Key meters

squibbs25

I know paying for gas and electric are dearer if using a key meter, but can anyone give me a rough idea howmuch dearer.

i am currently with British Gas for both Gas and Elec (standard tarrif), paid by monthly dd,
They have just sent me my bill, for which the elec dd they are increasing from £50.00 pm to £56.00 (fair enough - sounds about right) BUT the gas they want to increase from £40.00 to £86.00 pm even though i'm in credit.
The best they are willing to do is £67.00 dd pm. This is still way to high as i only have gas central heating, i cook with an indution hob and elec fan oven.

I'm seriously considering changing to key meters for both.
I have tried energy helpline, but as they ask for dd amount per month i dont feel that it is accurate enough.
Any ideas?
Thanks for reading.

Squibbs

Forgot to say am in credit on both accounts.

Pssst

You are not obliged to pay by DD. If you are unhappy with it,just come off the scheme and go back on quarterly billing and put your money away each week until the bill comes.

brysiewysie

A disadvantage of pre-pay meters at this stage of the year against a DD scheme is that you have to pay fully for what you use on pre-pay over the winter months. At least with a DD you should be averaging out the annual use and therefore likely to be paying less over winter.

I'd suggest 'only' having gas central heating (in your words) that a DD of £67 sounds pretty good, although I've no idea on your circumstances. If you cooked by gas it shouldn't make too much difference to your DD. This site can give you an idea of your costs against others, once you've entered some readings;

http://http://www.imeasure.org.uk/

I've no idea of your circumstances but I'd suggest that paying £56 for electricity is slightly out of proportion for most users if their gas amounts to £67pm - in other words on an elec DD of £56 I'd expect your gas DD to be some way above £67. That's obviously a big generalisation but it could be that you don't really understand the energy usage you have and the amount this now costs - something many, many more people will be realising as more suppliers increase DD's after the recent price increases.

DebDay

Ifind it easier to use keymeters, even though they work out a little more expensive.

I know exactly how much I am spending and don't get a horribly large bill at the end of the quarter.

I am with EDF and usually end up spending £40 on each per month (even through winter). Couldn't afford being billed £240 per quarter.

Purple_Sparkles

I'm on key meters for both gas and electricity. I have a 2 bed semi and there's just my son and I.

I work from home so I'm in most of the day and we have gas central heating.

I spend on average £16 per week on electricity and less than £5 on gas, my supplier is Ebico and they don't charge extra if you pay using a prepayment meter.

I've been with them for about a year and have had no problems with them at all.

Auzelia

I am with scottish gas prepayment, and I pay £40 electric and £40 gas every pay day and that lasts me until the following payday

gas i didnt put anything in from june - aug as I was only using it for hot water nad no heating and such the £40 lasted me all that time..

I do however pay a weekly fee of a couple of £££ to have the meter

BexTech

I can't stand the nasty pre-payment meters, can't stand the hassle, nor the extra exspense.

From 2005 - 2008 it would have cost me £200 - £300 a year more for being on pre-payment than it did for the tariff I got for being online and DD.

That was too much a difference to pay for a system that is a hassle.

Though I am able to budget and manage money - not too difficult with a little practice, but then I'm tight fisted.

It's not like you don't know how much electric and gas you are using on average after a short time, it is so easy to simple to work out averaged over a year what your monthly DD should be. Just keep a record each week of your meter readings if you are concerned you might mess up. It's not rocket-science.

Lula-Hula

Interesting discussion,

In the past I paid for both electricity & gas by direct debt, until at the end of one year I had so much credit ( that they refused to return to me)that they lowered my direct debits to such a ridiculous rate that at the end of the year I owed them hundreds. I had throughout the year asked for the direct debit payments to be increased only to be told that they wouldnt review until the end of the year.

I ended up having to have prepayment meters installed & when the debt was cleared I was told that in order to return to monthly direct debit payments I would have to pay a £250 deposit.

I decided to retain my prepayment meters & although I top up each one with £10 a week, I do not use that amount (probably closer to £12/£13 a week for both) & the credit I gain in the summer carries me through the winter. I've chosen to get rid of my tumble dryer, downsize my fridge/freezer to a much smaller A rated energy efficiency one, & make sure nothing is left on standby.

I was with Scottish Power but have recently changed to Southern Electric for a lower rate & no standing charge.

Cybachiq

Purple_Sparkles wrote: »

I spend on average £16 per week on electricity and less than £5 on gas

Oh, boy, do I wish I had gas central heating. £5 per week? :eek:
I only have electric heating (night storage and my own electric oil radiators - expensive) and in the winter I can get through up to £40 per week in electric! I've put that down on my income/expenditure sheet with regards to my bankruptcy but I doubt if the Official Receiver is going to believe I spend that much on electricity, but I do!

BexTech

Cybachiq wrote: »

Oh, boy, do I wish I had gas central heating. £5 per week? :eek:
I only have electric heating (night storage and my own electric oil radiators - expensive) and in the winter I can get through up to £40 per week in electric! I've put that down on my income/expenditure sheet with regards to my bankruptcy but I doubt if the Official Receiver is going to believe I spend that much on electricity, but I do!

Yeah, I'm so glad we have gas central heating, used to have storage heaters when we got our first place, due to not been allowed gas any more in a tower block and know how expensive it is to run. Now pay £15 per month for gas and get into credit. Was previously £12 per month and had got into credit several times with that and had nice cheques back and later paid direct back into the bank, just accepted the increase to £15 as the prices for gas did go up slightly and want to cover ourselves just in case, but will keep an eye on it. This is paying by DD, I don't like paying over the odds.

Paparika

I'm with scottish power for my lecky, i have a key meter, 2 bed masionette been with them since about april.

i spend £20 per week but usually spend only £12 - 15 of that.

I'm all electric i have no gas