Random, strange amounts taken off gas meter

dekaspace

Ok I can go days without using it and during summer only used it to cook and used about 5-10p each week.

Since winter has arrived its very random about the amounts taken, sometimes I can have heater on for 1 hour and pay over £1, leave it on another hour and use another £1, dont use it for a few days and it used 15p for a hour or 30p for 2 hours! This is for 3 heaters on low so I am still freezing!

This week I had it on Monday and Tuesday and used 15p a hour, tried last night and it used £1.70 in about a hour and feeling heaters they were cold!

Also the charges for going into the emergency are random too, I was into emergency a month ago and used every penny of the £5 up and was in emergency a total of about 12 days and was charged 1p debt and the £10 I put on went so I had now £4.99 credit.

Was in emergency for about 8 days till tonight and was charged 45p for the convenience! Whats going on? I dont owe any debt bar the emergency!

I am worried it may have to do with recently getting a utility bill for a previous properrty I moved out of saying I owed cash(they said I moved out 3 months after I did so tried to charge 3 months electric) and its the same supplier so they may be taking debt off for that reason but if so can they legally do that without a court order?

KimYeovil

Instead of messing about with pounds and pence just keep track of your meter reading and check that. As you have not paid regularly top-ups there will be lots of standing charge or tier 1 charges that will be clawed back. Plus emergency credits (and whilst in emergency you are not charged the higher prices - that also has to be reclaimed). All these arrears can be clawed back at 70% of any top-ups.

Track your useage in kWh and get a picture that way of how much you are using.

(15p per hour for three heaters is not expensive nor is it an adequate heat (unless they all are in a single room) - that is only about 'one bar' in total - no wonder you are still cold.)

KimYeovil

By the way, what on earth did you cook that only cost five to ten pence per week??? That is impossible. (I assume you mean 5 - 10 pounds!)

dekaspace

KimYeovil wrote: »

Instead of messing about with pounds and pence just keep track of your meter reading and check that. As you have not paid regularly top-ups there will be lots of standing charge or tier 1 charges that will be clawed back. Plus emergency credits (and whilst in emergency you are not charged the higher prices - that also has to be reclaimed). All these arrears can be clawed back at 70% of any top-ups.

Track your useage in kWh and get a picture that way of how much you are using.

(15p per hour for three heaters is not expensive nor is it an adequate heat (unless they all are in a single room) - that is only about 'one bar' in total - no wonder you are still cold.)

Its a gas meter not electric so I couldnt check the KWh!

If i use my electric heater with 2 bars on it uses about 20p for a hour and makes the room lovely and warm but cant afford it on for long!

KimYeovil wrote: »

By the way, what on earth did you cook that only cost five to ten pence per week??? That is impossible. (I assume you mean 5 - 10 pounds!)

Nope pence not pounds, even pushing it cooking every day used about 30p maximum for the week.

But bare in mind the gas oven has a electric fan.

I dont eat very often, at the peak was frying some chicken for a few minutes and that would be all I ate that day, or put a pizza in the oven, then when I got a microwave stopped using the oven pretty much.

KimYeovil

Uhm, 20p per hour per room to be warm and toasty is hardly expensive. Four hours per night and one hour in the morning every day equals only £30 per month. How much are you wanting it to cost?

Anyway, you still need to track the actual meter readings in whatever units (rather than the monetary balance).

dekaspace

KimYeovil wrote: »

Uhm, 20p per hour per room to be warm and toasty is hardly expensive. Four hours per night and one hour in the morning every day equals only £30 per month. How much are you wanting it to cost?

Anyway, you still need to track the actual meter readings in whatever units (rather than the monetary balance).

I am on benefits at the moment so an extra £7.50 per week per room is tough for me to afford even for one room, so if I ever have to go to bedroom or kitchen I am freezing even wearing a jumper, a hoodie and a jacket.

I would have to seriously change my budget to afford that.

KimYeovil

Who on earth heats their kitchen or their bedroom if they are poor? Kitchens are supposed to be freezing - helps provisions last longer. Hey, if you have a wonderfully insulated middle of the block flat with pensioners on Staywarm tariffs surrounding you then great. But most poor people are not that fortunate and stick to one room that is heated occasionally.

If you want to toast in winter then save up money over summer when you are only spending 5p per week. Or switch to credit meters so that you avoid the seasonal variance.

robpw2

KimYeovil wrote: »

Who on earth heats their kitchen or their bedroom if they are poor? Kitchens are supposed to be freezing - helps provisions last longer. Hey, if you have a wonderfully insulated middle of the block flat with pensioners on Staywarm tariffs surrounding you then great. But most poor people are not that fortunate and stick to one room that is heated occasionally.

If you want to toast in winter then save up money over summer when you are only spending 5p per week. Or switch to credit meters so that you avoid the seasonal variance.

your almost as cold as the weather:rotfl:

SwanJon

dekaspace wrote: »

Also the charges for going into the emergency are random too, I was into emergency a month ago and used every penny of the £5 up and was in emergency a total of about 12 days and was charged 1p debt and the £10 I put on went so I had now £4.99 credit.

No supplier charges you for using the emergency.

As Kim says above, when you are in the emergency the meter is programmed to make the credit last as long as possible, so no standing charge or Tier 1 prices.
However, when you next top up you need to catch upon the standing charge/difference in price.

Your meter will also have a reading - depends on the model where it is - if you don't have a separate screen/window you'll need to press the red button until you see 'Meter Index'. This will either be hundreds of cubit feet or cubic metres. If you record the reading each day, take the difference and multiply by 31.5 (ft) or 11 (m) that'll give you a close enough idea of kWh.

dekaspace

SwanJon wrote: »

No supplier charges you for using the emergency.

As Kim says above, when you are in the emergency the meter is programmed to make the credit last as long as possible, so no standing charge or Tier 1 prices.
However, when you next top up you need to catch upon the standing charge/difference in price.

Your meter will also have a reading - depends on the model where it is - if you don't have a separate screen/window you'll need to press the red button until you see 'Meter Index'. This will either be hundreds of cubit feet or cubic metres. If you record the reading each day, take the difference and multiply by 31.5 (ft) or 11 (m) that'll give you a close enough idea of kWh.

Thats what I thought, something strange seems to be going on though as this is only like the 3rd time I have topped up in 5 months and the first time I was still in credit so no "debt" was taken off, 2nd time was 1p 3rd time was 45p

I have dual fuel so its possible thats where the standing charge is coming off the electric meter each week.

I have a button A and button B.

lozzaman

You need to see the meter index, this will either be on the meter or can be seen by pressing button A.

If you hold down button A then the meter will also tell you the tariff rates (rate 1, rate 2) and also if there is a weekly charge.