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Are you worried about energy prices?

*Astrantia**Astrantia* Posts: 291
in The potting shed
I know this is a gardening forum but just wondering how you are all feeling about the economic situation ? I have recently started gardening & learning so much! I’ve moved house and have enjoyed trying to make something of the small areas I have to plant up & the collection of pots I have. 

Although I have grown a lot from seed this year to save on cost and had to buy compost as I don’t have a compost heap or bin to use I have tried to budget as best as I can but I’m really concerned about the upcoming energy & food prices hikes. I know gardening isn’t essential but it’s been my lifeline the last few years with Covid, lockdowns etc. 
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Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,530
    My fixed contract runs out in a few weeks. I'm dreading finding another. 
    Devon.
  • JacksGardenJacksGarden Posts: 33
    Not too worried on the food front. You can eat cheaply. In Aldi you can get a loaf of white or wholemeal bread for 36p. We have the wholemeal and it is perfectly fine. A pack of spaghetti is 20 odd pence too. Mixed with some cheap veg (frozen peas) or grown in the garden, some herbs from the garden and a tin of chopped tomatoes it is nice. I always check the reduced section too. Last night I bought three broccoli, for 12p each. Made a load of soup and froze it. 

    Energy though.... less good. 
    Gardener of a driveway pot garden - flowers one side, veg the other and a car in the middle. I am so looking forward to the day we can move into a house with a bigger garden.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,379
    If your garden has been a lifeline for you then I guess you could consider it an  essential part of your life. Obviously you have to budget for the other necessities of life but have you considered growing some veg/fruit at all - killing 2 birds with 1 stone as such.
    You won't be self sufficient by any means but even if you only have a small area, it's surprising what you can produce over a 12 month period.  Home grown is not only satisfying but always tastes better too  ;)  The best tip is to grow only what you enjoy and even more so if it is expensive to buy.
    Good luck  :)
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 85,975
    Hostafan1 said:
    My fixed contract runs out in a few weeks. I'm dreading finding another. 
    Ours ran out in April ... best advice from all those 'in the know' ... MoneySavingExpert etc was not to fix as prices would come down eventually and we might get caught by having fixed at peak prices ... our monthly DD has gone up from about £100 to about £190 and we're in credit ... so far ... heaven knows what will happen if they double again ... on a fixed income there's no way ... so we'll just spend the cold winter evenings in bed under the duvet with the radio and a good book ...

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • MikeOxgreenMikeOxgreen Posts: 804
    Worrying will only making things worse.
    Personally I come to a gardening forum to get away from posts like these as they only drag me down.
  • WallflowerBryWallflowerBry Posts: 81
    edited August 2022
    You don't have to spend a fortune to keep a nice garden.  Collect your own seed,  take cuttings,  if a family or friend has any particular shrub or perennial you like,  ask if you can take cuttings etc. 
  • JacksGardenJacksGarden Posts: 33
    In lockdown I built a campervan. Double bed, cooker, and no utility bills because I generate electric by driving and from solar panels which is stored in batteries. Heater is a diesel heater, for which you can legally use red diesel, which is much cheaper than road diesel. If it gets really bad, I might go and live in it again! I lived in it for a few months while studying for my masters degree. I am currently writing my dissertation on people that live in motorhomes and campervans full time. It's definitely a cheap way of life, if you do it that way. I miss it! 
    Gardener of a driveway pot garden - flowers one side, veg the other and a car in the middle. I am so looking forward to the day we can move into a house with a bigger garden.
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,488
    We’re not extravagant with our energy use but we’re home all day and the house is kept comfortably warm. What surprises me is our consumption is always at the top end of the normal range and when our fixed rate deal came to an end on March 31st, the direct debit went up from £145 to £295 a month. We made some adjustments to spending habits and energy usage and are coping. I know how fortunate we are in that regard. 

    And when prices surge again in the Autumn, and then for a second time, we’ll manage once more thanks to the government’s £700 subsidy. How we’ll fare the following winter if those subsidies are curtailed is much more debatable. But we are blessed with stable pensions, a comfortable home, a supportive neighbourhood and a nice garden. We give thanks every day.
    Rutland, England
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,379
    Hostafan1 said:
    MikeOxgreen said:
    Worrying will only making things worse.
    Personally I come to a gardening forum to get away from posts like these as they only drag me down.
    the thread title is pretty self explanatory, why did you read it?
    @Hostafan1.  
    Some people find it helps to put their anxieties into words. There is nothing in the forum rules to say that we have to read those threads and there's certainly little point in posting such negative remarks. 
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