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@ Monday, 13. Oct, 2008 – 11:39:57
I have just received a letter from our electricity supplier telling me that our charges will be increasing by 19.2% forthwith.
Groan.
Anyone else seeing their electric increasing?
We have just paid .5569p/litre for our oil as well. Ouch! It was .3090 when we moved in here, 3 years ago. Scary stuff!
xmillyxxx
Pro 
PurpleDragon
Yeah, wouldn't it be nice if wages were going up the same way, ,
That`s a huge hike in prices. It is the same over here too and has been for a while. Luckily we can pay our bills but a lot of folks can`t.
xx
PurpleDragon
Yes, we are lucky too. I feel for the folk who aren't.
jenray
Pro Yup, we had a huge hike last month by our gas and electricity supplier who also hiked our monthly direct debit up by some £40 a month, which we told them was totally unacceptable so they said they'd reduce it to an £18 hike and we said that was okay...they don't half try it on...have yet to see whether that new price though was accepted...we were told they'd phone us if it hadn't been accepted so presuming it was...outrageous prices!! Considering oil is now down to $87 a barrel, we should be getting large cuts in our bills instead, not damned increases again...GBHs...XXX
PurpleDragon
menhir
Your supplier has been slow in letting you know about increases. I noticed that my quarterly electricity bill for the relatively lightest use period (the last one) was up about 12.5%; then of course there's been motor fuel and as you know, in rural areas, transport infrastructure is - to put it politely - extremely limited. Add to that the oil bills then you find your overall increase for fuel over a year. (You're not at a year yet!)
One of the things we have to do is assess the relative merits of changing our domestic fuel about a year ago; even though the fuel price will have increased, we may still find a saving against what we may have paid with the other fuel we used to use, to put towards the cost of the new installation.
It's absolutely right though, fuel prices and food cost increases are an 'ouch', together with everything else financial at the moment. 
PurpleDragon
Yes, I thought they were rather slow as well. I thought the date was wrong on the letter!
I want to install a wood burning stove in the living room. Lots of money, though.
menhir
Wood burning stoves will be costly, can throw out more dust and dirt than you might wish to cope with for your own or family's health; then you have to assess the cost of obtaining the fuel for it. What else will it heat for you?
PurpleDragon
Really? I have always thought they are cheaper than the oil we currently use. And, of course, rather more sustainable than oil! If we install it in the living room, it will be just for heating.
menhir
Purchasing and installing - can you get your costs back in reasonable time. Hidden costs, possible unintended consequences and so on. It's a useful exercise for project management but not one for comparing unless you compare like with like for the purpose.
I wonder about whatever might be considered sustainable now, may not remain so at some future date. Cycles of life for everything.
kendersrule
Pro Ouch! you've got enough land for a wind thing surely?
PurpleDragon
We have, yes. The thing is, it is a vicious circle. Had we installed one a couple of years ago, then the increase wouldn't affect us. As it is, any money we could have put towards the installation is now going into the pockets of the electricity and oil companies. Don't forget - I don't work - I stay at home with three young children.
kendersrule
Pro hmmm.. part-time-work-from-home job?
sell your story to a newspaper?
I'm pretty sure there are 'cheap' (not £4000) versions of wind thingies, lookit It Ain't easy Being Green, am sure it'll say somewhere...
PurpleDragon
Hmm, I wonder what paper would accept my story?
Headlines **"40+ mother of three does school run"**
Yeah, there are cheap ones about, but it isn't just the investment of the turbine. You also have to attach them to the leccy, batteries, sell off, etc. You can buy them for pennies from B&Q but those are the ones that attach to your house, and then shake the walls off when the wind blows. Also, where we live, we wouldn't be able to use one very often because of windspeeds. It can't be TOO windy or you have to turn them off, and we live in one of the windiest places in Aberdeenshire. Proper little wind tunnel. We've looked into it.
kendersrule
Pro oh
PurpleDragon
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Yes...I see it increasing...Along with Gas,Water,food...Income Tax!!...just about everything is inreasing...Except wages!! -x-