Can you overpay to beat price hike?

Pincher

The utilities can only read the meters if you allow access,
so they have every right to estimate. You have access to the meters all the time, and are entitled to call up and correct their estimates. They can then demand to confirm what you say is true, effectively calling your bluff.

Obviously, if the discrepancy is small, neither side will bother.

davidgmmafan

The terms of the contract will say something like you agree to pay for your usage or an estimate of your usage. If the estimates are inaccurate you can correct it with a reading.

Yet many people don't and blame the utility company totally for any over or under-estimation. Best advice to all give regular readings, and ensure you are on DD and an online account. If not I doubt the 46p interest you'll get in the bank will help much with the bills

t0rt0ise

Pincher wrote: »

The utilities can only read the meters if you allow access,
so they have every right to estimate.

Meters at my last house were outside and still nobody ever came to read them.

I like Hooloovoo's logic.

Soubrette

Hooloovoo wrote: »

Hmm. So it's illegal for me to "estimate" my bill, but not for the energy supplier to estimate it?

If they had estimated low usage all year, and then done an accurate reading and found out the usage had been much higher, the bill for the extra would be calculated using the prices on the day of the bill. It wouldn't be back dated and estimated using the lower prices at the start of the year. How is that fair?

I've often considered making an estimate of my bill over the summer, just like they do. I might get the estimate wrong and be way too high, just like they do. What's good for them is good for us.

Is it more the problem that you would be claiming an actual reading whereas the energy companies do make it clear it is an estimate.

Perhaps if you made it clear it was an estimated reading there wouldn't be a problem?

Just throwing it out there

Barneysmom

I'm tied in till March on my DD's, one of those click 5 or whatever they're called.
Every March I usually end up about £200 in arrears which is caught up over the summer months.
So I arranged to pay an extra £10 a month on my DD, plus I'll be putting £100 into the account aswell this payday. So hopefully most of my underpay will be covered and at the price I'm paying now, instead of what it will be after next March.
If that makes sense..

KimYeovil

Hooloovoo wrote: »

Hmm. So it's illegal for me to "estimate" my bill, but not for the energy supplier to estimate it?

If they had estimated low usage all year, and then done an accurate reading and found out the usage had been much higher, the bill for the extra would be calculated using the prices on the day of the bill. It wouldn't be back dated and estimated using the lower prices at the start of the year. How is that fair?

It can be if you so choose.

Ben84

I think your best option right now is to get a good price that's fixed with a supplier for longer term security. Even if the transfer is slow, if you get on to it asap, you should be swapped over in time for the main central heating months of the year.

As of a couple of days ago when I applied to change supplier and took a price fix for a year I found some good offers in my area which are in fact less than I am currently paying on a standard tariff without any fixed price, plus the standing charges are roughly halved too. They say I should be changed over around the 15th December, so it's still not too late to get a good deal, but I'm expecting suppliers to start pulling their better deals soon if the reports of price rises are anything to go by.