DOOM: energy cap again

[mattster]

Yeah. I think the fundamental problem is that the payback time on serious insulation works is so long that most people, perfectly rationally, decide it is not worth it. For us, maybe at most £800 a year on heating saved if we undertook external wall insulation and a warm roof - which for us would entail a new roof (which we do need, tbh). So £30-40k, and a 50 year payback and - maybe - some value added on to the house. Not to mention the disruption, dealing with builders etc. Without some sort of significant government intervention I don't see it happening on a large scale.

[DaveB]

no but will meet up with him for a glass of Bolly next lockdown.

Yep it costs money £1k for a house.

https://www.mybuilder.com/pricing-gu...sulation-costs

saving £480 a year.

when I had it done at the last house it took 2 guys about 3 hours so the price would go down if it was ramped up.

Still doesn't help those on low incomes who just had their bills go up by £2000. It's fine to say it can be done for £1000 but if you don't have £1000 lying around spare because you need all your spare cash for higher bills it doesn't help. It's Vime's Boots all over again. Unless you have money, it's really, really hard to save money. The poorer you are the greater the relative expense of things and the harder it is to make the "right" choice. Like insulate your home.

Either Government needs to act to bring down utilities costs or it needs to increase support for those who need it. Neither of which fits with their political beliefs.

[ChimpMaster]

Is it unusual? I don't know really. We both work from home and I never switch my PCs off. Other than that, we have two young kids and it seems like 2-3x washing machine cycles a day, but rarely tumble dry (more so in winter of course). All LEDs, and some electric underfloor heating in one bathroom, electric oven, kettle, microwave, 2 TVs, very occasional use of electric radiator in garden office. I have got the sense from talking to others that we are in the normal ballpark. This total reflected at, from memory, 28p per kwh and about £250 a year standing charge so puts us about 8400kwh per year.

You seem to use an awful lot of gas? We totalled 21k kwh last year - gas combi boiler, 4 bed house.

We use around 10,000 Kwh electric each year. Same reasons as you mostly. The 'smart' meter shows what uses the most power: washing/drying/dishwasher machines, oven, TVs.

Gas is around 38,000KwH due to large areas of underfloor heating in an open plan house... and a very cold wife.

My monthly used to be £200 and is now £550. Will soon be £1,000 according to latest estimates.

BTW we've just received a letter through the door from a company called Solar Together who are trying to garner interest for a community solar power initiate i.e. buying in bulk. I'll sign up and see where that takes me.

[mattster]

My monthly used to be £200 and is now £550. Will soon be £1,000 according to latest estimates.

Bonkers isn't it. I'm still not convinced the government has any real idea of what is coming down the track - there must be literally millions of families a couple of grand per year from going under, and this be the last straw for many. At the very least you'd think a severe downturn in any remotely discretionary spending is on the way.

Has anyone seen a decent forensic analysis of where these price rises are coming from? I'd love to see the wholesale/retail price break downs, and what exactly is driving the prices up. Can it be pure demand, or is there an element of speculation in the markets? What is the justification for solar/wind electricity price rises, or the doubling of the standing charges? And where is all the money going? Somebody somewhere is making £40bn+ a year extra out of us.

[vetran]

Still doesn't help those on low incomes who just had their bills go up by £2000. It's fine to say it can be done for £1000 but if you don't have £1000 lying around spare because you need all your spare cash for higher bills it doesn't help. It's Vime's Boots all over again. Unless you have money, it's really, really hard to save money. The poorer you are the greater the relative expense of things and the harder it is to make the "right" choice. Like insulate your home.

Either Government needs to act to bring down utilities costs or it needs to increase support for those who need it. Neither of which fits with their political beliefs.

and that is what the government need to do , intervene . £1000 is peanuts compared to the damage fuel poverty will do.

[Zigenare]

and that is what the government need to do , intervene . £1000 is peanuts compared to the damage fuel poverty will do.

As always it will be the middle-income earners who foot the bill.

My council tax rebate went to the local food-bank, where did you send yours - assuming you got one?

[SueEllen]

As always it will be the middle-income earners who foot the bill.

My council tax rebate went to the local food-bank, where did you send yours - assuming you got one?

You just reminded me that some councils - depends on the individual council - are giving them out to more households than those in just A-D.

[vetran]

As always it will be the middle-income earners who foot the bill.

My council tax rebate went to the local food-bank, where did you send yours - assuming you got one?

INKSPE - contractors living in a house in band D and below! Even us permies are Band E.

I have no issue with subsidising the truly poor , but I would make landlords do it as well as a cost of business.

[d000hg]

As always it will be the middle-income earners who foot the bill.

My council tax rebate went to the local food-bank, where did you send yours - assuming you got one?

What kind of contractor has a house in band D or below, are you slumming it?