National News Cost of Living Crisis

[Essexyellows]

Heatwave warnings - you need telling to keep out of the sun and drink water when it's hot? Really?

Fuel price cap. Nothing but fear-mongering. Who the feck is using £4k`s worth of gas & leccy unless they are running a grow house?

Petrol prices. Going down, back to £1.70 locally.

NHS Dentists: Popped in to make a check-up appointment thinking I might need to wait a week or three - tomorrow at 11.am. Big sign in the window "We are registering NHS Patients".

NHS (General) - Been receiving great treatment, once you get past the GP - helps if you know the system and don`t get shouty.

Local chemist - bit flaky with communications from the GP but not bad, very busy.

 

[Scotchegg]

Heatwave warnings - you need telling to keep out of the sun and drink water when it's hot? Really?

Fuel price cap. Nothing but fear-mongering. Who the feck is using £4k`s worth of gas & leccy unless they are running a grow house?

Petrol prices. Going down, back to £1.70 locally.

NHS Dentists: Popped in to make a check-up appointment thinking I might need to wait a week or three - tomorrow at 11.am. Big sign in the window "We are registering NHS Patients".

NHS (General) - Been receiving great treatment, once you get past the GP - helps if you know the system and don`t get shouty.

Local chemist - bit flaky with communications from the GP but not bad, very busy.

Heat waves kill. It has happened throughout europe and will see increased numbers in the uk. The vast majority of people are able to take precautions and mange themselves, but some of the most elderly and vulnerable are not able to do so, and an increase in temperature can increase risk of heart attacks and ultimately lead to premature death.

My current domestic fuel bill is around £240 per month for a 4 bed family home. This is likely to increase beyond £300 pm in October. We are fairly sensible with our usage. Showers instead of baths. Dish washer not been used in ages. Washing 3 or 4 loads per week and drying outside or on hangers inside where possible.

Petrol remains above £1.80 in Bicester.

Check ups are not the issue. It's registering of new patients, or those who are unable to pay.

NHS waits are ridiculous to see GP's and there are so many barriers that make this harder. I recently had to make several phonecalls and 2 visits to my surgery just to get a repeat prescription sorted despite my GP approving this weeks before. I have always been a big supporter of the NHS and my GP surgery had been very good, but the standard has significantly dropped off and what is worse is that this appears to be a complete lack of care these days.


The cost of living issues are very real and affecting people who are on above average wages as well as those at the bottom of societies ladder. It may not affect you, and that is good, but the idea that this is something the media is making up is ridiculous.

 

[horseman]

Heat waves kill. It has happened throughout europe and will see increased numbers in the uk. The vast majority of people are able to take precautions and mange themselves, but some of the most elderly and vulnerable are not able to do so, and an increase in temperature can increase risk of heart attacks and ultimately lead to premature death.

My current domestic fuel bill is around £240 per month for a 4 bed family home. This is likely to increase beyond £300 pm in October. We are fairly sensible with our usage. Showers instead of baths. Dish washer not been used in ages. Washing 3 or 4 loads per week and drying outside or on hangers inside where possible.

Petrol remains above £1.80 in Bicester.

Check ups are not the issue. It's registering of new patients, or those who are unable to pay.

NHS waits are ridiculous to see GP's and there are so many barriers that make this harder. I recently had to make several phonecalls and 2 visits to my surgery just to get a repeat prescription sorted despite my GP approving this weeks before. I have always been a big supporter of the NHS and my GP surgery had been very good, but the standard has significantly dropped off and what is worse is that this appears to be a complete lack of care these days.


The cost of living issues are very real and affecting people who are on above average wages as well as those at the bottom of societies ladder. It may not affect you, and that is good, but the idea that this is something the media is making up is ridiculous.

if you're not already,register on Patient access order repeat prescriptions online etc arrives promptly
even see your medical history.

 

[Scotchegg]

if you're not already,register on Patient access order repeat prescriptions online etc arrives promptly
even see your medical history.

That was one of my issues. I tried to do so but it said that my surgery didn't support that so had to visit them only to find that they "didn't support" patient access only to then message me with the details afetr!

 

[MarkG]

Fuel price cap. Nothing but fear-mongering. Who the feck is using £4k`s worth of gas & leccy unless they are running a grow house?

One of your more stupid pronouncements on here. Retail energy prices are going up and If the price cap also goes up, then your bill will go up if you use the same amount of energy. And don't start miximg up what your current monthly direct debit is during the Summer, with what it will have to go up to when you use more energy in the Winter at higher prices.

 

[Manorlounger]

One of your more stupid pronouncements on here. Retail energy prices are going up and If the price cap also goes up, then your bill will go up if you use the same amount of energy. And don't start miximg up what your current monthly direct debit is during the Summer, with what it will have to go up to when you use more energy in the Winter at higher prices.

We are using about a third less electricity over last year but paying twice as much. And, that will go up again in October and again in January.

 

[Essexyellows]

One of your more stupid pronouncements on here. Retail energy prices are going up and If the price cap also goes up, then your bill will go up if you use the same amount of energy. And don't start miximg up what your current monthly direct debit is during the Summer, with what it will have to go up to when you use more energy in the Winter at higher prices.

Our bill will increase, as it has done since the Year Dot because the unit price goes up, I get that.
Just checked the Smart Meter - £3.28 on Wednesday with 2 folk WFH.
The SM budget is set at £14 a week (for both gas & electric).
I get that it's Summer so no heating, so if it's warm through August, September, and into October when/how are folk going to use £4ks worth of fuel?

 

[OUFCGav]

`

Our bill will increase, as it has done since the Year Dot because the unit price goes up, I get that.
Just checked the Smart Meter - £3.28 on Wednesday with 2 folk WFH.
The SM budget is set at £14 a week (for both gas & electric).
I get that it's Summer so no heating, so if it's warm through August, September, and into October when/how are folk going to use £4ks worth of fuel?

The average dual fuel price for the country last year was just over £1000. Based on actual prices rises for people on variable rate tariffs (now most people after the closure of a number of energy companies last year and the lack of new fixed deals due to market uncertainty) that is now close to £2000. The consultants Cornwall Insight together with OFGEM have predicted cap rises based on the state of the market to $4266 in January (with 2 cap rises). That is a forecast of what will happen, what your bill is now is irrelevant (especially if you are on a fixed price deal),

 

[OUFCGav]

I think the point re petrol prices is they are not going down in line with wholesale costs, the retail market is fast to increase, and slow to decrease (and rarely all the way). Given the level of collusion between petrol retailers over prices (because it is just coincidence that all supermarket petrol in Oxford is within 0.1p and changes at the same time) any sensible government would be at least investigating the market, never mind regulating it better.

 

[MarkG]

Our bill will increase, as it has done since the Year Dot because the unit price goes up, I get that.
Just checked the Smart Meter - £3.28 on Wednesday with 2 folk WFH.
The SM budget is set at £14 a week (for both gas & electric).
I get that it's Summer so no heating, so if it's warm through August, September, and into October when/how are folk going to use £4ks worth of fuel?

So the budget is £14 a week but you are using approx £23 a week based on Wednesday, and it's the Summer.
What could possibly go wrong with this idea that your bill isn't going to rise significantly?

Will have to bookmark this to see what the smart meter says you are using in December.

 

[TL@69]

Cost of living drama. Is that the equivalent of Covid being a sniffle?

 

[Essexyellows]

So the budget is £14 a week but you are using approx £23 a week based on Wednesday, and it's the Summer.
What could possibly go wrong with this idea that your bill isn't going to rise significantly?

Will have to bookmark this to see what the smart meter says you are using in December.

Should have been clearer really.......... sorry.
It re-sets on Sunday night so the £3.28 is both fuels (gas & electric) up to Wednesday mid-day(ish).
The "budget" is a bit of an arbitrary line on the meter. It turns red as you get close and/or go over.
So that's roughly £1.10 a day so far this week.

 

[Essexyellows]

Cost of living drama. Is that the equivalent of Covid being a sniffle?

As it is now..................... for most......... unless you have co-morbidities...

 

[RyanioBirdio]

 

[Jolteon]

"I'm alright, so what's the problem?"

The exact kind of attitude that allows government/energy companies/whoever to get away with rinsing the poorest of our country to within an inch of their lives.

My energy bills are 60% higher now in the summer with no heating than they were last winter when I wasn't stingy with the heating at all (£90 in January, £144 in July - 2 bed house with two adults and one 2 y/o, one person WFH). With my current wage, which is only a little below average, I will not be able to afford it if my energy bills increase much more. If I can't afford it on my wage, you're looking at probably 40-45% of the country that also can't afford it. And that is a crisis.

I had a blood test on July 28th. Doctor asked me to come in to see them as soon as possible due to the results. Earliest appointment they could give was end of September. Also recently found out my partner is pregnant. Earliest midwife appointment we can get is after she is past 10 weeks despite NHS guidance saying that your first appointment should be before 10 weeks.

Just because YOU are fine, doesn't mean the rest of us are. But as long as you're ok, who cares, right? To hell with everyone else.

 

[werthersoriginal]

"I'm alright, so what's the problem?"

The exact kind of attitude that allows government/energy companies/whoever to get away with rinsing the poorest of our country to within an inch of their lives.

My energy bills are 60% higher now in the summer with no heating than they were last winter when I wasn't stingy with the heating at all (£90 in January, £144 in July - 2 bed house with two adults and one 2 y/o, one person WFH). With my current wage, which is only a little below average, I will not be able to afford it if my energy bills increase much more. If I can't afford it on my wage, you're looking at probably 40-45% of the country that also can't afford it. And that is a crisis.

I had a blood test on July 28th. Doctor asked me to come in to see them as soon as possible due to the results. Earliest appointment they could give was end of September. Also recently found out my partner is pregnant. Earliest midwife appointment we can get is after she is past 10 weeks despite NHS guidance saying that your first appointment should be before 10 weeks.

Just because YOU are fine, doesn't mean the rest of us are. But as long as you're ok, who cares, right? To hell with everyone else.

I’m fine, I’m not really too bothered about the cost of living stuff as I’m reasonably well off. But since I’m not a Tory I don’t try to make out it’s not a significant issue for many people.

 

[Essexyellows]

"I'm alright, so what's the problem?"

The exact kind of attitude that allows government/energy companies/whoever to get away with rinsing the poorest of our country to within an inch of their lives.

My energy bills are 60% higher now in the summer with no heating than they were last winter when I wasn't stingy with the heating at all (£90 in January, £144 in July - 2 bed house with two adults and one 2 y/o, one person WFH). With my current wage, which is only a little below average, I will not be able to afford it if my energy bills increase much more. If I can't afford it on my wage, you're looking at probably 40-45% of the country that also can't afford it. And that is a crisis.

I had a blood test on July 28th. Doctor asked me to come in to see them as soon as possible due to the results. Earliest appointment they could give was end of September. Also recently found out my partner is pregnant. Earliest midwife appointment we can get is after she is past 10 weeks despite NHS guidance saying that your first appointment should be before 10 weeks.

Just because YOU are fine, doesn't mean the rest of us are. But as long as you're ok, who cares, right? To hell with everyone else.

Not sure who says "I`m OK?" or "to hell with everyone else" ........ that's a bit of an assumption.

I would rather hear the reality than media fluff about £4k+ fuel bills. Nobody, yet, has got anywhere near that figure and there is a broad church in here.

Now this might sound brutal, and I apologise in advance if that is how anyone reads it, but you say you won`t be able to afford energy, I get that, yet you can afford another child?

Hope the blood test works out well, and I would be reminding the Midwifery service of the 10-week guidance.

 

[YellowinBirmingham]

I regret checking in on this thread and will avoid it from now on.

Essex yellow, I understand your general point, there is much exaggeration in the media. However, I hope you are surrounded by people full of empathy and love for you, and you learn to show some of it back to others in future.

Best wishes to everyone affected by the very real challenges of rising prices. See you in Bristol on Saturday!

 

[m]

Energy price cap keeps going up.

Can't help feeling that the definition of price cap needs reviewing and that the enforcers need retraining.

 

[TL@69]

Energy price cap keeps going up.

Can't help feeling that the definition of price cap needs reviewing and that the enforcers need retraining.

can we not call it a cap it seems inappropriate as it isn’t what people expect.