Smart Meter

[Old Cruser]

Having been down  'T' Pit I think it must have been an horrendous place to work.

I know a living was made from it and people had warm fires ( if they could afford it) but it wasn't a healthy place for people to work in and dangerous at times.
I'm pleased they are gone

[Sorastro]

According to the news tonight, average utility prices could be as high as 4 grand, for most households, by the start of next year.

FOUR GRAND!!!.... on average that's £330 per month.......or £82 per week.

We {unlike some in Europe} are not so reliant on Russian gas but our prices are going to rise because of the "global market".

It's the same with wheat....there's a shortage apparently because of the war in Ukraine, I was always told we got our wheat from Canada, which is a commonwealth country and they have vast wheat fields bigger than some of our counties, why aren't we getting it from there.

[Old Cruser]

According to the news tonight, average utility prices could be as high as 4 grand, for most households, by the start of next year.

FOUR GRAND!!!.... on average that's £330 per month.......or £82 per week.

We {unlike some in Europe} are not so reliant on Russian gas but our prices are going to rise because of the "global market".

It's the same with wheat....there's a shortage apparently because of the war in Ukraine, I was always told we got our wheat from Canada, which is a commonwealth country and they have vast wheat fields bigger than some of our counties, why aren't we getting it from there.

If the cmpanies can drag that ammount in - they will be luck!

[Sorastro]

I have just sent my this months meter readings off and on checking my bill as of today I am £490 in credit.

That's o.k. I suppose but if many others like me are well in credit that means a heck of a lot of money sat in the utility companies bank accounts collecting interest making them even more money. I obviously won't ask for a refund, or drop my d/d payments, till I've seen the next two price hikes, but from what I can work out our utility bills won't be anywhere near what some others bills will be.
There's talk of some bills reaching £6 grand by the middle of next year, why will people struggle to pay it, if millions of people just STOP paying thier utility bills it would be farcical for any company to cut them off, that would mean up to a third of all households in the country would have no gas or electric and any utility company willing to cut off thousands of their customers would risk losing them business and possibly even put them out of business.
They would have to have a realistic payment plan for these people, even if it's only say £40 a month it's better than nothing at all and better than cutting them off.

[Old Cruser]

Sorastro you are more in credit than we are. Our last statement was about £217 I think. When we first joined OVO we could claim credit back but unsure if they still do that.

[Sorastro]

Sorastro you are more in credit than we are. Our last statement was about £217 I think. When we first joined OVO we could claim credit back but unsure if they still do that.

Yes I'm in credit mainly because I set my monthly D/D artificially high, but I'm just wandering if that may be a mistake.
I have sent off this months readings and have looked at O/E's forecast for the next eight months and I've jiggled the figures and have now, since the March increase earlier in the year, reduced my D/D payments by almost a third. This is due to the fact I'm fed up of seeing my money sat in someone else's bank account. So hopefully their forecast is correct plus we get the Government help promised, my estimate says by March of next year, when my tariff is up for renewal, what I will have in credit {or debt} will be a matter of just a few pounds, certainly not enough to warrant a red letter.

I honestly don't see why, when everyone else WILL be struggling to pay their utility bills, why I should pay top whack and be no better thought of by the company. I know as a pensioner I will get help but by overpaying my D/D all these years it's come back to bite me on the bum.
 I know that may come across as heartless but as I say I will keep hold of my purse strings from now on.

[Sorastro]

Just sent off my meter readings today, they said I've no real need to but at least I know they've got it up to date.

My next d/d payment in October will be £48 and apparently for the next 6 months, so with that, plus the Winter fuel payment and I'm well in  credit, if I don't go berserk with the utilities we should be fine, but it's still a lot.

[Old Cruser]

I oversee my daughters' utilities and had an email a couple of days ago advising that I didn't need to send a meter reading as she's on a fixed contract until March 2023. One of those times when you know you made a good choice! She needs a lot of warmth as many others do so it's taken a weight off my mind - for now!

[Old Cruser]

I oversee my daughters' utilities and had an email a couple of days ago advising that I didn't need to send a meter reading as she's on a fixed contract until March 2023. One of those times when you know you made a good choice! She needs a lot of warmth as many others do so it's taken a weight off my mind - for now!

Well now!! That was a load of cobblers from EDF!!
They contradicted themselves pretty soon after that email.
I've had a run in with them - they took £261 00 out of daughters account without my consent!
A phone call to the bank and I asked for it to be returned.
I eventually managed to speak to an assistant from EDF who admitted it shouldn't have been taken out - she couldn't explain why it had been! Offered to put it back in - Nooo I said don't do that I've instructed my bank to take it back and it's now back in my bank!
Lots of sighing from her as I questioned monies in the account accrued.

Warm Homes Discount, money from the government for the energy support scheme, and I paid in a top up of £400.00 which daughter had received.
All I wanted to know was  - This money totals £599.30 credited in daughter's account where can I find it in the statements another sigh - off she went yet again - eventually she disconnected me!!
This seems to be the 'in' thing to do when these assistants can't answer questions - I've had it happen before.
No, I wasn't angry with her, in fact I was very polite - I reckon the energy companies have gone a bit bellies up!!!

[Sorastro]

To be honest I'm not letting it worry me, I'm sat here with the heating on and thinking I'll worry about it when I have to.

Obviously I'm in a better position than most, although I don't abuse the electric and gas in our house I'm certainly not going to sit in the dark in the cold.

I've said it before don't struggle, keep yourself warm, I can't imagine the utility companies disconnecting millions of their customers and leaving them without heat and light. It's not like re possessing a washer because you've not kept up with the payments once used it's gone.   

[Old Cruser]

It must cold! Our central heating has switched itself on!

[Alsatian]

It must cold! Our central heating has switched itself on!

Quick! All over to Pams for some free heat (disguised as a forum meet!) 🔥😂

[Old Cruser]

Quick! All over to Pams for some free heat (disguised as a forum meet!) 🔥😂

  I've just looked at the met office weather for next week. Looks like the temperatures dipping into the minus -

[Sorastro]

Long range forecast says snow Christmas day............Bah humbug!

[Old Cruser]

Shock!!
We had our OVO Bill today - I expected all of our credit to have been taken after the cold weather we had. We kept our heating on 16deg all the time 24hrs a day for the duration of that cold spell.
It's surprising how even at 16deg the house was cosy.
We are still over £400.00 in credit - too good to be true I'm thinking - unless we have had some scaremongering going on??
What do others think??