As everyone in the UK already knows, the energy price cap is being lifted on October 1st. On Friday came the shocking announcement that it will increase by a massive 80% As they always quote the 'average' annual figure, in this case £3549 or something similar, it's hard to know exactly how much it will affect us as a household. Are we 'average'? I searched the MSE website and found this chart showing the changes in actual unit rates which is much more useful to me. ....
taken from MSE.com
The rates vary slightly from region to region but ours is this one ....
The bills will pretty much feel like double what we are paying now as the Autumn approaches and cool weather sets in. It's horrifying for us but must be devastating news for struggling families. We will need to find at least another £100 per month just for gas & electricity which pretty much wipes out my monthly pocket money, leaving just G's earnings from his part time job (12hrs on minimum wage) for any extras and treats. I'm so grateful for the help the government had already announced for during the coming months but I know it's simply a drop in the ocean for many families including our DD. I have no idea what will happen when the new Prime Minister takes over. At this rate people's savings will be wiped out before the end of next year.
G & I had a big discussion on Friday evening after the announcement was made. We intend to:
- Shop even more carefully using YS bargains and eating simple food like when we were kids as there is still a bit of 'wriggle room' in the food budget. If we can reduce it still further to save maybe £10 per week that will give us £40 per month for heating.
- Use the main car less to reduce spending on fuel although G does need it to get to work (12 miles away and no bus link)
- Request a hot water bottle each for Christmas (if DD asks what we would like that is!) to 'heat the human not the house'
- Intensify our efforts to be frugal in all areas as much as we can.
We have also agreed a contingency plan to sell the main car if our savings become depleted. We will still have my 12 year old Fox to take us to our daughter's house (no buses in that direction either) and it costs very little in the way of insurance and running costs so is the obvious one to keep. It's value is also very low at around £1000 so a bit pointless to sell it....yet.....
I took my trusty Fox to the shopping centre this morning because I needed a few birthday cards, wrapping paper and stuff, only to find CHRISTMAS cards and gifts already on the shelves. Crikey, talk about being prepared 👀
On the way home I popped into Morrisons for some YS bargains for dinner tonight. I found this bag of veg for a stir fry reduced to 33p. It's meant to serve 4 people but we will just have the veg with some black bean stir fry sauce I already have in. Think of all that lovely fibre!
EDIT: there was a LOT of veg so we had 1/4 of the bag each and I added a few prawns to G's portion. This leaves 1/2 bag for either another stir fry or some soup 👍
We have run out of lettuce at the allotment and it's so expensive at the moment so I snapped up this little bag of shredded iceberg for just 18p We can have an egg salad tomorrow with the lettuce, homegrown tomatoes and cucumber......
How will the increase in energy costs affect you? Are you making contingency plans too? Are you already cutting down in readiness for Oct 1st?
Stay safe everyone x
I have been following the crisis in Europe and I feel so bad for you. We have shortages here in US and prices keep going up too.
ReplyDeleteI am afraid to see my September electric bill. We are on Social Security
and we are finding it hard to make it.
So sorry to hear that you are struggling too. Keep the faith that things will improve soon.
DeleteIt sounds as though you are being very sensible and just at the right time. Now is the time that we all need to sit and plan for Winter and make some decisions. I thoroughly agree with all the ones you have made and have already checked that neither of my hot water bottles leak!!
ReplyDeleteThat bag of stir fry mix was a brilliant buy, tea for two of you at less than a pound (including your sachet of sauce) is an absolute bargain. If I see anything like that on my travels I will be buying a few for the freezer, after all a 'stir fry mix' can just as easily be the base for a soup or a quick casserole can't it.
You might also spot on your sidebar (as I have just noticed it there), that I am about to resurrect my 'modern' wartime rationing blog. There will be a few changes to bring it up to date for this year, but I think it's something I need to do to get myself watching my food spending again.
I'm excited to see you're thinking of doing modern day rationing again! It will help so many people in the current situation and I'll certainly be following :)
DeleteI am not sure if Liz Truss is going to be helping everyone by reducing income tax if she gets the PM job as many pensioners on the state pension and very low income families don't pay any income tax - so how are they going to benefit I wonder? We have thermostats on each radiator and will turn down the ones in rooms we don't particularly live in like the spare bedroom, laundry room and maybe only use one of the bathrooms and leave the other unheated. DH is looking to add more insulation to the loft and fix any draughty leaks and I will bring out the sausage dogs for the bottom of the doors. We had thought about having laminate/ wood flooring in the living room when we redecorate but I think now that we might stick with carpet as it will be warmer. I will also put up some thick winter curtains like my granny used to do. Our duel fuel is on a fixed rate for 2 years - we fixed this April so our standing order won't rise in October or the following January when prices are due to rise again thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteWell done for fixing your energy just in time. I agree that Liz Truss's ideas just don't cut the mustard. Reversing the increase in National Insurance will put money into higher earner's pockets and cutting tax will help very little. Poorer families and pensioners won't benefit at all. She doesn't agree with 'handouts' but how else can help be given to the people who are desperate?
DeleteThank you for sharing your energy saving tips too.
We or should I say I am looking into a few more ways to save on electric and gas. Our province is raising prices this year as well, not as high as you will be facing, but high enough in this are of winter blizzards. Like you say groceries and how we shop is probably where we have the most wiggle room.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Yes, Jackie, the food budget is suffering but at least we do have wriggle room. Take care my lovely. We can do this x
DeleteLovely supper, well done for finding such a bargain.
ReplyDeleteOver the last ten years we have insulated this house almost as much as we can, but I still have a couple of rooms where I have not yet sewn fleece to the back of curtains to act as an extra insulating layer. I will get that done in the next month or so.
That's a good idea Jayne. Our windows are double glazed but they still lose a lot of heat in the cold months. Thank you for the tip.
DeleteYour bargain veg was a brilliant find in store. Stir fry is always a good idea isn't it.
ReplyDeleteThinking and planning ahead is always good so you are doing the right thing. We are also looking at what we can do to save where we can.
Some years ago we had solar panels fitted to our roof and although expensive at the time are proving their worth now. I still intend to haul out the waterbottles for the Winter and more blankets too. The thermostat on the heating will be turned down a degree as well.
I do hope you will both be ok. Hugs xx
Thanks so much, Beverley, we are luckier than a lot of people. You made a great investment with your solar panels as they should save a lot of money over the years. Stay warm this Winter my lovely x
DeleteYou found some great bargains on those reduced price packages of stir-fry vegetables and lettuce! Energy prices going up by 80% sounds awful! You are being proactive and planning ahead to prepare for the rate increase, though, which is a wise thing to do. I hope you will be able to rework your budget to meet the rise in fuel costs.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bless, I know we are not alone in our worries and we are luckier than many people around the world. Stay safe x
DeleteIt's terrifying isn't it when you are on a fixed income. Ours is likely to go DOWN too if G loses his p/t job. I am worried to say the least. I hope you are ok, Marlene, as things will get tougher. Sending hugs x
ReplyDelete