Unsure about whether I am paying too much for gas/elec?

rflook

Hi,

I have just been discussing my gas/elec bills with my gf and I am concerned that I am paying too much. Living by myself in a three bedroom flat, don't tend to put heating on that much but do use a fair amount of electricity.

Currently I'm on sign online 19 with npower and have been paying approximately 48 per month for the two bills combined. I think that I will end up paying roughly £600 by the end of yearly term with them.

Now my gf seems to only be paying £10 a month for the gas/elec combined (which seems to small but she has shown me her direct debit outgoings from her bank). So am I paying too much? I really have no way of knowing tbh so any comments are gratefully received.

McKneff

Your gf will probably end up with a ginormous bill by the end of her contract. The amount of DD she pays is no relation to the amount of
fuel she uses. The £10 is towards the total amount, so if over the year DDs are £120 and her bill for actual usage is £250 then she will still owe £130. If she still wants to stay on DD, they will take her usage from this year (£250, add the £130 still owing from last year, divide it by 12 and that will be her new DD £380 divided by 12 months) so a big jump.

Yours seem about normal, why dont you take monthly readings so you can check, she certainly needs to

macman

£600 dual fuel for a 3 b/r flat is extremely low.

ovoreo

I am a single person in a 2-bed house and I pay £60 per month for gas/elec. I've only lived here for 4 months so I'm still working out what a typical month looks like. I personally like to hold my gas direct debt payment at winter level so I build up a reserve during the summer. Last month I used 15 units of gas and 137 electric.

If you think your paying too much, you need to log your usage closely (I take weekly meter reads right now until I establish a norm in the new place) and take your most recent bill and go to uswitch and compare rates.

I can't believe your girlf pays £10 a month for duel. A direct debt isn't necessarily accurate, if she is relying on the utilities taking meter readings she could be way off. Might be worth her meter reading and making sure their estimate isn't putting her in the red.