Energy Prices

[s_dog]

58 minutes ago, Left Back said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67772757

From the above article, does this not read like bills in the rest of UK are capped and there is a maximum that you will pay, whereas in N.I. it's not? FFS no wonder people struggle with understanding their bills.

"The regulator's price cap affects 29 million households in England, Wales and Scotland. Rules are different in Northern Ireland. Ofgem sets the maximum amount that suppliers can charge for each unit of gas and electricity but not the total bill, so if you use more, you will pay more."

 

[Todd_is_God]

1 hour ago, s_dog said:

From the above article, does this not read like bills in the rest of UK are capped and there is a maximum that you will pay, whereas in N.I. it's not? FFS no wonder people struggle with understanding their bills.

"The regulator's price cap affects 29 million households in England, Wales and Scotland. Rules are different in Northern Ireland. Ofgem sets the maximum amount that suppliers can charge for each unit of gas and electricity but not the total bill, so if you use more, you will pay more."

Prices in NI are regulated, just not by Ofgem.

I don't really know why this would impact anyone understanding their energy bill, though.

[s_dog]

Just me then. It might impact some people understanding their energy bill because some have already struggled to understand that the price cap doesn't mean they won't pay over the amount that is widely publicised as the average annual cost. 

Edited December 23, 2023 by s_dog

[bobbykdy]

21 minutes ago, s_dog said:

Just me then. It might impact some people understanding their energy bill because some have already struggled to understand that the price cap doesn't mean they won't pay over the amount that is widely publicised as the average annual cost. 

It is no different to fuel in your car as another example, use more due to doing more miles, pay more due to needing to use more fuel to do those miles.

[bennett]

The solution is easy, pinch some bricks from a building site and you'll stay warm forever. 

 

 

Woman shares genius Poundland trick after 'living without heating for four years

Temperatures have plunged this week, with even colder weather on the way next week. This means lots of people will be turning up their heating to keep warm.

But for homeowners hoping to avoid turning the dial-up, a genius TikToker has shared an unusual trick to keep your home warm during the colder months. Klaire de Lys said that she has a unique thing to try for anyone who is trying to use "as little electricity as possible ".

She has impressively lived without heating for four years, saving thousands after energy bills have skyrocketed. But her tip has raised a few eyebrows. She told her 30,000 followers that putting a brick in the oven can warm your home

Bricks retain heat from the oven, which means that you can then use them to keep warm air circulating around your house. However, Klaire did warn that you should use only bricks and not just any old rocks

Klaire then showed three bricks sitting in her oven, on top of a small wire baking tray. She continued: "You want to use bricks, don't use stone and don't use rocks. And the reason I say this is that some stones and rocks, especially if they're near a riverbed, can be very porous and they will have absorbed a lot of water

She said that she uses a wire cookie tray, which can be purchased from Poundland. "They're not expensive", Klaire added.

The influencer explained that she put the bricks in the oven when she cooked and then she opened the oven's door and the bricks still radiate heat.

 

 

 

[Zetterlund]

3 hours ago, bennett said:

The solution is easy, pinch some bricks from a building site and you'll stay warm forever. 

 

 

Woman shares genius Poundland trick after 'living without heating for four years

Temperatures have plunged this week, with even colder weather on the way next week. This means lots of people will be turning up their heating to keep warm.

But for homeowners hoping to avoid turning the dial-up, a genius TikToker has shared an unusual trick to keep your home warm during the colder months. Klaire de Lys said that she has a unique thing to try for anyone who is trying to use "as little electricity as possible ".

She has impressively lived without heating for four years, saving thousands after energy bills have skyrocketed. But her tip has raised a few eyebrows. She told her 30,000 followers that putting a brick in the oven can warm your home

Bricks retain heat from the oven, which means that you can then use them to keep warm air circulating around your house. However, Klaire did warn that you should use only bricks and not just any old rocks

Klaire then showed three bricks sitting in her oven, on top of a small wire baking tray. She continued: "You want to use bricks, don't use stone and don't use rocks. And the reason I say this is that some stones and rocks, especially if they're near a riverbed, can be very porous and they will have absorbed a lot of water

She said that she uses a wire cookie tray, which can be purchased from Poundland. "They're not expensive", Klaire added.

The influencer explained that she put the bricks in the oven when she cooked and then she opened the oven's door and the bricks still radiate heat.

 

 

 

Excellent tip for those willing to spend months of their lives within 30 centimetres of a brick at all times.

[johnnydun]

3 hours ago, bennett said:

The solution is easy, pinch some bricks from a building site and you'll stay warm forever. 

 

 

Woman shares genius Poundland trick after 'living without heating for four years

Temperatures have plunged this week, with even colder weather on the way next week. This means lots of people will be turning up their heating to keep warm.

But for homeowners hoping to avoid turning the dial-up, a genius TikToker has shared an unusual trick to keep your home warm during the colder months. Klaire de Lys said that she has a unique thing to try for anyone who is trying to use "as little electricity as possible ".

She has impressively lived without heating for four years, saving thousands after energy bills have skyrocketed. But her tip has raised a few eyebrows. She told her 30,000 followers that putting a brick in the oven can warm your home

Bricks retain heat from the oven, which means that you can then use them to keep warm air circulating around your house. However, Klaire did warn that you should use only bricks and not just any old rocks

Klaire then showed three bricks sitting in her oven, on top of a small wire baking tray. She continued: "You want to use bricks, don't use stone and don't use rocks. And the reason I say this is that some stones and rocks, especially if they're near a riverbed, can be very porous and they will have absorbed a lot of water

She said that she uses a wire cookie tray, which can be purchased from Poundland. "They're not expensive", Klaire added.

The influencer explained that she put the bricks in the oven when she cooked and then she opened the oven's door and the bricks still radiate heat.

 

 

 

Huh? Are folk really buying into these 'tips'?

It's the same principle as a storage heater ffs. They cost a fortune, just like having your oven on to heat a brick every 2 hours would.

Bams.

[Bairnardo]

43 minutes ago, Zetterlund said:

Excellent tip for those willing to spend months of their lives within 30 centimetres of a brick at all times.

I'm pretty sure I already do th......

 

Sorry, just realised you said brick

[Left Back]

This time last year my supplier almost doubled the cost of LPG.  Went from 38p a litre to 65p a litre.  I'd expected it to fall back a bit in line with how other energy prices have gone over the last 12 months.  Nope.  Got my contract renewal letter and if I sign on with them again it's 65p a litre for 12 months and then they can change it how they like for the next 12 months.

Robbing barstewards.  Something really needs to be done to regulate the LPG market in the UK.

[hk blues]

21 minutes ago, Left Back said:

This time last year my supplier almost doubled the cost of LPG.  Went from 38p a litre to 65p a litre.  I'd expected it to fall back a bit in line with how other energy prices have gone over the last 12 months.  Nope.  Got my contract renewal letter and if I sign on with them again it's 65p a litre for 12 months and then they can change it how they like for the next 12 months.

Robbing barstewards.  Something really needs to be done to regulate the LPG market in the UK.

On another forum I'm on, an American guy said the same was happening in the US.  Where I am it's been more or less stable for the past year, maybe 15% up on the year. 

[strichener]

7 hours ago, Left Back said:

This time last year my supplier almost doubled the cost of LPG.  Went from 38p a litre to 65p a litre.  I'd expected it to fall back a bit in line with how other energy prices have gone over the last 12 months.  Nope.  Got my contract renewal letter and if I sign on with them again it's 65p a litre for 12 months and then they can change it how they like for the next 12 months.

Robbing barstewards.  Something really needs to be done to regulate the LPG market in the UK.

I'm paying 47ppl fixed for the 2 years with Flogas.  Always worth phoning around

[Left Back]

52 minutes ago, strichener said:

I'm paying 47ppl fixed for the 2 years with Flogas.  Always worth phoning around

They’re on my list to contact.  Cheers.

[TxRover]

18 hours ago, hk blues said:

On another forum I'm on, an American guy said the same was happening in the US.  Where I am it's been more or less stable for the past year, maybe 15% up on the year. 

Strange, residential propane has been in the $2.50-3.00 range for years, except 2014 where it spiked. LNG is creeping higher due to larger export sales, but demand is also falling, so the increase hasn’t been that great…maybe he’s in the North East, the prices there tend to be a bit more volatile with fewer pipelines.

[hk blues]

30 minutes ago, TxRover said:

Strange, residential propane has been in the $2.50-3.00 range for years, except 2014 where it spiked. LNG is creeping higher due to larger export sales, but demand is also falling, so the increase hasn’t been that great…maybe he’s in the North East, the prices there tend to be a bit more volatile with fewer pipelines.

No idea - just a post he made on an ex-pat forum where we were discussing the price of utilities.  Here's his comment -

"Friends with houses have told me their homeowners insurance has nearly doubled and utilities have gone up about 25% or a little more. Propane has nearly doubled in price over the past 18 months". 

[Bert Raccoon]

[Zetterlund]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-68133751

Heat pumps are in the news again this morning, with Audit Scotland saying numbers are well short of targets. 5000 fitted last year out of a target of 25,000, with the target rising to 200,000 by 2030.

As I've said before on here I fit heat pumps for a living and have been doing so since 2007. I worked for a company for over 15 years before starting my own business just over a year ago. The thing about these government targets is, they're held back by a lack of installers while they simultaneously make it harder to become an installer. I myself will become 'unqualified' later this year due to new bits of paper they've invented since I started my business, which hilariously means I'll likely end up going back to the company I left to be re-trained by the guy I trained 10 years ago. 

I'll also need to go to college and sit in a classroom with people who have never seen a heat pump in their lives., and pay thousands while losing a week of work to do a course in Birmingham.

In many ways this just sums up government incompetence. It's seriously making me reconsider this as a career and sometimes the thought of opening a wee shop or something is quite appealing (although no doubt that'd be riddled with red tape too). I enjoyed the work before the government essentially took over the industry but now I feel like I'll barely be getting any work done as staying 'compliant' is more important than being competent at the job.

[Todd_is_God]

Unless the SG intend to fully fund the required work to install heat pumps they simply haven’t a hope in hell of hitting their target.

They can get fucked if they expect me to fund it to replace the perfectly good and efficient system already in place.

That’s before you get to those who simply can not afford it no matter how much they try.

[Left Back]

2 minutes ago, Todd_is_God said:

Unless the SG intend to fully fund the required work to install heat pumps they simply haven’t a hope in hell of hitting their target.

They can get fucked if they expect me to fund it to replace the perfectly good and efficient system already in place.

That’s before you get to those who simply can not afford it no matter how much they try.

I'm not averse to the idea of a heat pump but I'm not ripping out my current system for the pleasure of having to hand over what I reckon will be £5-6k based on previous quotes (even with a £9k grant from the government). Based on current energy prices I reckon an ASHP will cost more to run than even my LPG boiler at the moment.  For people on mains gas I'm pretty certain it will cost more.

When my current boiler is end of life I'll look at it again but at this point in time it's a no from me.

[strichener]

2 hours ago, Left Back said:

I'm not averse to the idea of a heat pump but I'm not ripping out my current system for the pleasure of having to hand over what I reckon will be £5-6k based on previous quotes (even with a £9k grant from the government). Based on current energy prices I reckon an ASHP will cost more to run than even my LPG boiler at the moment.  For people on mains gas I'm pretty certain it will cost more.

When my current boiler is end of life I'll look at it again but at this point in time it's a no from me.

Don't know what you are paying for your LPG at the moment but in my case it works out at approx. 6p per kWh equivalent with a 93% efficient boiler and ignoring the heat loss in the pipes as this would also happen with a heat pump.  I reckon that even with the touted efficiency of these pumps, the running costs will still be 50% dearer per kWh.  It's a no from me regardless of grants and state of the boiler.

[effeffsee_the2nd]

do heat pumps actually reduce your bills by much? or does it depend on the heat source you already have ie all electric in which case you'd be aswell burning £20 notes for heat