What cut backs have you made recently?

[Sticks.]

I only shower and only need hot water for washing hands otherwise. I've wondered whether it's cheaper to use the immersion heater on off peak rate or gas to make enough hot water, or part of both. My guess is gas but not sure how to work it out.

[r3g]

It does annoy me at this time of year that the gas standing charge per day is costing me around 5x more than the actual gas itself.

[kiethton]

r3g said:

It does annoy me at this time of year that the gas standing charge per day is costing me around 5x more than the actual gas itself.

I’ve used 1.50p of gas over the last 2 months, my standing charge has been a multiple of that…

[BAMoFo]

Rufus Stone said:

I'm saving £150 pm in utility costs by moving to a bigger house!

I always new there was something not correct about the bills at the previous house but could never prove it.

Without stating the obvious smaller houses are not always cheaper to run than larger houses. The utility bills at my 3 bedroom house are more than twice as expensive as my neighbour's 5 bedroom house. It would be even worse but I have 3 multifuel stoves and have my thermostat set much lower than they do. The difference is due to my property being an old farm house with solid stone walls (no cavity) and their house being well insulated due to being built to modern Building Standards.

[emicen]

Stopped being a big baby about this year’s relentless headwinds and cycled to work. Second time I’ve done it in the last few weeks, I’m going to try for at least 1 day per week going forward.

£6.50 a day saving or £3.70 an hour paid exercise, depending on how you want to look at it

[Welshbeef]

r3g said:

It does annoy me at this time of year that the gas standing charge per day is costing me around 5x more than the actual gas itself.

Well we are all paying for the companies who went bust and the remaining companies that kindly took on those customers

[hotchy]

Welshbeef said:

r3g said:

It does annoy me at this time of year that the gas standing charge per day is costing me around 5x more than the actual gas itself.

Well we are all paying for the companies who went bust and the remaining companies that kindly took on those customers

So when do we stop paying for it? Never? Thought so. A charge that will never decrease.

[bmwmike]

emicen said:

Stopped being a big baby about this year’s relentless headwinds and cycled to work. Second time I’ve done it in the last few weeks, I’m going to try for at least 1 day per week going forward.

£6.50 a day saving or £3.70 an hour paid exercise, depending on how you want to look at it

That's a great way to look at it.

Although, you'll likely live longer so you may need more retirement savings to fund it hehe

[vulture1]

BAMoFo said:

Rufus Stone said:

I'm saving £150 pm in utility costs by moving to a bigger house!

I always new there was something not correct about the bills at the previous house but could never prove it.

Without stating the obvious smaller houses are not always cheaper to run than larger houses. The utility bills at my 3 bedroom house are more than twice as expensive as my neighbour's 5 bedroom house. It would be even worse but I have 3 multifuel stoves and have my thermostat set much lower than they do. The difference is due to my property being an old farm house with solid stone walls (no cavity) and their house being well insulated due to being built to modern Building Standards.

I'd make a guess your house will still be standing in 40 years and theirs likely falling to bits or at least looking a bit rough

[vulture1]

bmwmike said:

emicen said:

Stopped being a big baby about this year’s relentless headwinds and cycled to work. Second time I’ve done it in the last few weeks, I’m going to try for at least 1 day per week going forward.

£6.50 a day saving or £3.70 an hour paid exercise, depending on how you want to look at it

That's a great way to look at it.

Although, you'll likely live longer so you may need more retirement savings to fund it hehe

Or die earlier as increased heartbeat and you only have x amount of beats...

[boyse7en]

emicen said:

Stopped being a big baby about this year’s relentless headwinds and cycled to work. Second time I’ve done it in the last few weeks, I’m going to try for at least 1 day per week going forward.

£6.50 a day saving or £3.70 an hour paid exercise, depending on how you want to look at it

I sort of do that. My ride to work is 50-something minutes or 14 miles each way (with a stiff climb at each end) and it saves me roughly £8 compared to the car or £5 compared to the motorbike. Along some of the duller sections a like to convert how far i've gone into something tangible in my mind, like my Strava subsciption, or a month's worth of Amazon Prime or whatever.
It makes money saving a more positive experience. Instead of saving £8, I'm getting the opportunity to watch films on TV for the month

[dmahon]

I had a smart meter installed this week. If the number on the smart meter is what I’m actually billed I should save a few quid.

Is there anything in this theory of old meters being inaccurate? Our gas meter looks to be pre-war, and it’s gas which I’ve been struggling to get down.

[emicen]

boyse7en said:

emicen said:

Stopped being a big baby about this year’s relentless headwinds and cycled to work. Second time I’ve done it in the last few weeks, I’m going to try for at least 1 day per week going forward.

£6.50 a day saving or £3.70 an hour paid exercise, depending on how you want to look at it

I sort of do that. My ride to work is 50-something minutes or 14 miles each way (with a stiff climb at each end) and it saves me roughly £8 compared to the car or £5 compared to the motorbike. Along some of the duller sections a like to convert how far i've gone into something tangible in my mind, like my Strava subsciption, or a month's worth of Amazon Prime or whatever.
It makes money saving a more positive experience. Instead of saving £8, I'm getting the opportunity to watch films on TV for the month

I’m currently spending most of it trying to figure out how many days a week would need to be done to justify an e-bike.


I’m taking the longer way home which has less vertical since I’m not timebound that direction

[MercedesClassic]

Topical BBC article, in the theme of most news articles at the moment though.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62148525.amp

In fairness I can see both sides of the argument. Mum wants her kids to have fun memories but granny is paying for it ultimately. Young lad buying collectibles which might in the future appreciate in value, or be worth naffin.

Pre Covid I was looking at a nice watch, I have nice watches but never fancied a Rolex. They grew on me and I fancied an older Daytona, in cheaper gold rather than steel. I could easily afford it at the time but mates were like OMG £18k for a gold Rolex that's insane.
The same models are £50-60k average. I remember platinum Daytonas for sale a few years old, perfect etc for £32k. Now 5-6 times that.

I'm kicking myself here.

[bitchstewie]

I mean if you're going to do that I'd have thought at least frame it as your parents paying for treats for the kids?

It sounds a bit wrong using loans from family to pay bills whilst spending your own limited income on treats and experiences.

[KobayashiMaru86]

Bought the Tapo smart plugs to monitor usage on the high use items and even allowing for everything else and the standing charge it shouldn't be more than £45/mth for electric. Gas is almost non existent since it's on low only for showers and I cook almost everything in an air fryer. Network stuff has to stay on but the TV and consoles and my PC setup I've set to turn off when I leave the house so don't use any more than they need to. It's only small but adds up.

Can't cut much more. Ride slower but it does 60mpg as it is. Paying £90 on life and income insurance which I could bin off but don't really want to.

[brickwall]

My hot water is heated solely by immersion heater. Uses about 100 kWh/month.

Thinking of swapping to a combi boiler. No way it’ll pay back the £3.5k it’ll cost (I’m unlikely to be in the house more than 9 months), but I’m thinking it’ll be unsellable as is with electricity at 40p/kWh

[valiant]

dmahon said:

I had a smart meter installed this week. If the number on the smart meter is what I’m actually billed I should save a few quid.

Is there anything in this theory of old meters being inaccurate? Our gas meter looks to be pre-war, and it’s gas which I’ve been struggling to get down.

We had our installed a few weeks back and had the same issue with our leccy meter. Usage is now well down on same time last year. I know these things makes you much more aware of what you’re using (it’s better than watching telly!) and finally my family see what leaving stuff on or putting machines on unnecessarily is costing but there must have been an issue with our old ancient meter.

Even the guy who fitted the smart meter mentioned he hadn’t seen one this old for a while…

[Dingu]

hotchy said:

So when do we stop paying for it? Never? Thought so. A charge that will never decrease.

I don’t think you comprehend the size of the bill.

[dmahon]

My last bills have been:

Feb - £455
March - £320
April - £414
May - £252
June - £256

Installed a smart meter and think it will be less than £190 this month.

Not sure how much of that is seasonal and I’ve been a bit sporadic on submitting meter readings historically, but smart meter seems to have bought it down a touch, especially as the prices have been going up.

It’s also nice to see and pay for exactly what you use rather than getting estimated bills etc.