Southern Electric bill seems LOW

CaptainAwesome

My partner and I live in a 2 bedroom flat, just electricity, no gas. We moved in Feb 20th, informed the current supplier (Southern Electric) of the meter reading etc and agreed to set up a Direct Debit for £50 to cover our costs. We then spoke to them in mid March and they informed us we were using less than expected and lowered the DD to £40 a month.

So today we get a bill dated April 30th stating from Feb 20th - April 26th the total electricity used including VAT only totals £38 and as we've paid £90 already they owe us £52.

Is this right? If anything I was expecting to be going slightly over what we'd budgeted especially as we don't use gas. Also, would we be better off just paying our bills as they come as opposed to by DD as we're pretty much just giving them extra money for nothing it seems.

Orville

CaptainAwesome wrote: »

My partner and I live in a 2 bedroom flat, just electricity, no gas. We moved in Feb 20th, informed the current supplier (Southern Electric) of the meter reading etc and agreed to set up a Direct Debit for £50 to cover our costs. We then spoke to them in mid March and they informed us we were using less than expected and lowered the DD to £40 a month.

So today we get a bill dated April 30th stating from Feb 20th - April 26th the total electricity used including VAT only totals £38 and as we've paid £90 already they owe us £52.

Is this right? If anything I was expecting to be going slightly over what we'd budgeted especially as we don't use gas. Also, would we be better off just paying our bills as they come as opposed to by DD as we're pretty much just giving them extra money for nothing it seems.

Hi Captain.

Sorry i can't help you with you actual question, but could you tell me what plan you are on as i am about to move into a 2 bedroom flat myself with my son which is all electric and i would be interested to know

duggo1

The amount you pay is irrelevant unless it is based on actual meter readings. Have you provided an opening readin, and is the current change in payments based on an actual reading since you moved in.

ellay864

Wanna swap? I'm with Southern and my electric bill is through the roof!!

CaptainAwesome

Orville, according to the bill we're on the Domestic Standard tarriff.

Duggo, when we moved in we rang them up and gave them a reading that was provided to us by our landlord, it matched the meter itself. They took some details about the property from us (size, when it would be occupied etc) and then suggested our DD by set at £50 per month. Then when we rang about something unrelated we were told that we are using less than they expected so they lowered it to £40.

Now according to this bill we're using even less than that, only £38 for 64 or so days.

Ellay, I will gladly swap if you promise to take care of my computer game bill!

Gurn_2

Have you read the meter now and compared it to what is on the bill?

CaptainAwesome

Gurn wrote: »

Have you read the meter now and compared it to what is on the bill?

I am going to do that in the morning, I can't now as it is in the communal entrance area and ironically the lights are out down there.:rotfl:

Gurn_2

make sure you check the serial number of the meter and read the correct one.
Think you will find the meter will read more than the estimated bill you have at the moment!
My advice would be to ring the reading in, and get an upto date bill rather than leaving it, as it will catch up with you eventually!

Premier_2

Even if the bill is based on actual readings, you have agreed to pay monthly.

At times you will be in credit and November - February inclusive is probably the peak consumption period due to heating - a period which you have essentially missed this time.

It does look like you are using considerablely less than anticipated, and as a result your DD monthly payment has already reduced. I would expect if the consumption is as you say, then some further reductions will occur.

However, you can't expect to only pay for what you have already used on the tariff you have. If you only wish to pay for what you use, ask to transfer to a pay on receipt of bill tariff.

CaptainAwesome

Premier wrote: »

Even if the bill is based on actual readings, you have agreed to pay monthly.

At times you will be in credit and November - February inclusive is probably the peak consumption period due to heating - a period which you have essentially missed this time.

It does look like you are using considerablely less than anticipated, and as a result your DD monthly payment has already reduced. I would expect if the consumption is as you say, then some further reductions will occur.

However, you can't expect to only pay for what you have already used on the tariff you have. If you only wish to pay for what you use, ask to transfer to a pay on receipt of bill tariff.

Oh, I am not complaining about how I am paying, nor the amount as even at £50 a month I was happy seeing as we have no gas, just electric. I was more interested in whether this seems normal and how they go about taking the money they owe us of future bills like it says on the bill we just received.

I'm going to check the meter in a moment and ring them up to find out whether it would be cheaper switching to a pay on receipt tariff. I was just weighing up my options really as opposed to moaning.

Wickedkitten

It's not that unusual depending on how many units you have used really.