Change Utility Supplier + Already Saved ?

kilos

Been with paying EBICO gas/electric rate in a SWALEC area for the last 4 years. Like everyone else my bills are going up, but I found it hard to justify paying for what I was using.

So again for the fifth time I change my suppliers. I left EBICO and gone with First Utility.

First Utility, you supply metre readings via internet and pay for what is used in that month via direct debit.

This month Jan 2010, I used 222 gas units, going of the First Utility bill, using the m3 converts it to -

m3 to kWh Conversion 628.26 x 1.02264 x 39.2 ÷ 3.6 =6995.935kwh

My First Utility bill is -
Gas Charges 23 Dec 2009 - 31 Jan 2010

Gas supply standing charge 40 days 32.0p per day £ 12.80
Gas total unit charge 6995.935 kWh 2.836p per kWh £ 198.40

Total suppy charges £ 211.20

VAT @ 5% £ 10.56

Total cost of gas £ 221.76

Gas Dual Fuel Discount

Dual fuel discount due on 31 October 2010
Spend year to date £ 211.20

Dual fuel discount accrued year to date £ 26.40


Now! goto EBICO web site, product + prices, EBICO gas rates and enter 6995.935 kwh

Result

With EquiGas, this amount of gas would cost you £244.86 excluding VAT (£257.10 including VAT).

£257.10 (EBICO payment) - £221.76 (First Utility payment) = £35.34p


This month alone I saved £35.34p on gas use alone. Also with First Utility, if read it right the dual fuel discount is totalled throughout year and applied at end of October, so hopefully another saving!
:rotfl:HAPPY DAYS

Just awaiting my electric bill and hoping the same.

The only big problem is you pay ALL for what you USE IN THAT MONTH in
ONE GO! and believe me its hard; Its as bad as if you are paying a mortgage 2.5 times and only owning one house at the end of it.
But why pay more for your useage ?

However! what ever useage and who ever supplies, I got to pay someone.
Like many, I have falling into the false way of thinking my bills were cheap and only to discover 12 months later, I been underpaying.

I still think I use a lot of gas/electric a month and find it hard to justify payments and is still looking why the heavy useage.



Well this is my experience and what I saved, I just await for someone to point out, if any, that I could save more or the bill conversion is wrong.

Mrs_Thrify

kilos wrote: »

Been with paying EBICO gas/electric rate in a SWALEC area for the last 4 years. Like everyone else my bills are going up, but I found it hard to justify paying for what I was using.

So again for the fifth time I change my suppliers. I left EBICO and gone with First Utility.

First Utility, you supply metre readings via internet and pay for what is used in that month via direct debit.

This month Jan 2010, I used 222 gas units, going of the First Utility bill, using the m3 converts it to -

m3 to kWh Conversion 628.26 x 1.02264 x 39.2 ÷ 3.6 =6995.935kwh

My First Utility bill is -
Gas Charges 23 Dec 2009 - 31 Jan 2010

Gas supply standing charge 40 days 32.0p per day £ 12.80
Gas total unit charge 6995.935 kWh 2.836p per kWh £ 198.40
Total suppy charges £ 211.20
VAT @ 5% £ 10.56
Total cost of gas £ 221.76
Gas Dual Fuel Discount
Dual fuel discount due on 31 October 2010
Spend year to date £ 211.20
Dual fuel discount accrued year to date £ 26.40

Now! goto EBICO web site, product + prices, EBICO gas rates and enter 6995.935 kwh

Result

With EquiGas, this amount of gas would cost you £244.86 excluding VAT (£257.10 including VAT).

£257.10 (EBICO payment) - £221.76 (First Utility payment) = £35.34p

This month alone I saved £35.34p on gas use alone. Also with First Utility, if read it right the dual fuel discount is totalled throughout year and applied at end of October, so hopefully another saving!
:rotfl:HAPPY DAYS

Just awaiting my electric bill and hoping the same.

The only big problem is you pay ALL for what you USE IN THAT MONTH in
ONE GO! and believe me its hard; Its as bad as if you are paying a mortgage 2.5 times and only owning one house at the end of it.
But why pay more for your useage ?

However! what ever useage and who ever supplies, I got to pay someone.
Like many, I have falling into the false way of thinking my bills were cheap and only to discover 12 months later, I been underpaying.

I still think I use a lot of gas/electric a month and find it hard to justify payments and is still looking why the heavy useage.

Well this is my experience and what I saved, I just await for someone to point out, if any, that I could save more or the bill conversion is wrong.

Hiya, after reading this several times can you conferm you have used 222 gas Kwh for the month of January alone, costing £221.76 and also have an electric bill? What size house do you have and for how many people.
This is not for a place of work is it as it is very high?

kilos

Hi, Julie_d

No this is not for a place of work. I live in four bedroom end of terrace house, we are four adults and one teenager. 9 radiators with thermostatic valves. Also note the electric bill is still to come.

The oven is electric and hob and central heating are by gas only.

The 222 is units only, and read of gas meter. They all do this kwh conversation thing and in my case 222 units works out as 6995.935kwh

Note heating is only first thing in the morning for two hours and then late afternoon, when kids home from school.
I totally agree its excessive useage, very excessive. Also note the boiler is a valiant turbomax 282 and its maintenance is insured with British Gas, where it is serviced every year. I am thinking of having the meter checked.

Here is a copy of the gas bill for Jan 2010.

Gas Statement

Gas Readings

Meter Serial no. Type Read Date Read Type Read Last Read Units m3

***** 31/12/2009 Estimate 89 44 45 127.35
***** 28/01/2010 Customer 250 89 161 455.63
***** 31/01/2010 Estimate 266 250 16 45.28

Total m3 628.26 m3

Gas Meter Types
M Metric meter - Units are measured in cubic meters (m3).
I Imperial meter - Units are measured in 100's of cubic feet (ft3). To convert to m3 multiply by 2.83.

How We Calculate your Gas Consumption

m3 Correction Factor Calorific Value kWh
m3 to kWh Conversion 628.26 x 1.02264 x 39.2 ÷ 3.6 6995.935

A correction factor of 1.02264 is applied to account for fluctuations in temperature and pressure of gas in the UK.
The Calorific value is the amount of energy released when gas is burnt. The quality of gas varies slightly every day
so the average Calorific value for the bill period is used when calculating the number of kWh's used.

Gas Charges 23 Dec 2009 - 31 Jan 2010

Gas supply standing charge 40 days 32.0p per day £ 12.80
Gas total unit charge 6995.935 kWh 2.836p per kWh £ 198.40

Total suppy charges £ 211.20

VAT @ 5% £ 10.56

Total cost of gas £ 221.76

Gas Dual Fuel Discount

Dual fuel discount due on 31 October 2010
Spend year to date £ 211.20

Dual fuel discount accrued year to date £ 26.40

All I can say is that 6995.935kwh entered in EBICO site states a bill With EquiGas, this amount of gas would cost you £244.86 excluding VAT (£257.10 including VAT).

So if this kwh conversion is correct and I stayed with EBICO, I would have paid £35.34p more for the same useage. Plus I will get fuel discount
cashed in atOctober with First Utility, which is been built up through out the year.

I am not kidding I pay nearly as much for gas and electric as what I am for a mortgage.
I have contacted numerous people and yes they say useage is high, but you know prices have gone up etc.....

I've tried the usual advice turn heating down by 1 and you can save xxx amount, the attic is insulated, draftproof around doors and the windows are double glazing.

So if anyone can advise me more or point in direction of more savings, then please do.

Cardew

Are you sure you have an Imperial gas meter? and not a Metric meter?

Imperial will have cubic feet on the meter and Metric will state cubic metres.

kilos

Cardew

The meter shows it is a UGI Meter Ltd 1991 and installed in house in 1998.

It shows 4 digits reading in white on black background then 2 digits in red on black backgound. Far right of these digit reading is a clock faced dial with hands pointing and underneath this it says cubic feet.

Looking at this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/consumer_advice/latest_meters_pic.shtml

I can't see any clock face dial ?

But on similarity, I would say its the first picture, the Imperial meter, but theres no FT3, mine shows cubic feet in big writing underneath the clock faced dial thing ?

Mrs_Thrify

There has to be something wrong here? your bill is far to high!

kilos

Julie_d I totally agree, the bill is high, especially for one utility use, gas only. Electric and water are on top of this.
All I know is changed supplier and saved for the same useage, I would have used, if I stayed with the old supplier.

With Ebico in a SWALEC region, I was paying £120 gas a month and £100 electric. Sounds cheaper, but I was always behind, usually with the gas.

Premier_2

Ebico are rarely the cheapest supplier, especially when the consumption is high.

If you look at the ebico website, it explains how ebico was originally created, in part because other suppliers favoured the larger users (as they produce more profit)

...most other companies also offer deals that mean people are charged less if they use a lot of energy, or when they commit to paying in a particular way.
This means people pay usually a lower rate because they spend more. So, in effect, the market usually rewards those who have more money to spend in the first place....

http://www.ebico.co.uk/gaspricework.php

Cardew

If it states cubic feet, you do have an Imperial meter and 222 Imperial gas units are approx 7,000kWh

I note from the gas statement that there are 2 estimated meter readings and one you supplied(on 28/1) Although I cannot see where you get 222 units from these figures.

***** 31/12/2009 Estimate 89 44 45 127.35


***** 28/01/2010 Customer 250 89 161 455.63

***** 31/01/2010 Estimate 266 250 16 45.28

On the other hand if you add the 3 figures I have put in red that comes to 628.26 which is what your bill states in cubic metres. I wonder if they do a conversion and don't mention your 222 units?

Are you sure you have read the dial meter correctly? Don't forget the meter go clockwise and anti clockwise and it is easy to be one hundred units out!

Reading a dial meter

If the pointer falls between two numbers, always read the lower number – in Fig A you would write down the number 4.

If the pointer is directly over a number always record it – in Fig B you would write down the number 5.

If the pointer on a dial falls between 9 and 0, reduce the reading already taken for the dial on the left by one – for example, if your original recorded 5, reduce this to 4.

Following these instructions, the correct meter reading for the dial in the diagram will be 44928.

KimYeovil

(I don't understand the thread title - 'already saved'? In what circumstances would you have not started saving immediately?)

kilos

Kim Yeovil
(I don't understand the thread title - 'already saved'? In what circumstances would you have not started saving immediately?)

Up until Dec 2009 my bill was quartely with EBICO, it is now monthly with First Utility. So Yes immediately I had my monthly bill from First Utility, I saved; as if I was still EBICO I would have been paying more for the same useage.