Warm home discount scheme

file28

We are with green energy network 
Their scheme has just opened 
Other suppliers are already open. Do not forget to apply for YOURS 

poppy123456

HI,

Thanks for the reminder. I'm with octopus energy and applied for mine a couple of days ago and received the £140 on the same day, which was added to my energy account. Yes, extremely quick and was very shocked when i noticed.

For anyone who's interested in applying, it will depend on your circumstances. The list of energy suppliers that do this are listed here. https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/energy-suppliers

littleacorn

Its a means tested discount which I am disappointed with. I will be cold again all day until my husband comes in from work.

file28

Hopefully others might benefit from the scheme 
Yes it is means tested unfortunately 

poppy123456

You need to be in receipt of certain means tested benefits and/or have a household annual income of below a certain amount. Check your energy supplier though the link i posted above because they all have their own criteria.

Cress

I'm with edf and I get this...it helps a lot because I do tend to have the heating on fairly high all day, cant stand the cold!

littleacorn

I really struggle with the cold and sit with blankets on all day. Sometimes I spend time in the local library just to keep warm but not this year unfortunately as it is cold because of covid.

Cress

I think it's awful that you cant heat your house sufficiently to keep yourself warm, such a basic need shouldn't be beyond anyone's means but that's sometimes the case.

poppy123456

littleacorn said:

I really struggle with the cold and sit with blankets on all day. Sometimes I spend time in the local library just to keep warm but not this year unfortunately as it is cold because of covid.

Have you looked into changing your energy supplier? Up until about 18 months ago i was with SSE and my bills were a lot, especially during the winter. I was also afriad to put my heating on but i really had no option because being cold makes my health even worse. I changed to Octopus energy and have never looked back. They've also been voted supplier of the year 2020.  I still can't believe just how cheap they are.

You can compare energy prices here https://www.comparethemarket.com/ps/energy/?SRC=DF76&TrackerID=43700054907519824&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-KHBpuC77AIVGKd3Ch1FGgFGEAAYAiAAEgL3lvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

littleacorn

The problem is we live in an older house with high ceilings and we own it. Yes we could look at changing suppliers which I do do but its probably because of the size of the rooms. We have some energy efficient things like loft insulation so that must reduce the heat loss. The only thing I can think of is to sell and find somewhere else smaller where the bills we not as much but that brings its own problems as we could not get as much as we need to buy somewhere appropriate for my needs. Its a vicious circle really. 

leeCal

Years ago my mother had a problem with her neighbours and she owned the property. I suggested she rented out her property and with the proceeds rented a different property for herself. This worked really well and she was happy for years doing that. She still had ownership and the property was still gaining value whilst renting in the private sector. Just a thought @littleacorn ?

littleacorn

Thanks for that suggestion I will do some figures on this and see if it if financially viable.

poppy123456

There's an awful lot to consider when being a landlord and i definitely advise you to get some advice before considering this.

chiarieds

I can only second what @poppy123456 has said, being a landlord myself to a deceased relative's bungalow. You have to make sure that any electrical wiring meets the regulations (new legislation means this has to be tested every 5 years by a qualified electrician), you need to ensure any gas supply is safe, & get a Landlord's Gas Safety certificate annually (we also pay monthly in case there are any problems with the boiler & central heating). Then there's house insurance, perhaps accountant's fees, as they are in the best position to advise about tax implications. All that's before any potential problems need resolving, repairs need doing, etc. It is a lot to take onboard, & needs careful consideration, especially to see if it would nonetheless be financially viable. 

leeCal

I thought these days there are all in management agencies which take care of all those things for a monthly fee? 

poppy123456

leeCal said:

I thought these days there are all in management agencies which take care of all those things for a monthly fee? 

Yes indeed there is but it all adds to the cost. It's not as easy or as cheap as people may think it is. Then there's the added stress on top of everything else... no thank you.

chiarieds

Any management agency takes their cut, which, as mentioned, erodes any profits. Then there's the unforeseen, for example our lovely elderly tenant has developed dementia, & has moved into temporary residential care a few days ago. She has refused to pay her rent due in less than 2 weeks time, & her son, who lives in Australia, says he can't possibly pay, & thinks her social worker will sort it all out!

Of course there's not much we wish to do, & everything is uncertain at the moment, but these things happen. It can, in some circumstances, definitely cause a lot of stress, I assure you.

leeCal

Ok. My mother did this years ago, possibly over twenty years ago, so I guess the rules have changed somewhat since then. I did say it was just a thought ?

littleacorn

My close friend is a landllrd and knkw the lroblems she has had with tenants withholding rent and leaving the property in a mess etc. So I wont ne going in completely blind but neverrthought about it for my own house. Its a shame the house she rents is even bigger than mine.