I May Be Signing Up To An Energy Company Tomorrow...

And in the end taking my gas and electric to NPower. I am tired of looking at the comparison sites. They just confuse me more and sooner or later they have to make a profit and we have to buy and use what they supply.


I will be switched to a new tariff introduced three weeks ago and by doing the account on line and paying by direct debit I can save approx £149 annually. On the amount of gas and electric I am using they reckon it will come in at approx £874(or less for the two)that's approx 70p per day...Mind I am being a miser and using so little I feel as though I have stepped back in time by decades. Probably could have been on a better tariff years ago. Just as Mum probably was entitled to more help from the State and when she started to get what help she should have had, it was too late.


Should I find that by being careful I can save even more(if it gets really cold perhaps I can spend more when required)especially if my budget and benefits do not change much. I don't believe that I can get it down any more than I have unless I lose all access to any entertainment that helps to keep me sane.


Everything is switched off as often as possible. And more and more people are going back to old days where they don't shower or bath every day and they only have one or two proper baths per week(might be different if you are working and doing a dirty sweaty job. I eat lots of cold/buffet type meals or meals that cook quickly and my variety of gadgets will help when I do have to have a hot meal.


Some people and Charities believe if we keep showing how thrifty we can be and how little we can scrape by on, those who decide what you are given by the State will cut back the help still further so by being careful we could be making things more difficult for ourselves. As they will like the fact we have shown that we can whether it is good for our health or not.


The rent, Council Tax are probably the killers, utility bills second, food third. I should not have to live so frugally(naturally I should try and not be wasteful)but lets take the rent and CT out of the picture for the minute...I pay approx 90p daily for the TV license(which I may drop next year)and access to the telephone and internet(that's includes the cost of the line rental)the constant worry is if the pc's need repairing...and they will. I eat daily for approx 75p- £1.50. So if the utility bills can be kept down I am doing all of this for approx for £3.10 daily(That's £21.70 weekly)


There are a lot of unknowns... I cannot gauge for changes coming in...that will affect the income and budget I have to work too.


Much of what I say is guess work.


I have not allowed for paying for my medications in my calculations...there's always something that you forget. What a mess!


This must be a similar situation for many right across the UK and not much better if you are working(on the minimum wage)but I have gone over that...many, many times...


It becomes boringthough important to the person concerned. I can make these savings but really it's not a life but I can survive.