Am I getting ripped off?

specs78

I have just got off the phone with British Gas and I have been told that I owe them £321! I pay £55 a month for electric (no gas) and live in a one bedroom flat. How could that be? Could the meter be broken?

My bills are estimated though (The last meter reading I gave was last year, when I was told that I owed them £250) I just can't see how I'm using about £85 PM in electricity for a one bedroom flat. I don't leave anything on standby, my PC has a decent PSU and all of my home entertainment equipment is new. It's not like I'm running stuff from the dark ages. All the light blubs are energy saving and I've just had a HIP pack done and my flat got a resonable energy rating. I give up. Should I pay up and move supplier? I'm moving in two months (into a house that has gas and electric) and I don't want these ******* to get a penny more of my money!

Thanks

Magentasue

specs78 wrote: »

I have just got off the phone with British Gas and I have been told that I owe them £321! I pay £55 a month for electric (no gas) and live in a one bedroom flat. How could that be? Could the meter be broken? Should I pay up and move supplier?

Yes, you will have to pay up. No, it is unlikely that your meter is faulty. Energy saving bulbs are worth having, especially in large properties but they won't even dent the damage done by electric heating.

When you move, read your meters regularly so you know how much you need to pay and submit actual readings whenever you get an estimated bill.

Leeolly

I would say that yes you are getting ripped off.

I also live in a 1 bed flat and had the same problem, my bills went up and up but i couldnt get to the bottom of it. My supplier kept telling me to turn things off and get the energy saving bulbs etc. They also said that something could be using excessive electric and dismissed the fact that the meter was faulty.

I eventually got them to check the meter and the guy could not get a reading and so fitted a check meter.

I monitored this for a week, the check meter said i had used 41 units, the "proper" meter registered 186 units used for the week.

Get your meter checked mate thats all i would say.

Lee O