gas bill query

pc_wizard

Hi,just recieved my gas bill from NPOWER It seems a little steep can anyone check it before i pay :rotfl:thanks ever so much:T

spiro

Did you check the estimating reading of 6782 on 31/03 against the actual reading on the meter?
You also need to bear in mind we have just had the coldest winter in 30 years and this bill covers that period.

KimYeovil

Doesn't seem all that steep. You have been using heating, I presume?

Note that winter months nPower charge you an extra £30 odd per month in tier 1 prices than some other companies but you more than recoup this over the other eight months - total tier 1 charges will be similar.

pc_wizard

Sorry just made the image smaller:T
Yes the estimate reading is almost correct just a few out.ALL the readings are correct i just cant understand how to work the bill out it looks so complicated.
I live in 3 bed house and did have heating on a lot as its been coldest winter for years.
Its my first winter bill in this house so i was just worried i might me overpaying,thanks for quick reply ,if you think its fair amount i guess i will pay the bill............and then i'll go turn heating off and save a few pennies:Tthanks:A

KimYeovil

You may also want to shop around - you are on quarterly payments on a standard tariff so are paying higher prices than necessary. You could save a lot more than a few pennies (without lessening your comfort) through changing tariff. Have a look on uswitch.com or energyhelpline.com etc.

To convert your meter readings to kWhs just multiply by 32 (approx).

Cardew

As Kim above states there are two factors that have made your bill particular high(for the amount of gas used).

Firstly you are on their expensive standard tariff and not paying by Direct Debit.

Secondly, alone amongst Utility companies, Npower seasonally weight(or sculpt) their expensive Tier 1 units so you pay for more in the winter and less in the summer.

Thus in exactly 3 months you have paid for 2,065 tier 1 units from the annual total of 4,572 units. This is an extra 922 units than would have been the case had you been charged pro-rata as other companies. This factor alone adds nearly £50 to this winter bill.

Premier_2

Also check that you have an old imperial meter, not a metric one, as they are billing you based on an imperial one
http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/consumer_advice/latest_meters_pic.shtml
(If you actually have a metic meter, your bill will only be about 30% of that currently billed)

Having said that, the bill is not particularly excessive.

tbourner

It seems a few people have been stung by NPower giving them a lovely looking estimated DD price when they sign up, and then 6 months on suddenly turning around and shoving a few hundred pounds of debit onto the account.
This means we can't switch because we owe them loads and we'll now by paying a lot more each month for at least the next 6 months!! What a con!!!
Surely if you give them a value of usage from your previous supplier (as I did) they can't come up with a ridiculously low DD figure just to be at the top of the comparison list? How are we supposed to trust the comparison sites if the suppliers are making up their figures from nowhere!!

Cardew

tbourner wrote: »

It seems a few people have been stung by NPower giving them a lovely looking estimated DD price when they sign up, and then 6 months on suddenly turning around and shoving a few hundred pounds of debit onto the account.
This means we can't switch because we owe them loads and we'll now by paying a lot more each month for at least the next 6 months!! What a con!!!
Surely if you give them a value of usage from your previous supplier (as I did) they can't come up with a ridiculously low DD figure just to be at the top of the comparison list? How are we supposed to trust the comparison sites if the suppliers are making up their figures from nowhere!!

To be fair to Npower(not easy!!) your situation is a common problem with most of the sales staff of Utility companies and comparison websites.

They are on commission, so they will do whatever it takes(legally) to get your custom.

You need to give your annual consumption in kWh to get a realistic comparison from the websites.