I know I have been naive - big shock when opening the post today

Yet again, surely missing the point? We're all HAVING to be careful with our money at the moment aren't we, regardless of whether we're well off or not.

Sorry you're having a bad day but please just read your posts again before you press the button.

I really should phone my gas and electric supplier - we pay by monthly DD, and I noticed on the last bill we had underpaid (was an estimate so DD didnt go up), and thought that the summer would sort it out. How wrong have I been...

I think this is what worries me most - we can cut down on this or that but so much is out of our hands.

Heidihole - In my last post I did take responsibility for what I had posted and I apologised profusely if I offended anyone with my post. My last post wasn't a guilt trip, but you can take it that way if you so wish. I don't think that there was any need for the language though do you???? I have apologised and can't do anymore, if you don't wish to accept my apology then that is entirely up to you.

What language????

It's a nightmare with DD's, you can't ever get it right. Ours went up quite a bit last quarter despite us being in credit with both gas/electric. I called the supplier, questioned it, they worked out our annual figure divided by 12 and gave me a reasonable monthly figure for both. Now I get a bill, based on our readings, and we are £30 in credit with electric, we owe £50 with gas but it's the electric that's going up per month. I give up to be honest, I can't be bothered to ring and question it again.

Oh Lynne, you have gone from smug to 'we're struggling as much as anyone'. Well, clearly you're not as if everyone else is dreading the post and you're not, you haven't got the same worries, have you?

And I sincerely doubt that anyone on the thread is thinking 'Oh, no, we have offended Lynne and she may not post on OT again'. We are all evil, try to remember that in future.

L
xx

Koshka - Like I have said in previous postings, I apologise for my post and will retract what I have said. No I am not smug at all, in fact I am the least smug person you could meet. I too have been depressed recently as I have been through a traumatic miscarriage which I am still getting over coupled with H losing his job. I am also worried about the rise in food, petrol etc.

TBH, LynneF, it's hard to understand what you are actually saying as you keep changing things slightly.

One minute you are comfortable the next you aren't.

I'd walk away from this one petal. Your original post conveyed none of this, and tbh suggested a picture of blissful security.

FWIW, it might be worth going on BT - people there might be able to offer you support to help you cope with the mc.

Just over a year ago they tried to double our DD sunset, on phoning them we actually put it down. Fortunately I've taken control of the joint account so the money we're not spending month stays in there (rather than H frittering it away), so hopefully we won't have "too" much of a problem.

I have, however, noticed a potential way to make money off my energy supplier. Every 12 months instead of you paying the Direct Debit they pay it back to you (effectively paying either 10 or 11 months for the year). However it's based on your DD amount, not your usage amount, so we could pay £100 a month on each, and then get the extra amount back at the end of the year and stay in credit with them - that's a massive interest rate. Up it even further and they end up paying your energy bill!

NN - the DD thing is a nightmare. I realised on my last statement was in debit, so I up'ed the DD amount. This quarter despite paying even more it's still in debit. I looked at the pence per Kw (or whatever it is called ?) and it's gone from 21.09p a unit to 29.23p a unit (doesn't sound a lot when you put it like that but it all adds up)

My DD has gone up from £21 (this time last year) which did cover it all to £65 a month, which should (fingers crossed) now cover it (for the same amount of electric being used)...

Just got back in.

You have offended me. You were implying that we don't live by our means. We don't have a car, we can't even afford to learn to drive atm. My H cycles 6 miles to work, does a 12 hour shift and cycles 6 miles home again. He tries his very very best to provide for us. How dare someone say we aren't living within our means.

You've really pissed me off and I for one will avoid your posts.

Sherry - When I moved a couple of months ago, I was offered a fixed rate on electricity and gas by Powergen which I have signed up to. I've had to agree to be with them for 18 months but as utility prices are set to go up again, it looks like it could be a good option. Worth looking in to maybe?

Food prices scare the bejesus out of me. I buy pretty much the same things each week and my bill seems to get higher each week. I'm going to have start price comparing a lot more I think.

I have noticed a distinct increase in all things essential.

Last month we had to increase our energy supplier DD by half and the weekly shop has probably gone up by a similar amount.

The one we are really dreading is the mortgage. We have a heeyyyooogggee mortgage that is currently fixed at 4. something. I dread to think what rate we will get in about 6 months time.

Fuel bills have gone through the roof but somehow I accept that one as we hardly go for economy in that area but for things like food and heating, I think we are pretty frugal and do not use more than necessary.

sorry numbnuts, you've lost me.

I was musing aloud Sunset, just ignore me ?

Numbnuts - I think its better using the extra money and putting it in a savings account. That way its earning interest for you not the Company.

Sorry late to this but yes £510 a quarter, Gas was £203 and Electric was £302 ?, but we have to pay it and that is that, hoping to go on DD soon, but with bills like that i am dreading to think what they would work out our mothly plan at

But GW it is earning interest for you.

Say I pay (for figures sake) in £100 a month but my fuel only costs £10.

So I pay in £1100 and in month 12 they give me £100, so £100 on £1100 is just under 10% Then I still have £990 "with them". So I have effectively paid £10 for a years gas and electricity.

Obviously they are going to have something in place to stop you doing this and taking it out (I imagine), but I can dream!

That went way over my head!

we don't have gas and use oil for heating, the cooker and hot water, i'm incredibly tight with the oil as i'm not looking forward to the next bill at all. i'm also looking at getting a remonska (sp?) electric work top cooker as they are meant to be very energy efficient, bit like a slow cooker but not. i have been known to cook on the top of the wood burner we have in the bedroom but that's more a winter thing. we'll be having lots of fires when it starts getting cold. or wearing 30 jumpers

We are noticing it too. Our main concern was the mortgage as we were fixed on 4.79 which runs out in august. we've gone on a discounted tracker for when it runs out but it's gone up by £70 a month. We were looking at the HSBC rate matcher and thought that it was great, the fee was £1500 but similar to everywhere really. Then I went to apply and it had gone up to £3500 which is stupid.

Luckily we fixed our energy prices in 2006 and they are fixed until 2010 but we have noticed shopping and petrol bills sky rocketing.

I really don't see how this would work?

It's a nightmare isn't it? Our last quarters energy bill was about twice what it used to be so they've hiked the DD up to £89 a month. I'm not happy and it's not like we have loads of spare cash either.

Glad I missed the Lyn thing although it seems a classic case of coming up with more info as you go along, stuff nobody could have been expected to know and then getting shirty because nobody knew the circumstances.

I've noticed the petrol go up lots here. In 2007 you had to pay tax seperate and now it's on petrol and that shot it up and then the increase in prices generally as well.

I know it's small but one quarter for gas we paid £3 ish and this quarter it was £9. Ok not huge amounts but we only use it for cooking. I've already filled the oil tank as well and that was a few hundred but I'm hoping with just keeping it on low from October to March and knitting more jumpers we should be alright!

My main fear at the moment if the fixed rate coming to an end, I keep feeling sick just thinking about it ☹️

My job is dealing with energy complaints and I'm dreading the next big set of price rises both on a personal and professional level.

Well, we're properly in Dicky's meadow. I actually have no idea how we're going to survive financially.

If only we'd had someone with the financial perspicacity of LynneF to sort us out. Have savings and be careful. Brilliant ?

The price of diesel is crippling us. At least the silver lining in that cloud is that the Spanish lorry drivers' blockade means that building supplies haven't got through - ergo Mr Layabout can't work, therefore he doesn't get paid. I think he's worked about 5 full days in the last 3 weeks... That won't cover the basic bills, let alone addressing how far behind we are in paying for gas and electricity by DD ?

I think we may well end up living in a tent in the ILs' garden ?

Eh? I'm completely confused by this!

You pay £100 a month, instead of £10.

So over the year you pay them £1200.

But your fuel only comes to £120.

So £1200 minus £120 is £1080.

So you're £1080 in credit with them.

How did you work out that you've only paid them £10 for the year?

And how do you earn interest?

I dred my fuel bills, during the winter it was costing more than £30 a week (we have pre-payment meters) and now it's evened out at about £25. I suspect this is going to hike up again though and I've no idea where I'm to get the extra cash to pay for it.

I know that I get stung just for having the meter but it would scare the bejesus out of me to go monthly or quarterly as I just couldn't manage that amount in a lump sum. Finances being the way they are at the moment I also wouldn't trust myself to not dip into the money if I tried to save it.

Tonight is a good example, the kids are on soup and MrC and I will just have to see what is left, for all the use it is I get paid tomorrow so will be able to do some shopping but then theres another host of problems.

Financially lifes just pretty crap at the moment.

Glad I'm not the only one that was baffled by this. That's how I worked it out too. ?

Because the deal with my energy supplier is that they pay your 12th (actually 13th) months direct debit for you, and credit your account with that amount. So If I pay £100 a month they credit me £100, if I pay £10, they credit me with £10, it's not based on what you use, but what you pay