Energy Bills

[Jim Neal]

If anyone on £50k is "struggling" let me know.  I'll come round there and give you a massive kick in the goolies, should sort you out.

[Lloyd90]

46 minutes ago, Jim Neal said:

If anyone on £50k is "struggling" let me know.  I'll come round there and give you a massive kick in the goolies, should sort you out.

It’s all very dependant on what you do, where you live, as well as many other factors. 
 

If you bought a house in 2008 when the prices crashed you probably have a much smaller mortgage than someone who bought in recent years when prices are sky high. 
 

A family with a person working earning £50k who’s partner only earns £10k a year is worse off after taxes than a couple who both earn £30k a year each. 
 

A family who get free child care from grandparents and earn less than £50k may be better off than a family earning £50k but have to pay nursery fees / childcare etc. 

A person who got a council house years ago, and now earns decent money, is likely better off than someone on more money who has to pay full market rate rent (a woman in my work earns about £50k a year now, but has had her council home for 20+ years, she used to be a single mother long ago when she got it. She pays about £300-400 PCM rent for a 2 bed place in central Bristol, privately you’d pay well over £1000-1200 to rent such a place, plus the council does all the upkeep). 

 

A family living in the North or another area of the country is likely to have a lot more disposable income from £50k than someone in the South. 
 

Due to my partners job we need to live a reasonable commute to Gloucester. Therefore it’s a lot more to live than friends of ours who’ve recently moved to  Newcastle, or if we moved back to Wales. 
 

We’re certainly not hard up by any means but if we had dependents I can see how the prices would have a massive impact. 

[NoBodyImportant]

I often wondered why you don’t see more heat pumps on your side of the Atlantic.  My wife keeps our house freezing cold 65 degrees in the summer and a hot 75degrees in the winter.  Our house is older with poor insulation and our electric bill is around $125 per month year around.  Plus we have an older 17 sear heat pump.  Once it dies I’m going to invest in a new 24 sear that should cut my electric bill in half. Everything in our house is electric and we are pretty close to a nuclear plant so we are paying $0.10  USD  per KWh.  Just out of curiosity what do you pay for power vs heating oil/gas? Why not go electric? 

Edited September 4, 2022 by NoBodyImportant

[Nuke]

Heat pumps are quite common in northern europe but not so much in GB since they decided to use gas instead.

Around here, Sweden, there is no gas infrastructure (outside some old parts of the major cities) so ground heating or air-to-air pumps are the norm for houses if you don't have a local district heating network to connect to.

/Markus

[Newbie to this]

6 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

It’s all very dependant on what you do, where you live, as well as many other factors. 
 

If you bought a house in 2008 when the prices crashed you probably have a much smaller mortgage than someone who bought in recent years when prices are sky high. 
 

A family with a person working earning £50k who’s partner only earns £10k a year is worse off after taxes than a couple who both earn £30k a year each. 
 

A family who get free child care from grandparents and earn less than £50k may be better off than a family earning £50k but have to pay nursery fees / childcare etc. 

A person who got a council house years ago, and now earns decent money, is likely better off than someone on more money who has to pay full market rate rent (a woman in my work earns about £50k a year now, but has had her council home for 20+ years, she used to be a single mother long ago when she got it. She pays about £300-400 PCM rent for a 2 bed place in central Bristol, privately you’d pay well over £1000-1200 to rent such a place, plus the council does all the upkeep). 

 

A family living in the North or another area of the country is likely to have a lot more disposable income from £50k than someone in the South. 
 

Due to my partners job we need to live a reasonable commute to Gloucester. Therefore it’s a lot more to live than friends of ours who’ve recently moved to  Newcastle, or if we moved back to Wales. 
 

We’re certainly not hard up by any means but if we had dependents I can see how the prices would have a massive impact. 

I wouldn't bother, some people will just never see. Especially when the offer of help with the budget, is a kick in the balls.

£50k in London goes nowhere.

[Stonepark]

2 hours ago, NoBodyImportant said:

I often wondered why you don’t see more heat pumps on your side of the Atlantic.  My wife keeps our house freezing cold 65 degrees in the summer and a hot 75degrees in the winter.  Our house is older with poor insulation and our electric bill is around $125 per month year around.  Plus we have an older 17 sear heat pump.  Once it dies I’m going to invest in a new 24 sear that should cut my electric bill in half. Everything in our house is electric and we are pretty close to a nuclear plant so we are paying $0.10  USD  per KWh.  Just out of curiosity what do you pay for power vs heating oil/gas? Why not go electric? 

As os 1st October price cap for electricity is moving to 60p\kwh, gas to 18p\kwh and current oil price is 90p\l or 12p\kwh.

[Smokersmith]

21 hours ago, Scully said:

It’s already affecting some local pubs, with two closing in the last week. A great shame as they served good food. It remains to be seen whether they will re-open. Another is cutting back its business hours to cater for just weekends as mid week trade has taken a nose dive. 
The restaurant where OH works carries on regardless, as busy as ever; the quality of food and service there means their clientele mostly consists of those who are recession proof. 
It all has a knock on effect however, so time will tell. 

Tom Kerridge has apparently shared the gas bill in one of his establishments will go from 5k a month to 35k a month … no price cap for businesses.

Can’t see many surviving this without help.

[Scully]

51 minutes ago, Smokersmith said:

Tom Kerridge has apparently shared the gas bill in one of his establishments will go from 5k a month to 35k a month … no price cap for businesses.

Can’t see many surviving this without help.

Wow! Couldn’t find any reference to that, but this one popped up!

[Smokersmith]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11174653/amp/TOM-KERRIDGE-Soaring-energy-bills-spell-disaster-restaurants-cafes.html

[Lloyd90]

24 minutes ago, Scully said:

Wow! Couldn’t find any reference to that, but this one popped up!

 

All that money splashed during Covid to keep bars, restaurants, pubs and small businesses afloat just to watch them go down the pan a year later. 

[ditchman]

whats this country going to look like in the spring of next year ....i shudder to think

[Wilts#Dave]

9 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

It’s all very dependant on what you do, where you live, as well as many other factors. 
 

If you bought a house in 2008 when the prices crashed you probably have a much smaller mortgage than someone who bought in recent years when prices are sky high. 
 

A family with a person working earning £50k who’s partner only earns £10k a year is worse off after taxes than a couple who both earn £30k a year each. 
 

A family who get free child care from grandparents and earn less than £50k may be better off than a family earning £50k but have to pay nursery fees / childcare etc. 

A person who got a council house years ago, and now earns decent money, is likely better off than someone on more money who has to pay full market rate rent (a woman in my work earns about £50k a year now, but has had her council home for 20+ years, she used to be a single mother long ago when she got it. She pays about £300-400 PCM rent for a 2 bed place in central Bristol, privately you’d pay well over £1000-1200 to rent such a place, plus the council does all the upkeep). 

 

A family living in the North or another area of the country is likely to have a lot more disposable income from £50k than someone in the South. 
 

Due to my partners job we need to live a reasonable commute to Gloucester. Therefore it’s a lot more to live than friends of ours who’ve recently moved to  Newcastle, or if we moved back to Wales. 
 

We’re certainly not hard up by any means but if we had dependents I can see how the prices would have a massive impact. 

Someone earning less money in the the first place just switches off to points like yours I’m afraid…..but I know where you’re coming from, everyone’s circumstances are so different there’s no ‘one size fits all’. 
Lots of people manage/get by on all sorts of different incomes, but the trouble is it’s unlikely a household bringing in 20k or 50k will live in the same type of house / circumstance, not sure why that’s so difficult to comprehend? 
With the exception of really high earners this whole crisis will affect everyone in one way or another, frightening really. 

[old'un]

16 minutes ago, ditchman said:

whats this country going to look like in the spring of next year ....i shudder to think

 

[mel b3]

17 minutes ago, ditchman said:

whats this country going to look like in the spring of next year ....i shudder to think

One part of my brain is telling me to prepare for the end of the world as we know it , but , another part of my brain is telling me that I got prepared for the end of the world as we know it , when covid reared its ugly head , and that covid just turned into a great big pile of xxxx all , that wasted my , time , money,  and , effort .

 

[ditchman]

11 minutes ago, mel b3 said:

One part of my brain is telling me to prepare for the end of the world as we know it , but , another part of my brain is telling me that I got prepared for the end of the world as we know it , when covid reared its ugly head , and that covid just turned into a great big pile of xxxx all , that wasted my , time , money,  and , effort .

 

i think we shall see the utility et al companies taken back into govt ownership.....gas ...electric....water....rail....

as i said before in other threads...we need or will see a big re-set.........if i had shares in gas water and electric i would sell them now........

[39TDS]

2 hours ago, Smokersmith said:

Tom Kerridge has apparently shared the gas bill in one of his establishments will go from 5k a month to 35k a month … no price cap for businesses.

Can’t see many surviving this without help.

A business I know of has worked out their electric costs will increase by £1million, they don't have that kind of money spare.

It doesn't really matter what size business it is if you are suddenly going to increase costs so dramatically as they just don't have that spare money to pay for it.

It is going to be severely difficult for an awful lot of people both domestically and business owners where they use a lot of energy, bakeries, restaurants etc etc.

[Scully]

1 hour ago, Smokersmith said:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11174653/amp/TOM-KERRIDGE-Soaring-energy-bills-spell-disaster-restaurants-cafes.html

Ta. Staggering! 
At OH’s restaurant they have the capability of 50+ covers per shift. The building is rented so no prospect of expanding, so unless folk are willing to pay for a meal cost increase to still afford that business a profit, then they’re rogered basically. 
If things are going to get as bad as is forecast then I fail to see how ANY business can stay afloat. 🤷‍♂️

[Dave-G]

Really glad I retired from cab driving, many business's closing means less people earning a wage to spend on going out to non existent pubs clubs and restaurants, or to work etc.

 

[ditchman]

11 minutes ago, Scully said:

Ta. Staggering! 
At OH’s restaurant they have the capability of 50+ covers per shift. The building is rented so no prospect of expanding, so unless folk are willing to pay for a meal cost increase to still afford that business a profit, then they’re rogered basically. 
If things are going to get as bad as is forecast then I fail to see how ANY business can stay afloat. 🤷‍♂️

the rent will go up as well...landlords costs rising blah blah blah.................if any company intends to stay in buisness....that uses energy .....i think you will be looking at a doubling of the price

pint of beer

loaf of bread

take-a-ways

i will leave you to join the dots

[Mice!]

4 hours ago, Scully said:

Wow! Couldn’t find any reference to that, but this one popped up!

Just not feasible to stay open, not unless the government bring in a price cap for businesses?

[Newbie to this]

31 minutes ago, Mice! said:

Just not feasible to stay open, not unless the government bring in a price cap for businesses?

Something is going to need to be done, if not the UK is in real trouble.

I think @ditchman is right, the energy companies are going to have to be re-nationalised, even if it is only temporary.

[oowee]

11 minutes ago, Newbie to this said:

Something is going to need to be done, if not the UK is in real trouble.

I think @ditchman is right, the energy companies are going to have to be re-nationalised, even if it is only temporary.

So Corbyn was right?

 

[Newbie to this]

28 minutes ago, oowee said:

So Corbyn was right?

 

Absolutely not, these are exceptional circumstances. And I don’t recall Corbyn mentioning temporary re-nationalisation, or how it would be funded.

[oowee]

4 minutes ago, Newbie to this said:

Absolutely not, these are exceptional circumstances. And I don’t recall Corbyn mentioning temporary re-nationalisation, or how it would be funded.

😃 I thought most on here believed in the free market, blue rinse and all that. never realised there were a few socialists at heart. 👍

[Mice!]

1 hour ago, Newbie to this said:

Something is going to need to be done, if not the UK is in real trouble.

I think @ditchman is right, the energy companies are going to have to be re-nationalised, even if it is only temporary.

I can't see that working,  but imposing a price cap makes sense, the knock on effect of loads of small businesses closing could be a disaster.