Resolved Question

HOW MANY of you are dreading your winter electric bills ,?

UK only, I have just got the summer one in the post , £103, I hate to think what the winter one will be ,im going to burn candles in the dark evenings instead of putting the lights on , its like going back to the dark ages !!!

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My electric doesn't change much, but the natural gas that heats my home can give you sticker shock. I'm dreading it already

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Other Answers (8)

• Nope, because I don't put the heat on until we are really cold during the day..
  (I have heard people already putting their heat on and it's been 68F during the day!!! - people seem to think it's ok to walk around in summer clothes in winter and not be cold by putting heat on very high all day but then complain about heating costs - utter madness!)
  Overnight, it's a warm duvet and warm Pj's! No probs!
  We put socks and slippers on and sensible clothes in the early evening.
  I put heavy curtains on the back door and windows and put draught excluders down at the bottom of doors.
  
  We survived last years very cold snap on £15 gas a month and £20 - £30 a month elec with a heavy usage elec oven and cooker AND we didn't have double glazing, just old wooden framed windows with huge gaps!
  So this year should be even less! I have spent 3 years getting our bills down because I refused to use more just because our landlord is cheap and because I know we are very lucky to even have central heating. My grandmother never did in her day!
  It doesn't have to be dark ages, just a bit of common sense with some proactive approaches and you should be fine!
  Just keep the lights on you need, and Switch off after each use.
  If you want to keep some lights for a corridoor, use the low usage plug in kids lights (worked for my granddad in a huge dark house)
  Swap all bulbs to energy efficient ones. (makes a difference I can tell you!)
  Look at your utility tariff and make sure your on the best on for you!
  A little bit of planning and hard work goes a long way!
  Im also on very very low income with 2 people here 24/7 so always work hard to make sure are bills are low, but that we still have a nice winter life!

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• May be you used a lot of air conditioning during the summer, to get such a high electric bill. Summer or winter it is not the light bulbs that use the greater part of your energy. It is heating or cooling.
  Thermal insulation is the answer to minimize your electric energy.
  Windows could be covered with clear plastic sheets taped on to the window frame and thermal insulation in the crawl space under the ceiling will also help.
  This does not mean that you should not turn off the lights when leaving a room.
• Well to save large bills in winter, why don't you do what I do and pay the bills monthly. The Electric company estimate what you will use over the year and then dividethat amount by 12 and you pay the same each month - so no large bills over winter. ! Instead of a bill you get a statement each quarter with what you have paid them and what you have used / what they think you have used listed too ... if its an estimated statement. I just ring my correct meter reading through and they readjust it. Each year they will review your payment and increase or decrease it.
  
  Worth a go surely ? :-) I do that with my gas, electric and TV licence !
• My electric bill doesn't jump that much over the winter, it does increase obviously with having to put lights on earlier and spending less time out and about and more time at home but it's the gas bill i'm dreading. Using the central heating tends to sky rocket my gas bill over winter. Either that or freeze though I guess.
• I have gas heat so my electric bills will not be that bad. If you think burning candles instead of lights or a heater will save you money, you're nuts. That will be much more expensive. If you want to save money on lighting, buy those fluorescent bulbs.
• Luckily my electric bill is not too much higher in the winter as I have gas central heating - however the gas bills are about £100 per month.
• The same with summer, I don't put the lights on, the TV and PC provide enough light.
• I am!! my bill for this month was $85.88<< The best we have ever done.. I'm very proud :)

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