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Reducing Gas/electric Bills
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My very elderly neighbours pay over £500.00 a quarter for gas and electricity.
This seems a lot, (with British Gas, I think).
They are not on the internet, and don't want to be, but is there an easy way I can suggest that they move their account 'manually?'.
This seems a lot, (with British Gas, I think).
They are not on the internet, and don't want to be, but is there an easy way I can suggest that they move their account 'manually?'.
Answers
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Sainsburys will be much cheaper- even though it's really British Gas.
If they are on the standard variable rate they could probably save over £300 a year by switching to the best deal on the market but if they don't want the hassle involved they could just do as donny suggests and ask to be moved to their cheapest tariff, saving maybe £200 pa.
Consumption also must be high though- someone needs to advise them on efficiency. Could they get insulation grants for example and are they wasting energy
If they are on the standard variable rate they could probably save over £300 a year by switching to the best deal on the market but if they don't want the hassle involved they could just do as donny suggests and ask to be moved to their cheapest tariff, saving maybe £200 pa.
Consumption also must be high though- someone needs to advise them on efficiency. Could they get insulation grants for example and are they wasting energy
As already suggested, "a lot" to one is another's abstinence. It constantly amazes me how low a priority heating receives in a high proportion of UK households. More than this, people are constantly being encouraged to accept as a worthwhile goal to "save" by in effect switching things off. I recall visiting one family in winter where it felt decidedly cold to the point where at least one of the adults parked himself, standing up for a substantial part of the time, leaning hard up against a lukewarm radiator.
If people genuinely don't have money to raise the indoor temperature above the outdoors' that is one thing. But if the same people have money to pay for drink, tobacco, a recent car, etc., etc. then it is a conscious choice to be cold. A thermostatically controlled heating system is on 24/7 but reacts at all times to a drop in temperature, brings it up to the chosen level and then goes to sleep - it is not a luxury unless you prefer to spend the money on other things. The chosen level can be 15 degrees or 25 degrees. Elderly, the older you are (and less physically active), the colder it feels at any given level even past 21 degrees.
There may be room to reduce the bill for unchanged consumption by switching schemes or suppliers. The elderly neighbours may simply place greater priority than you on at least not shivering (or needing heavy outdoor clothing, wraps, etc.) in their own home and maybe they are not likely to find the bill for their consumption available for less than at present.
Depending on the size and type of accommodation, your neighbours may already be heating their home only minimally and thus the bill may be unrealistically low for anything resembling a comfortable existence. If my home (18-22 degrees 24/7) were heated using commercially bought electricity or fossil fuel, the bill for energy would (cheapest supply/scheme) probably exceed £1500 per year by a good margin. They may be aware of "savings" concepts involving switching off, down, etc. and not want to.
If people genuinely don't have money to raise the indoor temperature above the outdoors' that is one thing. But if the same people have money to pay for drink, tobacco, a recent car, etc., etc. then it is a conscious choice to be cold. A thermostatically controlled heating system is on 24/7 but reacts at all times to a drop in temperature, brings it up to the chosen level and then goes to sleep - it is not a luxury unless you prefer to spend the money on other things. The chosen level can be 15 degrees or 25 degrees. Elderly, the older you are (and less physically active), the colder it feels at any given level even past 21 degrees.
There may be room to reduce the bill for unchanged consumption by switching schemes or suppliers. The elderly neighbours may simply place greater priority than you on at least not shivering (or needing heavy outdoor clothing, wraps, etc.) in their own home and maybe they are not likely to find the bill for their consumption available for less than at present.
Depending on the size and type of accommodation, your neighbours may already be heating their home only minimally and thus the bill may be unrealistically low for anything resembling a comfortable existence. If my home (18-22 degrees 24/7) were heated using commercially bought electricity or fossil fuel, the bill for energy would (cheapest supply/scheme) probably exceed £1500 per year by a good margin. They may be aware of "savings" concepts involving switching off, down, etc. and not want to.
That's true for many people. Karl, but the opposite is also true. I've been in houses where the heating seems to be on full and it's unbearably hot and I need to open the windows or step outside for a bit. I've also been in houses where TVs are left on with no-one watching and all lights are left on in rooms that have no-one in. There are many tips for saving money on heating which don't involve getting too cold- eg turning the thermostat by just 1 degree.
£500 a quarter is well above average so either they have an unusually large property with a large family, or they are on the most expensive tariff with an uncompetitive supplier or they don't have proper insulation or energy efficient washers/dryers etc, or they use more than they need- or some combination of these.
£500 a quarter is well above average so either they have an unusually large property with a large family, or they are on the most expensive tariff with an uncompetitive supplier or they don't have proper insulation or energy efficient washers/dryers etc, or they use more than they need- or some combination of these.
Jenny - I believe that energy suppliers are obliged to inform you if i better deal is available. We received an annual statement from British Gas telling us that we could save money by moving to Sainsbury's and we swopped and savedOver £300 pa. This was all done on line though and proved very simple. Would it be possible for you to ring British Gas on their behalf. You could also ask if they receive a 'paper' bill which should have informed them of the better deal available
As ff says, preference is a big part of this. I doubt if there is a single private dwelling in the UK where I would feel too warm, indeed I feel cold a lot of the time because most people do not heat continuously (induced draughts due to cold walls, etc. even though the heating is on) and even then the thermostat is likely to be set at as low as 15 degrees (jumpers mandatory). My shivers are especially noticeable in airport terminals, not to mention bus stations and buses. As an aside, I am continually puzzled by the same people who live with this choice when they say they want to go somewhere hot on their holidays, the hotter the better - the implication is the same as for desert dwellers who dream of swimming in water, they dislike their normal predicament.
We heat for free (solar and wood for free in an otherwise conventional central heating system). For a full year's consumption of electricity on all the rest, the cost runs at more than £600. There is just the two of us and nothing ever runs unless we actually want it on and are using it - we have very low light consumption with almost every light being fitted with LED lamps/bulbs. We have no unusual energy using habits (UK norm), apart from heating well and continuously.
By all means help your neighbours to investigate cheaper options for the same consumption but I suggest you should consider that they will have their own preferences and telling them to opt for a colder house, etc. might not be what they want. ff and others are correct in that there is quite possibly also scope for increasing insulation and this may be usefully looked into. Again, older folk often dislike inconvenience and/or disruption and also take the attitude that it "isn't worth it" - too much bother in the time left (literally, I had that sort of conversation with my elderly mother). One is not being helpful if putting on too much pressure even though the intentions are really good, so finding out the limits is important
We heat for free (solar and wood for free in an otherwise conventional central heating system). For a full year's consumption of electricity on all the rest, the cost runs at more than £600. There is just the two of us and nothing ever runs unless we actually want it on and are using it - we have very low light consumption with almost every light being fitted with LED lamps/bulbs. We have no unusual energy using habits (UK norm), apart from heating well and continuously.
By all means help your neighbours to investigate cheaper options for the same consumption but I suggest you should consider that they will have their own preferences and telling them to opt for a colder house, etc. might not be what they want. ff and others are correct in that there is quite possibly also scope for increasing insulation and this may be usefully looked into. Again, older folk often dislike inconvenience and/or disruption and also take the attitude that it "isn't worth it" - too much bother in the time left (literally, I had that sort of conversation with my elderly mother). One is not being helpful if putting on too much pressure even though the intentions are really good, so finding out the limits is important
In a case like this switching suppliers is not going to make much difference.
It is down to how much energy they are using. You do not say how big the house is. £500 a quarter may be fine for an old large house with poor insulation. As said, they may have the heating and hot water on full blast 24/7. You need to visit and find out a lot more about how they use energy, them make some suggestions to save money.
It is down to how much energy they are using. You do not say how big the house is. £500 a quarter may be fine for an old large house with poor insulation. As said, they may have the heating and hot water on full blast 24/7. You need to visit and find out a lot more about how they use energy, them make some suggestions to save money.
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