Gas and Electric (5 Viewers)

[Nick]

What's the score with it? Currently on pre-pay with British Gas (cant ever actually get through to anybody to get them to come out and convert it to a Smart Credit Meter).

On the news about the cap rising so to sum it up, is it just a case of lubing up?

 

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[chiefdave]

On the news about the cap rising so to sum it up, is it just a case of lubing up?

At some point you're screwed as even if you're on a fixed tariff your bill will shoot up when that expires.

Essentially the cap is the maximum they're allowed to charge you in a year and that's been increased by £693, a 54% increase.

Your only hope is that at some point you can get on a fixed rate that's below that but not looking likely at the moment.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

Better start singing Sheaf's Electric then.

Mainly because before long we won't be able to afford to keep him.

 

[Nick]

Waiting for a text on a date for an engineer to come and swap my meters.

Nothing worse than having to top up and forgetting!

 

[Ian1779]

Waiting for a text on a date for an engineer to come and swap my meters.

Nothing worse than having to top up and forgetting!

Pre-pay meters are a fucking disgrace IMO. No one should be forced to use them, and even if people choose to have them it shouldn’t be at a premium like it is.

 

[stay_up_skyblues]

Just catching up on the news now. But from real life experience, get the lube out.

Came to the end of our deal with Octopus in early October and they recommended we increase our payment from £130 a month to £230. I told them bollocks and assumed they’re just going in high so they can bank the extra and earn interest. Agreed to go to £180 a month.

Checked yesterday and we are nearly £300 in debt, albeit based on estimated readings. It’s bleak. We were a few quid in credit at the end of our last tariff.

 

[Nick]

Pre-pay meters are a fucking disgrace IMO. No one should be forced to use them, and even if people choose to have them it shouldn’t be at a premium like it is.

Yep, they were there when I moved in.

Pain in the arse with the gas meter fairly hard to get to outside so you get a cold morning shower when you run out!

Will be Smart Meters fitted in March now though.

 

[Razzle Dazzle Dean Gordon]

Just catching up on the news now. But from real life experience, get the lube out.

Came to the end of our deal with Octopus in early October and they recommended we increase our payment from £130 a month to £230. I told them bollocks and assumed they’re just going in high so they can bank the extra and earn interest. Agreed to go to £180 a month.

Checked yesterday and we are nearly £300 in debt, albeit based on estimated readings. It’s bleak. We were a few quid in credit at the end of our last tariff.

Have you not got one of the smart meters that give you a running total? They're great for causing rows about 'turn that fucking light/tv/bunsen burner off' and watching your money disappear in real-time

 

[Razzle Dazzle Dean Gordon]

What's the score with it? Currently on pre-pay with British Gas (cant ever actually get through to anybody to get them to come out and convert it to a Smart Credit Meter).

On the news about the cap rising so to sum it up, is it just a case of lubing up?

Just another part of the neverending fistfuck of life. There is apparently a plan for the government to subsidise the bills by up to £200 and for a £150 rebate on council tax but there will be alot of peoplw in alot of bother by next winter if it doesn't dramtically improve by then.

 

[shmmeee]

Yep, they were there when I moved in.

Pain in the arse with the gas meter fairly hard to get to outside so you get a cold morning shower when you run out!

Will be Smart Meters fitted in March now though.

I’ve got the same situation (but inside thankfully), did you have to get a smart meter out of interest? Also did you have to pay?

Fucking has PAYG. Always dies at the worst moment and the Utilita app/website is fucking awful.

 

[no_loyalty]

What's the score with it? Currently on pre-pay with British Gas (cant ever actually get through to anybody to get them to come out and convert it to a Smart Credit Meter).

On the news about the cap rising so to sum it up, is it just a case of lubing up?

We are also on a prepayment meter with British Gas and the waiting time to have a smart meter fitted was ridiculous, we also had to wait over three weeks for a engineer to come out and repair our leaking boiler. Funnily enough when our smart meter stopped working and we were getting free gas, an engineer turned up within a few hours to replace it. About three weeks ago our current meter packed up again with about £10 worth of credit on it, I really must get round to giving them a call for them to come and replace it.

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

Our supplier contacted us to say our direct debit would go from about £75 per month to £212 as we hadn’t been paying enough. The council tax rebate is for bands a-d I think and I am sure we are e.

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

There was a guy on the radio earlier who drives and electric car and he said it was now cheaper to drive his petrol one instead.

 

[Sumo the Micky Quinn]

It's not just the uk, but watching things like sky news would have you believe it is. We don't have gas, but our electric bill rose 100% for our December bill, usually about 100€ a month, December bill was over 200€. We have been advised to use the electric between midnight and 6 in the morning to make savings.

 

[Nick]

I’ve got the same situation (but inside thankfully), did you have to get a smart meter out of interest? Also did you have to pay?

Fucking has PAYG. Always dies at the worst moment and the Utilita app/website is fucking awful.

Yeah it's smart but with British gas so didn't have to pay. I assume they will make up for it with the costs.

 

[thekidfromstrettoncamp]

Moved last month British Gas were supplers moved away asap final bill has been estimated by them way too many units on electric and way short on gas( we have a smart meter that works when it thinks it will).I tried to get the bill sorted out today 2 o'clock they told me expect a call in an hour still waiting

 

[stay_up_skyblues]

There was a guy on the radio earlier who drives and electric car and he said it was now cheaper to drive his petrol one instead.

Good to hear while I await delivery of my plug in hybrid

 

[stay_up_skyblues]

Have you not got one of the smart meters that give you a running total? They're great for causing rows about 'turn that fucking light/tv/bunsen burner off' and watching your money disappear in real-time

Not here as we’re moving in the spring but we will at the new place. Not that it will make a difference…. My wife insists on leaving the hallway light on to deter a break in during the night. This is the kind of thing I’m dealing with

 

[shmmeee]

There was a guy on the radio earlier who drives and electric car and he said it was now cheaper to drive his petrol one instead.

I simply don’t believe that.

 

[thekidfromstrettoncamp]

All the best anyone getting a smart meter fitted, sister in law has been waiting over a month dispite the paperwork telling him the 1 needed he turns up without it.She was not pleased

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

I simply don’t believe that.

Its not like petrol is cheap either, he can’t have been short of a few quid it was a Tesla.

 

[shmmeee]

Its not like petrol is cheap either, he can’t have been short of a few quid it was a Tesla.

Well exactly. Petrol costs Fucking loads.

 

[Grendel]

Its not like petrol is cheap either, he can’t have been short of a few quid it was a Tesla.

the cost of running is obviously cheaper but the cost if ownership is much higher at the moment

 

[shmmeee]

the cost of running is obviously cheaper but the cost if ownership is much higher at the moment

This should be interesting.

 

[Grendel]

This should be interesting.

Owning a full electric car is far more expensive. The retail price is far higher than a fuel driven equivalent- there is also a lot of insurance issues on certain models. It’s just a matter of supply and being a minority in the market. Hybrids are already desirable but pure electric bit so. Personally I wouldn’t touch them
With a barge pole as the support infrastructure isn’t there. I would not be planning a European drive holiday or even one round Scotland without a fuel option. Of course things will change but as it stands it’s the worst of the 3 options

 

[shmmeee]

Owning a full electric car is far more expensive. The retail price is far higher than a fuel driven equivalent- there is also a lot of insurance issues on certain models. It’s just a matter of supply and being a minority in the market. Hybrids are already desirable but pure electric bit so. Personally I wouldn’t touch them
With a barge pole as the support infrastructure isn’t there. I would not be planning a European drive holiday or even one round Scotland without a fuel option. Of course things will change but as it stands it’s the worst of the 3 options

I know people that have toured Scotland in them. Virtually no maintenance costs and massively cheaper fuel. My current lease would’ve been maybe £20/Mo more for an electric equivalent. Insurance I’ll give you though.

You’re going to have to get over your aversion at some point. ICE is a dead technology.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

Owning a full electric car is far more expensive. The retail price is far higher than a fuel driven equivalent- there is also a lot of insurance issues on certain models. It’s just a matter of supply and being a minority in the market. Hybrids are already desirable but pure electric bit so. Personally I wouldn’t touch them
With a barge pole as the support infrastructure isn’t there. I would not be planning a European drive holiday or even one round Scotland without a fuel option. Of course things will change but as it stands it’s the worst of the 3 options

But if he's bought the cars already then that cost is irrelevant if he runs it or not as he still has to pay it. Same with insurance, tax etc. Costs the same sitting on the driveway as it does going up and down the country. If you're just deciding which one to take out the only cost that will differ is the fuel.

 

[Grendel]

I know people that have toured Scotland in them. Virtually no maintenance costs and massively cheaper fuel. My current lease would’ve been maybe £20/Mo more for an electric equivalent. Insurance I’ll give you though.

You’re going to have to get over your aversion at some point. ICE is a dead technology.

Im not adverse - the retail price is more expensive - you mentioned a Zoe once it’s £6k more than it’s fuel equivalent - my vehicle is £30 grand less than than the electric version - now if you lease bus a company yes it is more beneficial but on a private PCP not in hells chance - of course it will change as with all technology and switch but most people will go for hybrid and of course fuel prices will soon again decline - I’ve no problem with it but the charge infrastructure isn’t there to make it a realistic alternative- imagine if everyone purchased one tomorrow

 

[Grendel]

But if he's bought the cars already then that cost is irrelevant if he runs it or not as he still has to pay it. Same with insurance, tax etc. Costs the same sitting on the driveway as it does going up and down the country. If you're just deciding which one to take out the only cost that will differ is the fuel.

do you understand what cost of ownership means? He said he leased so he doesn’t own it!

You lack so much knowledge on so
Many matters - what do you actually do for a living

 

[Grendel]

But if he's bought the cars already then that cost is irrelevant if he runs it or not as he still has to pay it. Same with insurance, tax etc. Costs the same sitting on the driveway as it does going up and down the country. If you're just deciding which one to take out the only cost that will differ is the fuel.

Actually I’m curious - what car do you own?

 

[Grendel]

I know people that have toured Scotland in them. Virtually no maintenance costs and massively cheaper fuel. My current lease would’ve been maybe £20/Mo more for an electric equivalent. Insurance I’ll give you though.

You’re going to have to get over your aversion at some point. ICE is a dead technology.

I thought you didn’t get one in the end - what electric car did you buy in the end? Personally tbe range worries me so how do you find it?

 

[fernandopartridge]

I had a smart meter fitted last year, it worked for about 2 months. British Gas (easily the best/worst example of the folly of Thatcher's privatisation) have just been sending me estimated bills rather than bothering to come out and sort it.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

do you understand what cost of ownership means? He said he leased so he doesn’t own it!

You lack so much knowledge on so
Many matters - what do you actually do for a living

But does he have to pay that lease whether he's driving it or not...?

I noticed the 'cost of ownership' but what exactly does he mean by that? It could be interpreted in a number of ways. Some people work their cost of ownership out in terms of pence per mile. So if you're driving one car a lot and the other very little the one hardly being driven has a higher cost of ownership.

Of course, it could be actual overall outlay in terms of purchase/lease, insurance, tax, fuel etc. In which case if you use one of those cars more than the other, filling that car up, cost of repairs etc. will be higher even if they're still cheaper per unit than the other car. If I have a gas oven that costs twice as much to use than my electric microwave but I use the microwave loads more, the microwave will be costing me more because of the use it's getting.

But if the conversation was based specifically around the increase in electric costs then fuel is the only variable we need to be considering in assessing that statement. Now, I accept that the shorter range on electric vechicles offsets the cheaper price of the energy somewhat, but I'd still confidently say that would still be cheaper even if you're using kerbside charging points, definitely if he's doing it at home. And it's not like petrol prices are plummeting either is it?

 

[nunchuckas]

If you report your own meter readings, and you're still on your old/cheaper tariff, then what's to stop you drastically over reporting your usage whilst you're on the cheaper prices, and then under report your usage until it catches up when you're on the more expensive prices?

So, effectively, pre paying for your energy now while it's cheaper.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

I thought you didn’t get one in the end - what electric car did you buy in the end? Personally tbe range worries me so how do you find it?

Isn't he saying it would have cost him £20/m if he'd got the electric equivalent, so he did in fact by the ICE model?