dan m
pfm Member
Why not?
Edit: OK, I see you want to move in a few years. In our case not being in a house long enough to see a payback was not a concern since adding solar panels on average increases the home value by about the amount we paid.
Gas and Electricity Prices
- Thread starter gordonscobie
- Start date
Edit: OK, I see you want to move in a few years. In our case not being in a house long enough to see a payback was not a concern since adding solar panels on average increases the home value by about the amount we paid.
Le Baron
Unbiased advice at reasonable rates
There was a lot of activity on Twitter among the people posting that in the holy European Union countries were offering subsidies to people to make up for high energy prices (mostly gas). This was done chiefly by the "FBPE" types, who are largely ideologues by now, but the truth is they are not doing that really. I got a letter from the council yesterday with a one-off 'voucher' for €70; not to offset against direct energy bills (though that would actually offset my price rise for 6 months), but to 'purchase energy-saving items'. Such as an energy-saving shower-head, or bulbs or 'foil for behind the radiators'.
That's all lovely, but it's really offsetting the price rise to both the customer and local government spending. There were little logos on the letter with ticks saying 'approved by such-and-such' who are the people selling these recommended items. There is no discussion of the fact that rich homeowners get massive subsidies to insulate homes, whilst poorer homeowners who can't meet the subsidy, private renters who are reliant on a landlord's goodwill, and especially social housing renters largely live in uninsulated or poorly-insulated properties. Any requests to address this are routinely passed on as higher rents. The entire thing is a con.
That's all lovely, but it's really offsetting the price rise to both the customer and local government spending. There were little logos on the letter with ticks saying 'approved by such-and-such' who are the people selling these recommended items. There is no discussion of the fact that rich homeowners get massive subsidies to insulate homes, whilst poorer homeowners who can't meet the subsidy, private renters who are reliant on a landlord's goodwill, and especially social housing renters largely live in uninsulated or poorly-insulated properties. Any requests to address this are routinely passed on as higher rents. The entire thing is a con.
SteveG
pfm Member
Because I have the cash available if necessary and the current interest rates are so close to zero that an interest free loan isn't really worth much.
I already own the property I'm planning to retire to, but it's already been extensively renovated so the overall costs of moving to something like a ground based heat pump system would be massive - so any grant funding etc. would help make it more of a viable proposition.
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Brussels sprouts?Why is gas so cheap in Belgium?
Le Baron
Unbiased advice at reasonable rates
If you can own and renovate the property, why should you have a 'free' grant? Or have I misunderstood something from further back?
SteveG
pfm Member
Without grant support then the renovation costs (of perhaps £30K) mean it's not a viable (or sensible) option even though I do have access to the funds (which are mainly earmarked to keep me off the breadline during my impending retirement) - especially as there is unlikely to be a return on that investment in my remaining lifetime (or at least the time I'm likely to continue owning the property).
So while I don't "need" a free grant, there is no incentive for me to improve the eco-nature of my cottage without it.
Le Baron
Unbiased advice at reasonable rates
This may appear rude, so try to forgive me if I make wrong assumptions and do correct me where necessary. Is it possible that the renovations are/were above £30k? And that the house itself was way above that? In general I think it would be a good move to offset everyone's cost to some level in order move to a more eco-friendly living standard. But only when people aren't just taking a grant/subsidy and then clapping their hands together that they can now use substantial private funds to buy a bigger house and have more extensive luxury renovations as a result.
There will be those (I'm assuming you are one?) who worked and saved to be able to get some sort of property to live out their days, and poured all that saved capital into it. Some assistance there is likely a good investment of public spending in the long-run, but people who are living out their days in a rented home (and worked just as hard) are not going to expect or be given this sort of benefit, or much else, which then make those public spending choices very uneven.
Seeker_UK
Feelin' nearly faded as my jeans
Why is gas so cheap in Belgium?
Subsidies.
https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/...ssil-fuels-in-2019-tax-exemptions-fuel-cards/
SteveG
pfm Member
The house was renovated in 2003, long before I bought it (I've only had it since May this year) and my guess is that maybe £100K+ was spent on the work (I think the cottage was a wreck beforehand, as they bought it for £35K, so it might even have been a lot more than that), although I do know that £4K was spent last year on replacing the boiler.
If you were renovating it from scratch now you would put in underfloor heating, even more insulation and a ground source heating system - but a lot of the previous renovation work would need to be undone and replaced if you were doing it now. As it stands the house is already quite cheap to run (I'm averaging just over £1 a day on electricity although I've no idea yet how much oil costs will be a year), hence why it'd take a very, very long time to get a return on investment on something like solar panels say.
Le Baron
Unbiased advice at reasonable rates
It's probably best to just leave it as it is then. If it's well-insulated and requires less energy use. The talk around the rapidity of transition to renewable energy is always faster than reality!
Ponty
pfm Member
Trouble is in my experience, when any form of parasitic bureaucracy is involved, the costs of their ‘approved contractors and suppliers’ will be 2 or 3X what they should be, so if you ever decide to do something, procure it yourself, it’s cheaper for everyone.
James Evans
Bedroom Bodger
Have you verified that with BG Matt? What tariff name is it they quoted you for? Ours is up for renewal end of Dec. I checked a week or so ago on the BG site and the tariffs they were quoting would have increased my monthly by about £40 from memory. I just did a requote today and those tariffs are out of the window! New quote comes in at £110 per month extra!!! I just did a quick xls based on 2020 annual usage for both fuels and our household cost will go up from £1927 to £3295. Holy F. I'll wait until end Dec and do another requote before our current fixed one ends.
Le Baron
Unbiased advice at reasonable rates
A much more likely and true explanation than virtually anything vomited out onto the media up to now.
Seeker_UK
Feelin' nearly faded as my jeans
Governments are happy because it increases the tax take and starts to fill the hole left by Covid, and if it becomes too expensive, we'll go back to the office to avoid paying for heating and lighting during the day. Win win!
Seeker_UK
Feelin' nearly faded as my jeans
The £370Bn spent on Covid that is presented as a loss that needs recouping.
I should have typed hole in inverted commas.
Mike Reed
pfm Member
Not seen this aspect mentioned in this thread, but energy costs are supply led, but standing charges are not related, yet (as I was told today by Bulb) whenever gas/elec. prices rise, so do the st/charges, by a small amount. Is this a con? The supply of energy doesn't change the (iniquitous) infrastructure charge.
B.t.w., I've just read of NZ, Poland and at least one other European country plus another far eastern one putting up their bank rates because of inflation. It'll come here, too, and after so long with negligible rates, will, I feel, set the cat among the pigeons. Perfect storm climate approaching, or already here.
B.t.w., I've just read of NZ, Poland and at least one other European country plus another far eastern one putting up their bank rates because of inflation. It'll come here, too, and after so long with negligible rates, will, I feel, set the cat among the pigeons. Perfect storm climate approaching, or already here.
"Thanks for choosing Exclusive Energy Nov 2022. We’re getting everything set up for you and there’s nothing more you need to do."
They gave me the price before I signed up, £80 ish over the year I think it works out at £6 p/m but I'm only a very light user so it was never going to be much anyway.
James Evans
Bedroom Bodger
Ah, that tariff is not now listed on their site as being available. That was more than likely the one I looked at a week or so ago.
You only have these 3 to choose from now (for my postcode at least anyway):
https://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy/gas-and-electricity.html
and they are significantly more expensive!
You only have these 3 to choose from now (for my postcode at least anyway):
https://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy/gas-and-electricity.html
and they are significantly more expensive!