HELP - meter eating electricity

nickyhutch

Can someone shed any light on this for me? I'm on a pre-payment meter, and the electric just unexpectedly went off. I looked at the meter - the money had run out. I'd only put money on it on Sunday, and normally that would last until probably Friday or Saturday, depending on what we were doing. I took the key out, put £5 emergency credit on, and it's already eaten 50p up in the space of an hour. We're doing nothing unusual, I just can't understand it.

We had a letter a week or two ago saying prices were going up, and that our meter hadn't been updated correctly last time. I've looked at the tariff on the screen and it says 12.27p kw/h. I have no idea what it was previously, and how that compares with anyone else, but the meter's just eating up the money.

Any ideas? :mad: :eek: and worried!

espresso

nickyhutch wrote:

I've looked at the tariff on the screen and it says 12.27p kw/h. I have no idea what it was previously, and how that compares with anyone else, but the meter's just eating up the money.

Any ideas? :mad: :eek: and worried!

Have you left something switched on like the immersion heater?

To use 50p in one hour works out at approx 4kW assuming that there is no standing charge, which would depend on your supplier.

:eek:

nickyhutch

Nope, we never use the immersion heater (only when I fancy a long long bath that is, and not today).

HOw does the 12.27p compare to everyone else?

nickyhutch

Is 4kw a lot to use in an hour??

espresso

nickyhutch wrote:

Is 4kw a lot to use in an hour??

Well it depends what you are using it for but as you have found out, it's costing you 50p per hour, which would soon mount up. Most companies charge a higher rate for pre-payment meters i.e. credit meters usually cost less than 10p per kWh.

HTH

Wayne3765

nickyhutch wrote:

HOw does the 12.27p compare to everyone else?

It varies depnding on what area you live in but the highest rate with Ebico ( no standing charge ) is 11.35p , full table here

djohn2002uk

nickyhutch wrote:

We had a letter a week or two ago saying prices were going up, and that our meter hadn't been updated correctly last time. Any ideas? :mad: :eek: and worried!

I think that explains it. They are overcharging to make up for the meter not being updated correctly before. In other words you have a debt.

nickyhutch

Yes I think that makes sense but aaaaargh! It'd help if they'd told me how much it would be going up to and for how long, too. I'll have to get on the phone and see if I can get someone human to talk to me!

Thanks for your replies.

debeast

Good luck!
They really should have told you if they were going to do this though!

/beastie