Iām on the same Next Flex tariff. As I had just moved house, for several months, my DD wasnāt based on actual use. After providing readings, my account is now in a credit balance which I wonāt withdraw as Iām sure itāll be swallowed up by the increase in October.
My DD is Ā£68 a month.
This is the biggest issue facing us at present, IMHO, as it is the biggest impediment to the growth the economy needs.
It isnāt just about those who face destitution, itās also about those who will be able to pay the bills by diverting every penny of discretionary spending towards fuel bills - eating out, clothes, outings, holidays, DIY, home extensions.
Itās also about every single business that needs fuel. If we speak of the housing crisis, we need to build more and building uses bricks and bricks are fired in fuel driven kilns. The price of bricks rises or brick makers go out of business.
Restaurants and hotel kitchens - ditto.
I sense panic all around us EXCEPT from government representatives. I donāt feel any urgency there at all.
Am I just being very pessimistic?
(PS: My gas DD is currently Ā£308 pm. Iām going to try this magical thinking lark.)
I try not to be overly-pessimistic myself but unfortunately I donāt think that is what you are being here. I feel a little dispairing at seeing what I feel is a government putting their fingers in their ears and going ālalalalaā whenever talk of cost of living crisis is brought up! Iām not inherently anti-Conservative I might add but Iām pretty annoyed with them now.
I think your analysis is absolutely spot on, youāve implied even if not directly said that these businesses not getting discretionary spending is going to cause them to have to make staff redundant, meaning theose people also have even less money themselves to spend in the economy, a nasty vicious downward spiral. Additionally, the diversion of discretionary spending will cause massive reduction in donations to charity, meaning less philanthropic help to animals, poor, sick and whatever else these charities are suddenly not able to spend money on.
Of course you canāt blame people, if youāre struggling to keep your own head above water, how on earth can you think of giving money to charity?
So over to you government. Much as I believe in the free market, it cannot fix absolutely everything by itself!
Exactly - you have described the vicious circle. Iām not convinced a penny off income tax here and there or low corporate tax is going to cut the mustard.
It needs something more strategic.
I`m actually Ā£65 in credit now. I have bad feeling EON has been getting my billing wrong and thats why my new bill is so high. I will update next monthly bill.
thanks all
This is why I keep book data every night of my usage. It used to be books now its kept on a spreadsheet, even still Iām sure they still scam you.
I see this because my smart meter flashes on at a certain time at night for 4 seconds at over a kW while the house is dead with barely anything running. Now that doesnāt seem like much but times that by 365 days then times that by all their customers, thatās a nice little profit.
Iām not saying theyāre actully doing this but itās just what I have seen and makes me wonder.
Might this be how the smart meter process the daily standing charge?
Not sure itās something I will be asking them next time I phone to see what they say. Most likely they will tell me its something in my house turned onā¦
Kinda the same situation as when an old meter in my last accommodation charged me 100 units for a night and all they said was we will try help you understand how youāre using energy and ways to cut it downā¦
It was a good joke.
You should prepare for a global depression imo. EU will be hit especially hard, including the UK.
Octopus are what i use. They seem fair
I have no problem with smart meters, each company i have been with said they were going to send someone round to replace my old one. Rung each one and told them i am sharpening my 
Is it when the meter sends the reading?
Providing you get a SMETS 2 smart meter next time, they can be used by any provider and donāt need to be changed when you switch.
Alternatively they can just sod off. I donāt want a smart meter. How can i increase my reading if the next supplier is more expensive and they can check?
Or if the meter has been upgraded to be compatible with DCC
You can look up your meter and find out if its compatible with the v2 network or not https://smartmetercheck.citizensadvice.org.uk/
if it it, you can use it with any provider without losing the smart functionality. no need for a SMETS2 meter
you can also get access to your own meters readings from the network rather than you provider. apps like bright from Hidlebrand can show this. there might be other options as well.
I wouldnāt know as if itās sending it then it doesnāt stick to a set time
Meters can be set to send readings every half hour if you want. this is usually an option you can have your supplier enable if itās not already set to send half hourly readings. I think half hour is the highest frequency currently
Well folks I tested the new price cap and all I can say is most people on the min wage and living wage are screwed.
I had Ā£34 left over a month adding Aprilās prices in but due to crazy new cost of tires my work bike had to get so thatās unsustainable to pay that off it would take over a year.
So I cut costs on my spreadsheet from fuel savings and food shopping I managed to ring back to Ā£198 a month which is OK but thenā¦
I added the new maybe Ā£4000 price cap in Oct for a test and it went to negitive Ā£184ā¦ So my last ditch effort to get back at least Ā£200 a month for rainy day issues would be to stop my help to buy and stop stocks completely.
I buy deals all the time food wise and have a low energy house etc a fuel efficient scooter, a low broadband package and an extremely low mobile contract Ā£11 so yeah dark times.
Just gives an eye opener on whatās about to strike people who donāt play about with their finances or numbers.
I never thought I would struggle again itās like being on benifits again accept I work full time yay
Has anyone else had to make major cut backs yet or priced in what is about to happen? I mean at this point people wonāt be able to afford transport to work soon, no more holidays, no more treats, no festivities unless you can go back to the old school daysā¦ Unwrap a block of coal for Christmas 
Yes mines set that way but it doesnāt happen every half an hour this always happens 10pm or more commonly 2am
How are you doing your calculations? the price cap numbers from ofgem are based on an āaverageā consumer usage.
So you need to base your calculations on your previous years kWh usage compared to ofgems āaverageā consumers kWh usage.
These are the following
2,900 kWh Electric
12,000 kWh Gas
4,200 kWh electric (economy 7)
These usages are what the āover Ā£4000ā press statements are based off of. So you should cut or multiply your estimated costs based on your actual previous years kWh usage.