BenCotto, you beat even me!! I spent 9 months walking in treacle with Scottish Power, because I have economy 7, and the bloke who read the meter put the readings in the wrong way round. After 3 months I said, right that's it, I am changing suppliers, the froze and put my account on hold, so I was unable to. Then Extra went bust I got put back with SP. who this time took 3 months to give me an account number, couse, when you ring, it's an automated line, what's the very first thing they ask for!!!!!
@WonkyWomble I guess you have but just checking - have you contacted Ofgem about it? Or Citizen's advice? As others have said, fighting the battle on your own is so hard
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
I just had this through on email from Money Savings Expert. I found it helpful.
On the back of a prior briefing and the announcement in Parliament, here
is my very quickly bashed out summary of the new energy price freeze.
The new price guarantee starts 1 October, and for someone on typical use will be £2,500 a year and will last for two years.
The
current price cap is £1,971 a year rate at typical use, and was due to
rise to £3,549 a year (and likely £5,400 a year in January). It was
£1,277 a year last winter.
This will be a
cap on standing charges and unit rates, so use less you pay less, use
more you pay more (I’ll publish the rates when I have them). There is no
total cap on what you pay, the typical rate is just a figure for
illustration.
The new lower price cap includes getting rid of the green levies.
The £400 payment to all homes (paid as £66 a month over winter) will continue.
That will take the average payment to £2,100 a year.
To
estimate what you’ll pay, over a year, multiply current costs by 6.5%
(each £100 becomes £106.50). This includes the £400 discount (but not
other payments).
For those with lower
than typical bills, the % increase will be lower, for higher users
higher (as the £400 payment is flat regardless of use, so has a bigger
proportionate reduction on lower usage).
The £650 payments to those on many benefits will continue (half’s already been paid).
As will the £150 to those with disabilities and £300 to pensioners.
There’s
no announcement on whether these payments will be in place next winter –
I suspect the political reality is at least for benefits recipients –
similar will be paid next year.
VAT is
not being reduced in this announcement, but there is a chance (50-50 I’d
say) that may happen in the Chancellor’s fiscal statement next week.
For those on LPG and heating oil, I’m told there will be discretionary payments to help them too (awaiting details).
For
those in park homes and who pay landlords directly, I’m told they
should benefit from the new business help (awaiting details).
I'm
hearing fixed tariffs will have the same per pound unit rate reduction
as variable tariffs (ie, roughly 30% off). So it looks like, unless you
fixed at over the new October price cap level, your fix will be cheaper
than moving to variable. (More to check on this.)
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Yes I am! It's totally ludicrous the way everything has gone/is going up, yet CEOs etc are still getting massive bonuses and companies are making huge profit increases. We never use more energy than we need to, so we're planning on hot water bottles all winter instead of heating. ☹
Thank you wild edges that’s very useful and although prices are still going up it’s not going to be those terrifying amounts. The government has/had to step in when situations get this critical. Not only would home owners be in dire straits but businesses would be going bankrupt!
I've been in dispute with my energy company for a couple of years and there hasn't been a change to my monthly direct debit yet. Maybe they've been deliberately stockpiling my money to soften the blow
As for my water bill, just got the latest one through and my monthly payments have halved
I haven't changed my DD either with Octopus for years. But usually there has been enough amassed through the summer to cover winter payments. Now there is only enough to cover one or possible two autumn months, so I will have to put it up sometime soon. I wanted to wait and see how things pan out....
Does anybody know whether the "£300 paid to pensioners" is to all pensioners or just those on pension credit? If it's to all pensioners, how is it going to be paid?
Posts
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
We never use more energy than we need to, so we're planning on hot water bottles all winter instead of heating. ☹
As for my water bill, just got the latest one through and my monthly payments have halved
Does anybody know whether the "£300 paid to pensioners" is to all pensioners or just those on pension credit? If it's to all pensioners, how is it going to be paid?