# Being Crippled by Costs



## Camros (Dec 25, 2021)

Is anyone else getting ridiculous new numbers from their energy suppliers? Even in the current market I really wasn't expecting monthly bills of £403 considering I'm in a one bed 4 in a block. Only running one rack of 10 tubs. It's absolutely crippling.


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Ouch,

It is most definitely a challenging time. I expect costs will get worse.

My wife recently updated energy contract to secure a fixed tariff.
Not had the time to scrutinise the figures and rates, but saw the estimated annual as being £4880 😳 which is pretty close to your cost?
We live in a terraced property, built 1880s (3 floors incl attic), with some insulation features but fairly draughty. Electric cooker. Tumble dryer recently broke haha (I never like my clothes being tumbled dried anyway 🤫).
Fortunately, my wife is going back to full time work in September, so this should mitigate some of the effects for us, at least until the kids start getting even more expensive to keep. 🤷🏻‍♂️


Andy


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## Zincubus (Sep 6, 2010)

The whole damn world has gone crazy .. our flamin petrol bill has nearly doubled as well ..
I laughed when that joke was circulating about how the guy said the spiralling petrol prices didn’t effect him as he still only put £20 in each time but it ain’t as funny now 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm in a 3 floor town house with 2 children and pay £70 a month on electric and £50 a month on gas currently. And that's on a PAYG tariff.
Animal wise, I have a 4x2x2 viv heated with a 50w spotlamp, a 45x45x45 exo terra with a small heat mat and 25w lamp, and 2 large invert nurseries, each heated with a long heat mat.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Yes, and its only going to get worse come October and there is talk of a further increase on that in January 2023. I live in an end of terrace 3 bed house - just two of use in the house now, and my electricity went from £100pm to £297pm with an annual estimated cost of £2880pa - I'm running 10 vivs, 9 with CHE's and one with a mat, plus one mat in the hatchling rack. Ironically compared to this time last year we've used 20% less electric !! -

The bit that I don't agree with is that the daily standing charge has tripled as a result of "incurred costs" in taking on all the customers from firms that went bust.... I've been with my supplier (British Gas) for decades.

Not just fuel that's crippling, food prices are stupid and jump up by 20, 30 or 50p each week.... Even the no frills own brand stuff that used to be 40p or 60p is now a quid... A few chops, couple of chicken breasts and a bag of spuds and you've already clocked up £15..


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## frogeyed (Nov 8, 2012)

Malc said:


> Yes, and its only going to get worse come October and there is talk of a further increase on that in January 2023. I live in an end of terrace 3 bed house - just two of use in the house now, and my electricity went from £100pm to £297pm with an annual estimated cost of £2880pa - I'm running 10 vivs, 9 with CHE's and one with a mat, plus one mat in the hatchling rack. Ironically compared to this time last year we've used 20% less electric !! -
> 
> The bit that I don't agree with is that the daily standing charge has tripled as a result of "incurred costs" in taking on all the customers from firms that went bust.... I've been with my supplier (British Gas) for decades.
> 
> Not just fuel that's crippling, food prices are stupid and jump up by 20, 30 or 50p each week.... Even the no frills own brand stuff that used to be 40p or 60p is now a quid... A few chops, couple of chicken breasts and a bag of spuds and you've already clocked up £15..


As I understand it, every energy customer in the UK has to pay £45 each to cover the cost of the smaller companies going bust.

Because Ofgen didn't carry out thorough enough checks on new comers coming into the market.

Now once again the man/ women in the street has to foot the bill because yet again an organisation that has a massive salery bill is unable to get thing right.

But hey - we'll foot the bill - no worries !!


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## Moyzie (7 mo ago)

I think this time next year, everyone will have rehomed their lizards and snakes and will instead have collections of millipedes and giant snails.


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## frogeyed (Nov 8, 2012)

Moyzie said:


> I think this time next year, everyone will have rehomed their lizards and snakes and will instead have collections of millipedes and giant snails.


And the people with the rehomes will be laughing all the way to the bank when things start to return to normal in 12/18 months time.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

frogeyed said:


> And the people with the rehomes will be laughing all the way to the bank when things start to return to normal in 12/18 months time.


Do you really believe that energy companies, fuel suppliers and food producers will return their prices to what they were a year / 18 months back.... I seriously doubt it. I can't see petrol going back to the £1.16 (highest price in SE England in December 2020 according to the AA). What will happen will be a reduction in costs, and a round of increase in wages / benefits / pensions over the next 24/36 months so inflation balances back out, but the prices will still remain high even compared to this time last year.


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## frogeyed (Nov 8, 2012)

Malc said:


> Do you really believe that energy companies, fuel suppliers and food producers will return their prices to what they were a year / 18 months back.... I seriously doubt it. I can't see petrol going back to the £1.16 (highest price in SE England in December 2020 according to the AA). What will happen will be a reduction in costs, and a round of increase in wages / benefits / pensions over the next 24/36 months so inflation balances back out, but the prices will still remain high even compared to this time last year.


True, prices, especially food prices never go back down even when the cost of a barrel drops.
There maybe a drop of 1/2 pence a litre at the pumps, but food never goes back down.
I just believe that things can't continue upwards indefinitely, and 12/18 months will be the leveling off period, when as you say wages, pensions etc will increase to balance out the stagnation point of increases.


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Malc said:


> Do you really believe that energy companies, fuel suppliers and food producers will return their prices to what they were a year / 18 months back.... I seriously doubt it. I can't see petrol going back to the £1.16 (highest price in SE England in December 2020 according to the AA). What will happen will be a reduction in costs, and a round of increase in wages / benefits / pensions over the next 24/36 months so inflation balances back out, but the prices will still remain high even compared to this time last year.


Malc, they won't, you are quite right.
This is exactly what's happening now with petrol etc.
My understanding is that the wholesale price has now started to fall, yet the fuel companies are refusing to pass on the reductions. Even supermarkets, who traditionally have been cheaper as they have much greater buying power, are also keeping their prices artificially high. I suspect they see this as payback for their record losses during Covid.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

ian14 said:


> Malc, they won't, you are quite right.
> This is exactly what's happening now with petrol etc.
> My understanding is that the wholesale price has now started to fall, yet the fuel companies are refusing to pass on the reductions. Even supermarkets, who traditionally have been cheaper as they have much greater buying power, are also keeping their prices artificially high. I suspect they see this as payback for their record losses during Covid.


Profiteering petrol stations normally make a killing in these circumstances, but according to the main motoring organisations less motorist are using their cars so consumption is less. There was one manager on the local radio station being interviewed stated that her normal weekly delivery is lasting 12 - 14 days and her turnover was down. 

I'm lucky enough to be in a position where I only need to use the car for a couple of local trips, so petrol pricing doesn't effect me as much as it will others. Meeting the rising cost of electricity on the other hand is my main concern... With all the investment in wind and solar plants saying XX % of our energy comes from renewals then how is it tied into other factors including the cost of oil !


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## Moyzie (7 mo ago)

Malc said:


> Do you really believe that energy companies, fuel suppliers and food producers will return their prices to what they were a year / 18 months back.... I seriously doubt it. I can't see petrol going back to the £1.16 (highest price in SE England in December 2020 according to the AA). What will happen will be a reduction in costs, and a round of increase in wages / benefits / pensions over the next 24/36 months so inflation balances back out, but the prices will still remain high even compared to this time last year.


As tongue in cheek as my original remark was, it _was _loaded.
Your comment regarding food costs going up and never coming down again. Yep, this has been true on many many food increases over the last decade or so that I have paid attention. Whenever something goes up because of XYZ, that's it. The cost stays the same forevermore.

With one exception. 

Bourbon biscuits (Tesco) - and I have no idea why. The price for a double pack in Tesco has gone from 42 44 46 45 44 (for a long time) 48 47 46 51 44 46 40p

This price is only for the big stores, the Tesco extra seem to apply a % increase that varies store to store

Anyway, my point is, we can live in hope - and enjoy a nice cuppa and biscuit


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## harry python (Sep 21, 2015)

Malc said:


> Do you really believe that energy companies, fuel suppliers and food producers will return their prices to what they were a year / 18 months back.... I seriously doubt it. I can't see petrol going back to the £1.16 (highest price in SE England in December 2020 according to the AA). What will happen will be a reduction in costs, and a round of increase in wages / benefits / pensions over the next 24/36 months so inflation balances back out, but the prices will still remain high even compared to this time last year.


Nope. For starters there is now no competition after all the small players went belly up.


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