Energy bills

[tans]

Absolute joke this whole situation.

How are the energy companies getting away with charging so much? I get some if it is down to Ukraine but cant be all the reason surely?

Those tossers in goverment letting them rise the price cap again in March to suit their own agenda and increase the energy companies profits.

Put the heating on for 45 mins and watch the smart meter increase by about £1.50.

Its totally wrong this should be allowed to happen.

Luckily we can get by, but i really worry for the people that cant etc, what a shitty situation.

[DiV]

Slight side subject but kinda related.

Obviously cost of everything is going up and us postal workers are out on strike every week. These last two weeks and next week it’s two days.

I’m fortunately financially secure but there will be people who aren’t.
People that are probably going to have to cross the picket lines to keep a roof over their heads and food on their families table.

I worry what sort of reaction people like that will get from the Union themselves for doing so.

Whilst, naturally I agree with what we are fighting for and as someone with a lot of years of working left the long term ramifications matter to me - but - I’m never ever going to put the Unions beliefs/battles over providing for my family. We don’t live in that sort of world anymore where people can afford to forgo a days pay.

In our place there are alot of couples who work there. So they are taking a double hit. Close friend of mine works there as does his wife - they have 4 kids to provide for ffs. They arent going to managing losing 40% of their households income every week.

Ultimately I think that’s what RM are banking on but I think I’ve gone on enough of a tangent for now.

[4D]

Absolute joke this whole situation.

How are the energy companies getting away with charging so much? I get some if it is down to Ukraine but cant be all the reason surely?

Those tossers in goverment letting them rise the price cap again in March to suit their own agenda and increase the energy companies profits.

Put the heating on for 45 mins and watch the smart meter increase by about £1.50.

Its totally wrong this should be allowed to happen.

Luckily we can get by, but i really worry for the people that cant etc, what a shitty situation.

I look at it that the government need some payback from the covid payments. You are right about the Ukraine situation, hardly any of our oil and gas is from Russia, 5% I think. We never saw similar price hikes with the invasion of Iraq etc. Shops have pissed me off too, price hikes of 50% on the essentials like butter, milk, eggs and bread plus many other lines. Some are benefitting from this but it ain't the public.

The one I never understand are the energy companies who state they use 100% renewable energy,  why would they be raising charges?

[Steak supper]

I think I read some posts encouraging us to not pay bills.  Has that had any effect?

[Jimmy HaveHave]

Imagine if we hadn't had the government £66 per month hand out.

[tans]

Imagine if we hadn't had the government £66 per month hand out.

Indeed, and even so that wont be enough for some people etc.

[Jimmy HaveHave]

Indeed, and even so that wont be enough for some people etc.

Absolutely not Tans but even more worrying is the energy cap rising in April and the government saying there won't be any hand outs next winter but hopefully that will change with a general election predicted the following spring.

[Sippo]

I put the kettle on, and the cost went up by 60p.

[horlock07]

I look at it that the government need some payback from the covid payments. You are right about the Ukraine situation, hardly any of our oil and gas is from Russia, 5% I think. We never saw similar price hikes with the invasion of Iraq etc. Shops have pissed me off too, price hikes of 50% on the essentials like butter, milk, eggs and bread plus many other lines. Some are benefitting from this but it ain't the public.

If the government wanted any sort of payback the simple and easy way to do so would be to strongly tax the windfalls that the energy companies have been making, whilst they seem to now have been dragged kicking and streaming to something approaching that at 25% now, increasing to 35% from January 2023, and stay in place until March 2028, they remain offset against the scheme that lets firms claim tax savings worth 91p of every £1 invested in fossil fuel extraction in the UK.

In this addition we have the rather strange system that whilst these levels relate to fossil fuels, the government has also introduced a temporary higher 45% levy on profits from low-carbon electricity generators in the UK. Its almost like the government and their think tanks in Tufton St get a load of funding from the fossil fuel companies.

The one I never understand are the energy companies who state they use 100% renewable energy,  why would they be raising charges?

Because energy prices are all grouped together and that charged (and capped) takes account of the gas and oil generated prices as well, its another thing that desperately needs sodding reforming but apparently legislating to stop the 1 or 2 cases of electoral fraud a year are considerably more important than stopping people freezing their tits off this winter.

[mystical_goat]

The house was 14 degrees when I got home yesterday. As it was much colder this week, I've used the (very expensive to use, electric) radiators for the first time, but rationed them to 30/45 mins once per evening which gets the temperature up to 17/18. The electric throw for the sofa, and electric blanket for my bed are a big help. It was 15.6C inside when I went to bed last night.

I used the radiators sparingly last winter, before the unit rates doubled, and my bills went from £20 per Summer month to £130 per winter month. If I used them in the same way it'd be at least £280 now as I'm on a fixed tariff but the unit rate doubled and standing charge went up too. The forecast says it's going to reach sub-zero temperatures towards the middle of next week and I'm not looking forward to the cost of heating the home when I'm off for two weeks over Christmas.

That said, I feel very lucky that I'm not having to choose between heating and eating, like some are. And it's not even that cold yet.

[swindonmaniac]

Mothers care home fees have just gone up £500 a month,  that’s my foreign holidays fucked !!.

[Samdy Gray]

How are the energy companies getting away with charging so much? I get some if it is down to Ukraine but cant be all the reason surely?

Because the wholesale gas market has gone mental and energy companies don't set the price, "the market" does. Energy companies are being forced to buy gas at vastly inflated prices themselves, which then gets passed on to us punters.

Some energy companies also happen to be energy wholesalers and will benefit from this, but on the whole most energy companies are as pissed about this as we are.

[tans]

Any idea why it has gone mental? Apart from the war?

[Batch]

the official 2021 reasons were

Current prices reflect a number of factors including:

as the world comes out of COVID-19 lockdowns and economies reopen, we are seeing an uptick in global gas demand this year.

combined with a cold winter (which has an impact on gas demand as gas is often used for heating homes) this has led to a much tighter gas market with less spare capacity

in particular, high demand in Asia for Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), natural gas transported globally by ship, means less LNG than expected has reached Europe

some essential maintenance projects rescheduled from 2020 due to coronavirus coincided with necessary scheduled projects in 2021, while weather events in the US have adversely affected their LNG exports to Europe
------
But shutting off Russian gas pipes has created extra demand elsewhere, pushing prices up

[Legends-Lounge]

I’m sure I read somewhere recently that energy suppliers make about £100 profit per annum from an average house…. Tough shit if you’re a business user because any profits are going to come from you if that is accurate. I could be wrong but Jesus no wonder a lot of ‘small’ energy providers have been fucked over.