Petty Things That Get On Your Nerves...

[Shandon Par]

^^

Eta, the wrestling, not the electricity bill

Edited February 5, 2022 by Shandon Par

[Empty It]

Calling the electricity company (it’s all electric here so no gas) because my bills went up in November from £80 per month to £300 per month.
Anyway I phoned to see if they have other tariffs etc and get advice as every outlet everywhere tells you to do and she’s giving me deckchairs on the Titanic stuff about saving £10 a year by not filling the kettle and £50 a year by unplugging everything at the wall.  
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER FEW GRAND I AM GOING TO OWE BY THEN???? 50 quid isn’t even a weeks worth at the moment. 
Fucking Shambles.

It really is a joke, government coming out defending the energy companies saying they've been absorbing the cost of rising energy prices for years when in reality year after year they're posting record breaking profits. Rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

[Left Back]

22 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

What company is this? 

I have been with OVO since 2016. Paid a steady amount every month that covered the bill. £140. Then about a year ago I started getting messages saying that I should increase my direct debit to £387 a month. I phoned them up and they said it was a new system bedding in, and to ignore it. 

I guess the question is - what has increased? Your price per kWh? Usage? Or their estimate? 

£140 a month pre-crisis?  f**k me that’s a lot.

[BFTD]

2 minutes ago, Left Back said:

£140 a month pre-crisis?  f**k me that’s a lot.

I've just come down to £147 a month. I'd been paying £238 a month until then, and that was through the Money Saving Expert's Energy Club, that switches you to the cheapest option annually. I ended up with four different providers in 2021, as they kept going bankrupt. I assume we'll just not be using the heating at all next winter, considering the astronomical increases that are coming.

Living in a stone house with little option for insulation is a bit of a shiter.

[Bairnardo]

Looks like im looking at a new boiler.

British Gas guy going heavy on the sales pitch. Assume that they are expensive.

This is a rush job tho. Do me proud P&B..... Who should I be calling

[Moomintroll]

26 minutes ago, Empty It said:

3 hours ago, Jambomo said:

Calling the electricity company (it’s all electric here so no gas) because my bills went up in November from £80 per month to £300 per month.
Anyway I phoned to see if they have other tariffs etc and get advice as every outlet everywhere tells you to do and she’s giving me deckchairs on the Titanic stuff about saving £10 a year by not filling the kettle and £50 a year by unplugging everything at the wall.  
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER FEW GRAND I AM GOING TO OWE BY THEN???? 50 quid isn’t even a weeks worth at the moment. 
Fucking Shambles.

It really is a joke, government coming out defending the energy companies saying they've been absorbing the cost of rising energy prices for years when in reality year after year they're posting record breaking profits. Rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

Maybe they should stop rewarding shareholders and senior management with tax free windfalls and just provide not for profit energy to people. I know, I know.

[BFTD]

Just now, Moomintroll said:

Maybe they should stop rewarding shareholders and senior management with tax free windfalls and just provide not for profit energy to people. I know, I know.

^^^ dirty socialist found

Mods, get this scum punted please.

[Moomintroll]

4 minutes ago, BFTD said:

^^^ dirty socialist found

Mods, get this scum punted please.

Are you really sure you deleted your Social Media footprint? Be very specific, Big Fat Tabby Deviant. Had a 'mare over the last few weeks irl but I am slowly coming back to life. I hate being this way but I guess you can't choose what gets thrown at you.

[BFTD]

8 minutes ago, Moomintroll said:

Are you really sure you deleted your Social Media footprint? Be very specific, Big Fat Tabby Deviant. Had a 'mare over the last few weeks irl but I am slowly coming back to life. I hate being this way but I guess you can't choose what gets thrown at you.

We all know they're coming for me eventually. I might as well make the most of the time I have left.

[Jambomo]

1 hour ago, scottsdad said:

What company is this? 

I have been with OVO since 2016. Paid a steady amount every month that covered the bill. £140. Then about a year ago I started getting messages saying that I should increase my direct debit to £387 a month. I phoned them up and they said it was a new system bedding in, and to ignore it. 

I guess the question is - what has increased? Your price per kWh? Usage? Or their estimate? 

Ecotricity. The unit per kWh for consumption went from 25 something up to 33. Something. I do have the heating on a bit but that’s the only change, I’ve been working from home but that was since March 2020 so they can’t really say the consumption is up as it’s a huge amount more than last winter.

[GordonD]

40 minutes ago, Left Back said:

£140 a month pre-crisis?  f**k me that’s a lot.

Those heat lamps for the cannabis farm don't run on AA batteries.

[Jambomo]

31 minutes ago, BFTD said:

I've just come down to £147 a month. I'd been paying £238 a month until then, and that was through the Money Saving Expert's Energy Club, that switches you to the cheapest option annually. I ended up with four different providers in 2021, as they kept going bankrupt. I assume we'll just not be using the heating at all next winter, considering the astronomical increases that are coming.

Living in a stone house with little option for insulation is a bit of a shiter.

I wouldn’t mind but I live in a tiny one bedroom flat. I’m honestly thinking I might need to go back and work in the office if this keeps up

[scottsdad]

7 minutes ago, Jambomo said:

Ecotricity. The unit per kWh for consumption went from 25 something up to 33. Something. I do have the heating on a bit but that’s the only change, I’ve been working from home but that was since March 2020 so they can’t really say the consumption is up as it’s a huge amount more than last winter.

Something very odd there. The new cap announced this week is 28p per kWh. 

You really need to get the details of this down. Also put in a complaint to the ombudsman - I did this with Scottish Power years back. Only when they got involved did I get anywhere. 

[RH33]

48 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

Looks like im looking at a new boiler.

British Gas guy going heavy on the sales pitch. Assume that they are expensive.

This is a rush job tho. Do me proud P&B..... Who should I be calling

Find a gas Safe local engineer, not sure my pals husband would travel to Larbert as it's bit far.

Big companies will throw it in and then tell you you need system jet washed, and another 21 jobs to bump price up.

[Bairnardo]

5 minutes ago, RH33 said:

Find a gas Safe local engineer, not sure my pals husband would travel to Larbert as it's bit far.

Big companies will throw it in and then tell you you need system jet washed, and another 21 jobs to bump price up.

Bit of an update, massive repair needed. I thought i was liable for the cost but turns out I only pay Home cover excess, so they are doing that first. Hooefully drag another year or so out it. 

[red23]

1 hour ago, Bairnardo said:

Looks like im looking at a new boiler.

British Gas guy going heavy on the sales pitch. Assume that they are expensive.

This is a rush job tho. Do me proud P&B..... Who should I be calling

I called out a few companies to get a straight boiler replacement. 

Most quoting between 3-4.5k for what was pretty much a days labour at best. Challenged them and they said it's just not possible to do the job any cheaper.

Called out another company who quoted 1.5k and completed it in 3 hours with 2 guys. Even then the boiler cost was about £700 so not a bad £800 for 6 hours combined labour and did a perfect job.

Some of these guys must be making an utter killing.

[Bairnardo]

I called out a few companies to get a straight boiler replacement. 
Most quoting between 3-4.5k for what was pretty much a days labour at best. Challenged them and they said it's just not possible to do the job any cheaper.
Called out another company who quoted 1.5k and completed it in 3 hours with 2 guys. Even then the boiler cost was about £700 so not a bad £800 for 6 hours combined labour and did a perfect job.
Some of these guys must be making an utter killing.

Aye, its like weddings, everyone only seems to understand multiples of a thousand....

I hope the repiar can buy me some time tbh. Ultimately its on the way out but in this situation if it needs replaced its an emergency job and like for like is about the only option. I want to take my time and find out what system is best for me, condenser, combi, bla bla.

[welshbairn]

21 minutes ago, red23 said:

I called out a few companies to get a straight boiler replacement. 

Most quoting between 3-4.5k for what was pretty much a days labour at best. Challenged them and they said it's just not possible to do the job any cheaper.

Called out another company who quoted 1.5k and completed it in 3 hours with 2 guys. Even then the boiler cost was about £700 so not a bad £800 for 6 hours combined labour and did a perfect job.

Some of these guys must be making an utter killing.

Got a local plumber to fit one in London and he charged about a third of what British Gas quoted.

[welshbairn]

5 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

Aye, its like weddings, everyone only seems to understand multiples of a thousand....

I hope the repiar can buy me some time tbh. Ultimately its on the way out but in this situation if it needs replaced its an emergency job and like for like is about the only option. I want to take my time and find out what system is best for me, condenser, combi, bla bla.

You might want to think about a heat pump if the grants make it viable.

[Melanius Mullarkey]

Happy days when you used to be able to pop into B&Q buy a boiler for £300 and get Paul the mad Celtic plumber to fit it for about the same price.