Gas bill help

in2deep_2

Hi i had a letter today saying my monthly payments would go up from £17 to £39.!!!

I have copied this from my bill.....im a bit thick does the total at the bottom mean in credit or owing.??


Bill period: 01 Apr 2008 to 25 Jun 2008
Starting balance: £-96.14
Gas you've used: £111.20
Payments received - thank you cr£51.00
£17.00 on or around 17 Apr 2008
£17.00 on or around 19 May 2008
£17.00 on or around 18 Jun 2008
Adjustments
Total Adjustments Amount £0.00
Savings
Less Direct Debit discount £11.45
VAT at 5% £4.98
Amount now due: £-42.41

BexTech

You're in credit by £42.41.

in2deep_2

Thanks i thought it was, so why would they put up my payments.....i hate BG

Thanks for your help.

BexTech

in2deep wrote: »

Thanks i thought it was, so why would they put up my payments.....i hate BG

Thanks for your help.

It's the awful computer system they have, would have done it automatically.

I'd give them a ring and tell them you don't want it going up to £39.

Cardew

in2deep wrote: »

Thanks i thought it was, so why would they put up my payments.....i hate BG

Thanks for your help.

The reason they have put up your payments is that in one of the lowest consumption quarters of the year(Apr - June) you have used over £100 of gas.

So you are in line to use what????? £600 in a year?

You are paying only £17 a month - £204 a year.

So £39 a month will raise £468 and with your credit of £42 that will be £510 in the next year - which means £39 will probably not be high enough.

The whole point of the DD system is to even out payments over the forthcoming year, and in this case BG have probably got it about right.

You may get them to postpone the increase as you are using up your credit balance. However if you do so, assuming that your heavy consumption of gas continues(and the last bill wasn't based on estimated readings) you will face a much higher DD than £39 next time it is recalculated.

You may hate BG, but I don't see they have done anything wrong this time.

BexTech

Cardew wrote: »

The reason they have put up your payments is that in one of the lowest consumption quarters of the year(Apr - June) you have used over £100 of gas.

So you are in line to use what????? £600 in a year?

You are paying only £17 a month - £204 a year.

So £39 a month will raise £468 and with your credit of £42 that will be £510 in the next year - which means £39 will probably not be high enough.

The whole point of the DD system is to even out payments over the forthcoming year, and in this case BG have probably got it about right.

You may get them to postpone the increase as you are using up your credit balance. However if you do so, assuming that your heavy consumption of gas continues(and the last bill wasn't based on estimated readings) you will face a much higher DD than £39 next time it is recalculated.

You may hate BG, but I don't see they have done anything wrong this time.

Looking at it, you're absolutely right.

in2deep_2

Hi i forgot to say from 1april to 25june the units used was 309.
It was estimated at 10501 actual reading 10495.(start reading 10192)

Does this all sound ok.??

Cardew

in2deep wrote: »

Hi i forgot to say from 1april to 25june the units used was 309.
It was estimated at 10501 actual reading 10495.(start reading 10192)

Does this all sound ok.??

Well(for once) their estimate is very accurate. To be only 6 units out is excellent.

The explanation I gave above applies. £39 a month is a correct figure for your future DD.

The whole point of the Direct Debit scheme is to simplify administration for the company(which is why they give a discount) and to enable the customer to have a fixed budget for the year ahead.

It defeats the object for both company and consumer to have a constantly changing DD.

in2deep_2

Thanks i understand it better now you gave me figures, as long as its correct thats the main thing.

Thanks.