As the 1990s progressed, things got better for Margaret, now 60, as she progressed in her career and made enough money to buy a home. Throughout the rest of the decade and the beginning of the 2000s, her wage rose, in an inflation rate that was usually 1.5-2.5%. When the recession hit in 2009, it overcame the storm. But now, four years after her retirement, things are getting harder for Margaret, who lives in Colchester. “At the beginning of retirement, the pension I received was enough – I live comfortably. I could buy what I wanted to buy. “I could save a bit of that.” Margaret Daly with her granddaughter, Robin. During the pandemic, there was not much to spend money on. But now she says that her list has “gone out the window” and “she is starting to worry because everything has gone up”. “I have to be a little smarter when shopping – when I go to Tesco I get Clubcard offers or I look for yellow stickers. I will buy the fruits and vegetables that are offered. “ Inflation line chart In Norwich, Jon’s son Aviva, who works for insurance company Avisa, and Jess’s daughter, who works for the University of East Anglia, are both 35 years old with a 13-month-old daughter, Robin, and a cat named Polly. , have observed the same. The Dalys, who first spoke to the Guardian about their soaring bills late last year, also think twice before putting anything on their trolley. “There are unnecessary items I no longer buy,” says Jess. “Things like Marmite – I looked at it and it was over 3 £, so I’m not buying it now. “Such things are no longer offered.” Jon and Jess Daly with baby Robin at home in Norwich. Photo: Si Barber / The GuardianTable of household expenses She and Jon do not eat meat and try to shop for products that are not covered in plastic packaging, but she says priorities had to change. “When things get more expensive, the priority will be what is affordable, not what is sustainable.” Heating is a big problem and plays on the minds of both households. Jess and Jon still have a fixed invoice with British Gas, which is due to be completed in late April, and they wonder what to do then. There are currently no fixed fixed prices available and their best bet will probably be the standard variable charge of their provider – the one set by the regulator, Ofgem. When we last spoke with the couple, analysts suggested that the invoice with a maximum price cap would reach 1.6 1,660 this April, which seemed quite shocking. Instead, it reached 97 1,971, over £ 300 more, and so the family expects a significant increase when their current price ends. They recently received an email from British Gas explaining the increase: the unit cost of gas is rising from 3.3 p to 7.3 p per kWh and the fixed charge will go from 26.5 p to 27.2 p , while for electricity the unit price increases from 19p to 29.2p per kWh and the permanent charge from 24p to 37.9p. Their annual gas bill will more than double and their total annual energy bill is estimated to make a huge leap from 1.0 1,081.18 to 9 1,945.24. The changes keep pace with other customers, who in addition to rising unit prices have seen large increases in fixed electricity bills, partly due to the failure of small suppliers last year. Margaret has a smart meter and has already seen the impact of rising energy costs. “It used to be about 2.50 £ a day. now it goes up to 7.50 £. “I thought of turning off the heat, turning off the radiator, maybe cooking a big pot with something a week and then eating it for several days.” Jess says she has made decisions about what to cook based on energy use. Photo: Si Barber / The GuardianEnergy bills slope charts Jess made similar calculations. “I had never thought about what we would eat for dinner in terms of energy before, but the other day I decided not to bake potatoes, as that would mean having the oven on for an hour, while the puree means having the stove open for 10 minutes. “ There are other things that have been biting since the last time the Guardian spoke to the Dalys. Jess recently returned to work, and since Robin started kindergarten, she plans to drive to campus so she can return quickly if needed. On-campus parking was free during the pandemic, but the cost returned. They are an additional requirement in the family budget. “Things like that come back now,” says Jess. Parking fees are added to family accounts. Photo: Si Barber / The GuardianFuel bar chart They also have two days a week to take care of the children to pay, although they use the tax benefit from the government, which takes them two extra days a month for their money. The family is shopping in Morrisons and they say they have found prices there lower than in some of its competitors. Margaret says she is thinking of doing some of her shopping at Lidl. He is also considering retiring with the branded foods he buys. Jess and Jon have been keeping track of their spending for the past four years, which allows them to see exactly what has happened to their budgets. “Our city tax has gone up, our internet has gone up, our water has gone up, albeit by a small amount,” says Jess. “Everything goes up except our salaries.” The family has stopped buying some unnecessary ones. Photo: Si Barber / The GuardianInflation by bar chart category For Margaret, now retired, inflation meant cutting back and returning to some old habits. He says for the first time since those early days that he started writing what he spends. “I give myself a few budgets for everything,” he says. “We spent many years – you did not think about it, you just put it on your trolley. “Now I’m looking for opportunities.”
