The whole energy crisis thing

gcw

As usual the media are hyping it up so that, as Nasser points out, people are making themselves ill over it.

It will obviously be an increased cost for all of us but ffs, its gone from £2k a year, to £3k, to £4k, to £5k and then guess what? £6k according to the latest bellend consultant they have asked. Proof really that none of these twats actually know what it will be.

Today’s headline had a figure of about £3.5k. I bet in a years time if I ask anyone I know how much they paid none of them will have paid that amount.

I detest the media so much, they’ve been especially shit since Covid.

Old-Dutch

There’s a fair bit of misplaced complacency here, I’d wager by people on fixed deals.

I moved from Eon to Bulb last September because I wanted to move to a totally renewable provider. Big mistake. At the time I could have fixed for 2 years with Eon for roughly the same as I was paying perviously, which was about £115 a month.

Bulb has only one rate - a variable rate. My bills went up from £115 to £230 a month back in March. Literally doubled overnight. I’ll feed back what they will be when I get my new update, which they are probably writing to me as I type this.

I suspect anyone unlucky enough to be on a variable / non-fixed tarif will find themselves at the upper end of the cap. The companies will take the most they can from those they can

It’s ruthless profiteering from the industry - taking advantage of world events. I have zero faith prices will come back down either.

I guarantee the cap will rise again at the next stage in 3 months’ time.

Meanwhile Russia burns off £10m of gas a day as they can’t sell it to anyone.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-62652133.amp

benson

My electricity is fixed with octopus at 15p / unit for anything outside 00:30-04:30. 5p / unit at night. I am in for a big shock when that ends next year. I have an electric car so will need some kind of EV tariff. Charging at 5p / unit is fine. 50p / unit and its the same price as diesel

benson

Also I checked usage with friends. One is using 50% more electricity than me and does not have an electric car. The other is using 3 times as much gas as me in the summer for hot water. There are some qwuick fixes if people looked at their bills

Smallman1

I just pay the bills when they come in, don’t even look at the numbers if truth be told.

Heno

Smallman1 hence roofgate

Old-Dutch

There are millions of people in this country already struggling to put food on the table who simply cannot afford to pay these increased prices.

Even if you can afford to pay, it’s pretty sickening to see the levels of profits these companies are making, whilst at the same time being given every tax incentive / relief under the sun.

Buckle up as there’s going to be some massive civil unrest in the UK soon.

It’s not just hoisehold prices that will be affected - this will push the prices of everything else up too as businesses seek to recover their higher costs.

mono-stereo

Old-Dutch Amazed how many people still are not getting this.

Mad_Cyril

Old-Dutch It’s not just hoisehold prices that will be affected

Is that just the Irish ones?

Seems unfair

mono-stereo

NasserAlazzawi I’m getting a bit sick of hearing about this. Not because of the challenge that needs to be addressed but because people I know are actually literally panicking and the media is making it worse.

Those with learned helplessness within them are in actual despair. And those who normally face bigger challenges adequately are heading that way.

People on low incomes are panicking because they are already struggling to pay their bills mate. I dare say many of us here are somewhat immune to these price hikes, but the so called cost of living crisis is real.

NasserAlazzawi

mono-stereo People on low incomes are panicking because they are already struggling to pay their bills mate.

I know mate, I agree. And I totally agree with @Old-Dutch about civil unrest.

I do wonder if a real solution will come first, or the unrest.

It’s a real problem for normal everyday people. I know hard working teachers and people working good security jobs in the ports and they were telling me how hard it is to make ends meet with one child and a modest lifestyle in a modest area to live.

Like really worried about losing the extra £40 per month to get a new iPhone. But a £130 bill going to what sounds like £400 or £500 per month is fucking nuts.

Some moron was on radio 2 earlier saying ‘everyone going to be fine everyone has excess at the end of the month and everyone has savings’ - people can be so stupid when they think the country is how their immediate circle is.

Smallman1

Nas is a trustafarian living the dream in Cyprus.

mono-stereo

“Crisis?! What Crisis!”

Along_the_Wire

RichM it’s the wholesale that are ripping people off and profiteering - this isn’t inflation, it’s price fixing if it’s anything. The retail end with the like of Octopus are struggling too. It’s cunts like BP, Exxon and British Gas that are pissing down our backs and telling us it’s raining. There needs to be a serious government intervention - taxing them more will just compound the problem. These people are absolute fucking cunts.

It’s fair to comment on it with the average household income being £31k (gross) and your energy bill is 10% of that. People on state pensions who need heat in the winter are really gonna suffer - people need to see beyond their comfortable lives.

Old-Dutch

Along_the_Wire It’s cunts like BP, Exxon and British Gas that are pissing down our backs and telling us it’s raining

I really hope these companies get what’s coming to them. Absolute fucking cunts.

On a separate matter, considering the share values in these companies must have gone through the roof, you would expect pensions which are tied into these should also see the benefit of this. I wonder if that will ever materialise

Old-Dutch

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/aug/26/ofgem-raises-energy-price-cap-to-3549

"In a blow for hard-pressed consumers already struggling with soaring inflation, Ofgem approved the £1,578 increase on the current figure of £1,971 for the average dual-fuel tariff – a rise of 80%.

The cap will be almost treble what it was a year earlier last October, when it was raised to £1,277."

Meanwhile real wages are still below what they were in 2008.

Along_the_Wire

Old-Dutch fucking price cap? It’s absolutely pitiful, a serious global intervention needs to happen.

mono-stereo

Along_the_Wire

As the overton window slides to the right we all graciously accept a lower quality of living. We don’t feel the full effect because we’re not at the sharp end.

Meanwhile we have BP’s boss (earning 4.5m a year) describing his company as “a cash machine” whilst people in full time work are using food banks.

erik

mono-stereo exactly, the slow slide you don’t notice until you’re in that position too, and by that point it’s too late

alistair

It’s Andy Carroll I feel sorry for. Bless him!

IndustryStandard

alistair well he may not have to heat his home this winter. Every cloud etc etc

IndustryStandard

Not sure how we can be held this much to ransom by wholesale prices when accordng to this we are nearly at 50% renewables vs total consumption

https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy-explained/how-much-uks-energy-renewable#:~:text=Breaking%20records%3A%20The%20UK's%20renewable%20energy%20in%20numbers&text=In%202020%20renewables%20accounted%20for,time%20in%20the%20nation's%20history.

Plus where have all the grants gone for solar and wind power? I live in the country and the wind down here is mental. Stick a turbine in the back garden and solar and we’d be away ……..

Along_the_Wire

IndustryStandard The 50% is still enormous. I’d imagine the renewable wholesalers are getting the slice of the action too - when in Rome and all that. Cunts.