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Gas and Electricity Prices

Just as a case of interest (?) , for 9 days very recently our boiler failed and the house was (inadequately) heated by various electric fires/heaters. An immersion did a poor job of heating enough water. Because I'm with Octopus, I submit readings late on the first of the month and get a statement within hours. I am thus able to not only keep an accurate record but to compare comparative months.

The reduction in gas usage and increase in electricity over these 9 full days of reasonable temperatures (for January) culminated in an extra £25 or so. Despite the unpleasantness of moving from reasonably warm room to cold areas and back to warm, and that these electrical heaters were nowhere near warming the internal structure like my gas c/h, and that there was inadequate hot water, which cooled quickly, I don't think that's too bad. but we economised as best we could.

Even though I'm on a fixed tariff, it makes more sense to me to jettison a 35 y.o. (+/-) ( now unreliable) boiler and have a complete refurb. of the system as the efficiency upgrade will incur greater cost savings (as well as more comfortable domestic conditions) because of the price rises which I copped some of when I fixed in mid September.
 
The above is something I'm familiar with as our heating pump failed some time ago, and our hot water theromstat also failed about a week ago. :-/ Problem is that we are 'shielding' as I'm vulnerable to covid, etc. So not a time we want having a big repair or - more likely - replacement job done. Add in doors open in the cold... Other problems as well as present, compounding the situation.

I did get some electric convectors, and we have a gas fire. And I just got my electric bill for the last quarter. Quite a jump in level. Some of which may be due to past 'estimated readings'. Oh well, at least it now sets a *read* value before the rise in prices and in the time when we're using more electric because out central heating isn't working.
 
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Look at that Electricity standing charge! :eek:
 
My guess is that it will, at least in part, have something to do with recouping SoLR costs, and because not everyone uses gas, it goes on electricity?
 
I'm confused as to why all the advice, including from Martin Lewis, was to stay on your providers current variable tariff rather than fixing when this all kicked off last year?
 
I'm confused as to why all the advice, including from Martin Lewis, was to stay on your providers current variable tariff rather than fixing when this all kicked off last year?

I think it may have been because any new, fixed deals on offer were set at very, very high levels by energy co.s to cover themselves for worst-case wholesale prices, whereas a variable tariff may have allowed them to only charge what they needed to make a profit?

When I came off my "fix" with Octopus in October '21 I'm not sure there were any new fixed rates on offer, or if there was, it was more than double what I was paying before. I think my energy price went up 30% in '21 and we are going to get, what?, another 50% on top in April?
 
Just as a case of interest (?) , for 9 days very recently our boiler failed and the house was (inadequately) heated by various electric fires/heaters. An immersion did a poor job of heating enough water. Because I'm with Octopus, I submit readings late on the first of the month and get a statement within hours. I am thus able to not only keep an accurate record but to compare comparative months.

The reduction in gas usage and increase in electricity over these 9 full days of reasonable temperatures (for January) culminated in an extra £25 or so. Despite the unpleasantness of moving from reasonably warm room to cold areas and back to warm, and that these electrical heaters were nowhere near warming the internal structure like my gas c/h, and that there was inadequate hot water, which cooled quickly, I don't think that's too bad. but we economised as best we could.

Even though I'm on a fixed tariff, it makes more sense to me to jettison a 35 y.o. (+/-) ( now unreliable) boiler and have a complete refurb. of the system as the efficiency upgrade will incur greater cost savings (as well as more comfortable domestic conditions) because of the price rises which I copped some of when I fixed in mid September.
we did a full ch refurb with vaillant boiler at 5k and house is like Kew gardens now !! Well worth it
 
I think it may have been because any new, fixed deals on offer were set at very, very high levels by energy co.s to cover themselves for worst-case wholesale prices, whereas a variable tariff may have allowed them to only charge what they needed to make a profit * ?

When I came off my "fix" with Octopus in October '21 I'm not sure there were any new fixed rates on offer, or if there was, it was more than double what I was paying before. I think my energy price went up 30% in '21 and we are going to get, what?, another 50% on top in April?

Indeed (*though SVR is the capped rates, which they have no option but to offer to newly out of contract, SoLR customers etc., and it is forcing suppliers to supply well below current wholesale prices), plus the fact that switching to one of the high price fixes would have seen people paying much higher prices over the high use winter period.

Personally, it seemed a no-brainer at the time to hold on to my fix for as long as possible, then roll onto SVR, and knowing what we now know, it has proved to be the best (or should that be 'least worst'?) option.
 
I think it may have been because any new, fixed deals on offer were set at very, very high levels by energy co.s to cover themselves for worst-case wholesale prices, whereas a variable tariff may have allowed them to only charge what they needed to make a profit?

When I came off my "fix" with Octopus in October '21 I'm not sure there were any new fixed rates on offer, or if there was, it was more than double what I was paying before. I think my energy price went up 30% in '21 and we are going to get, what?, another 50% on top in April?
yes in April my monthly cost goes from 129 per month to 248 per month
 
I’m going to be on Excel all day. We have Octopus Go which gives us 4 hours of cheap electricity overnight (5p) and 16p at other times with a standing charge of 25p.

The new rate looks like it will be 7.5p, 35p and 25p. First world problems I know, but we are all-electric with a heat pump and an electric car (hence the importance of the 5p rate). It’s all going to depend on the mileage on the car. We are on £120 a month and a back of the envelope guess is that will go to well over £200.
 
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Look at that Electricity standing charge! :eek:

My most recent electric bill (based on real meter readings) came in a few days ago. The rates it states for the quarter up to now are
20.456 p / kWh and 28.070 p/day. So not everyone seems to be 'average'!

This is the default rate. I've never switched plan or supplier since privitisation.

Personally I feel the real scandle is day-rate standing charges. These hit the poor who have to cut back because they still get faced with finding the standing charge even if the use little power.

The bill also tells me "Good News you're already on our cheapest overall tariff!" which is a bit different to earlier bills that told me I could save by switching. However recent use has been bloated by our gas-fired central heating failing. So we're using a lot of electric heating pro tem.
 
we did a full ch refurb with Vaillant boiler at 5k and house is like Kew gardens now !! Well worth it

Comforting news except for the cost. Assuming the 20 kW Vaillant, which I'll probably choose, is under £1500 (well under?) and a cylinder + couple of TRVs + installation (+ pump & valves?), I' m hoping to come in below £3K. Maybe your requirements were greater than mine or I'm sadly under a delusion.:(
 
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