Scottish/British Gas

Zezu

Hey fellas.

Checked my post today to find my gas and electricity bills. I've been in my flat with my flatmate nearly two years and last month was the first time anyone has ever come out to read our meter.

Anyway, electricity bill is £500 which I know is partly our fault for never checking what our estimate was against our actual reading but I guess you learn from your mistakes

My question is, will Scottish Gas allow us to pay this in installments? As they are quoting 500 quid on the 26/01, and there is no chance of that happening.

Magentasue

Yes, almost certainly. Work out what you can afford before you ring or write. They will compute a figure and there will be one they can't go below - they obviously won't accept £1 a month.

Lokolo

Weridly enough. When I got my first bill from British Gas it said I am X in debit. I was like ok fine, messaged online to see if I have to pay it back within a certain time frame and they said no

I will just wait until the end of the year when I move to pay it then! :T

Zezu

me and my flatmate could easily pay it in 3 months I would say.

You think they would allow me to pay 166 a month until the next bill?

anniecave

phone them up and ask?

Also can your work out how much you have used (not spent) in total over the 2 years? If the £500 would be a large proportion of your total use, then use this as a negotiation point. So if for example you've actually used £1500 in total over 2 years and £500 of it has come as a sudden bill then in effect they are asking you to pay 8 months (calc as 500 divided by 1500 x 24 months) at once so you that would be worth asking to able to pay this over say six months.

If on the other hand £500 is just a bit bigger bill than usual, then just ask to spread it over say 2 or 3 months.

If you plan to be in the property a while, why not go on monthly payment plan (eg direct debit)? They may be able to spread part of the £500 over a few months alongside your normal use.

anniecave

Lokolo wrote: »

Weridly enough. When I got my first bill from British Gas it said I am X in debit. I was like ok fine, messaged online to see if I have to pay it back within a certain time frame and they said no

I will just wait until the end of the year when I move to pay it then! :T

Are you paying by monthly direct debit? That would normally be the case if you are - the balance is just carried forward?

Zezu

anniecave wrote: »

phone them up and ask?

Also can your work out how much you have used (not spent) in total over the 2 years? If the £500 would be a large proportion of your total use, then use this as a negotiation point. So if for example you've actually used £1500 in total over 2 years and £500 of it has come as a sudden bill then in effect they are asking you to pay 8 months (calc as 500 divided by 1500 x 24 months) at once so you that would be worth asking to able to pay this over say six months.

If on the other hand £500 is just a bit bigger bill than usual, then just ask to spread it over say 2 or 3 months.

If you plan to be in the property a while, why not go on monthly payment plan (eg direct debit)? They may be able to spread part of the £500 over a few months alongside your normal use.

well as I said, it's the first time anyone has checked the meter in the two years I have been in the flat. So obviously the estimated reading of the bills has been way off...the guy checked the meter, and they have now billed me for the difference.

To be honest I just want shot of it...and will probably be setting up a DD. But it's nice to think they care for their customers enough to check before xmas, and then ask you to pay a bill well before most people are paid in the most skint month of the year lol

Lokolo

anniecave wrote: »

Are you paying by monthly direct debit? That would normally be the case if you are - the balance is just carried forward?

Yes thats right. But awww I thought I was just special

I have calculated our electricity is going to go from £40 in debit to £90 in debit... over 6 months. 5 geeks all with computers and laptops sheesh! However our gas is in credit woop, our computers all keep us warm ha.

Zezu

so guys can I just confirm I SHOULD be able to split it over a few months?

Magentasue

Zezu wrote: »

so guys can I just confirm I SHOULD be able to split it over a few months?

Yes. I'd be really surprised if they wouldn't give you three months to pay. That sounds more than reasonable.