to fight it, I think it's shocking.

 

[Anne1448]

It will be everything that goes up. I can't afford everything to go up. It never seems to go down though does it?

That's my concern too.

Because once businesses see that people are getting used to such prices they will never lower them again.

I am still old enough to remember prices in the 90s and no matter the economic crises, prices never went down to the past levels. The only time prices went down was in housing due to the 2008 crisis and petrol due to covid. However all the businesses doubled the prices since then to recover their losses.

 

[fireflies]

Has anyone seen this really valuable thread on twitter by Jack and its true.
I have been commenting on these threads about weekly rises and regularly seeing even in lilds and aldi 10 to 20 increase.
Value ranges dissappearing.
Buy Jack knows basic prices and worked out at 50% increases some 146% increase which makes 5.4% officials inflation look like a joke in real terms the least wealthy are paying a lot more.
Well worth a read also notes marks and Spencer dine in or posh ready meals in assuming she means Charlie Binham which I buy when reduced would be like 25quid each now if they went up same percentage as cheap every day basic essentials.



Not great news here to be honest.
Water bill has landed a reasonable 245 for 6months.
However so has unexpected tax bill from inland revenues.
No taz rebate last year and employee so they take tax However they ask assessment on assume uniform/travel now we have massive bill which we could pay in installment However I worry with everything going up in April and summer months can be less pay it will screw us up.
So planning ahead a bare bones budget and eating very frugally feb and march as plan skint ourselves out to clear the taz bill before April and my remaining balance on primary residential trip.

Despite all the lovely reductions I was fortunate to find over xmas still struggling keep jan food budget low in running down freezers and pantry cupboard again only buying what we need.

Really wanted to keep grocery spending low this year to pay off credit card, keep up with rises and buy some other things but its really hard its going to require maximum use allotment shopping around loads and cooking from scratch.

What happens to people whos energy companies went bust and they paid for energy in advance do they double pay energy.

Freezing tv licence will make little difference .

 

[veryfondoftea]

Has anyone seen this really valuable thread on twitter by Jack and its true.
I have been commenting on these threads about weekly rises and regularly seeing even in lilds and aldi 10 to 20 increase.
Value ranges dissappearing.
Buy Jack knows basic prices and worked out at 50% increases some 146% increase which makes 5.4% officials inflation look like a joke in real terms the least wealthy are paying a lot more.
Well worth a read also notes marks and Spencer dine in or posh ready meals in assuming she means Charlie Binham which I buy when reduced would be like 25quid each now if they went up same percentage as cheap every day basic essentials.



Not great news here to be honest.
Water bill has landed a reasonable 245 for 6months.
However so has unexpected tax bill from inland revenues.
No taz rebate last year and employee so they take tax However they ask assessment on assume uniform/travel now we have massive bill which we could pay in installment However I worry with everything going up in April and summer months can be less pay it will screw us up.
So planning ahead a bare bones budget and eating very frugally feb and march as plan skint ourselves out to clear the taz bill before April and my remaining balance on primary residential trip.

Despite all the lovely reductions I was fortunate to find over xmas still struggling keep jan food budget low in running down freezers and pantry cupboard again only buying what we need.

Really wanted to keep grocery spending low this year to pay off credit card, keep up with rises and buy some other things but its really hard its going to require maximum use allotment shopping around loads and cooking from scratch.

What happens to people whos energy companies went bust and they paid for energy in advance do they double pay energy.

Freezing tv licence will make little difference .

Have a look at the Jack Monroe thread. Her workings out are problematic to say the least. Not denying there is a real issue though, just wouldn't say Jack is the best spokesperson for it all

 

[fireflies]

Have a look at the Jack Monroe thread. Her workings out are problematic to say the least. Not denying there is a real issue though, just wouldn't say Jack is the best spokesperson for it all

Yes I know but whats shes saying here about food inflation is true.

 

[SuctionBucket]

 

[Elizaaaaa]

I can't make sense of how this is going to pan out, or why it's happening. I've never understood the increase in travel costs every January or prescription costs in April, especially when the service either stays the same or gets worse!

Keep trying not to get worked up about it, but it's almost impossible not to worry. I live alone, my rent has just been increased and I'm drowning in credit card debt, can't switch to 0% cards now either

In all seriousness, if we don't have enough money in our accounts to cover these bills, what will happen? They can't cut thousands of households off, or take them all to court can they? (Not suggesting we just don't pay, but wondering what happens if we literally can't?!)

I feel sick constantly, my mental health is poor already and I don't know how to manage the overwhelm I feel. My flat is freezing, I live under blankets, dressing gowns, wooly socks etc., really limit the heating but the flat is prone to damp, I barely eat or go out.

This can't be life - working ourselves into the ground to pay big companies?

 

[mummy_3]

I try not to worry too much but with a smart meter I can see the cost mount up. Im in a 3 bed terrace with no cavity wall insulating and a single brick between houses (housing association wont do cavity wall insulation or allow it to be done to their properties if they are older properties like mine) so its not the best insulated and warm in winter. Im finding im now spending about £5-6 a day on gas an electric combined instead of the £3-4 a day (3 children who all play consoles, I use the washer everyday sometimes twice a day and same with dryer - unless its a small load that I can hang on the airer)
Food prices are the main thing for me. For a family of 5, I do tesco for average of £125 a week. Thats cleaning stuff, bath stuff, loo roll and food. Iv been to aldi recently and prices are very similar to supermarket own brand that I buy anyway so not much point switching shops. I cycle to work so no fuel costs in that way.
I wont limit heating though. If its cold I will put it on, most mornings its on for 1-2 hours to take chill off then on again in the evening (just turned itoff now after 2 hours) To me you need a warm home and food, I hate how people are struggling because of the price rises. Im not on great money, and even with UC top up and child benefit it would be a struggle. I hate being glad to received DLA for my autistic son but its a god send. That £450 a month I get for him means Im not just breaking even with my income/outgoings and I can afford to get any new sensory toys/fabrics or special foods he will eat.

It cant keep going so bad with the price increases right? Wages will have to go up at some point to even things out, people cant be expected to live like this surely?

 

[HammyMcHamFace]

 

[Falkor]

@People-huv-tae-know was talking about Scottish heating bills at the end of the last thread. In the Highlands there's still quite widespread use of a tariff called Total Heating Total Control, which has two meters, one for normal electricity and a second circuit for all your storage heaters which is on a cheaper rate but is only given power at the times of day SSE deems it coldest in your area - you get between 5 and 12 hours of power on it.

SSE is stopping supporting it soon and will be switching everyone onto single meters and new tariffs. Our 3 bed house uses approximately 12,000 kwh a year with us both working from home and we currently pay £239 a month. I can't even get estimates from the comparison sites on what it's going to go up to from April, but going by the estimates I've seen friends getting on normal meters, I'm expecting to be paying around £500 a month. Hopefully not as much as this poor lady in Shetland, who got the below from SSE last week.

 

[HammyMcHamFace]

@People-huv-tae-know was talking about Scottish heating bills at the end of the last thread. In the Highlands there's still quite widespread use of a tariff called Total Heating Total Control, which has two meters, one for normal electricity and a second circuit for all your storage heaters which is on a cheaper rate but is only given power at the times of day SSE deems it coldest in your area - you get between 5 and 12 hours of power on it.

SSE is stopping supporting it soon and will be switching everyone onto single meters and new tariffs. Our 3 bed house uses approximately 12,000 kwh a year with us both working from home and we currently pay £239 a month. I can't even get estimates from the comparison sites on what it's going to go up to from April, but going by the estimates I've seen friends getting on normal meters, I'm expecting to be paying around £500 a month. Hopefully not as much as this poor lady in Shetland, who got the below from SSE last week.
View attachment 1004322

I received my bill this morning from EDF. I'm on the price cap prices @ 4.047p per kwh and 26.12p per day standing charge. They estimate my annual consumption is 14,280... and I pay £57 a month. How the hell is yours so much? Are you in a contract? What are the price per kwh and standing charge? There is a group on facebook called Energy Bills, Advice and Energy Debts Community UK that can help you with this.

 

[Yel]

I received my bill this morning from EDF. I'm on the price cap prices @ 4.047p per kwh and 26.12p per day standing charge. They estimate my annual consumption is 14,280... and I pay £57 a month. How the hell is yours so much? Are you in a contract? What are the price per kwh and standing charge? There is a group on facebook called Energy Bills, Advice and Energy Debts Community UK that can help you with this.

I believe they're using electric storage heaters for heating rather than gas, so it's three times the price for heat generated if the off-peak pricing for electric is cancelled as appears to be. It needs an MP or MSP to raise it.

I presume in the Highlands a fair few houses are electric only? I'm pretty shocked they can get away with this. Not to rub salt in the wound bit storage heaters without off peak pricing is the worst of both worlds.

4.047p per kwh

Is per an economy 7 kWh? Or do you mean gas at that price?

 

[HammyMcHamFace]

I believe they're using electric storage heaters for heating rather than gas, so it's three times the price for heat generated if the off-peak pricing for electric is cancelled as appears to be. It needs an MP or MSP to raise it.

I presume in the Highlands a fair few houses are electric only? I'm pretty shocked they can get away with this. Not to rub salt in the wound bit storage heaters without off peak pricing is the worst of both worlds.


Is per an economy 7 kWh?

I’m not on economy 7.