Newbie to Gas/Electric billing

guitaristanime

Hi All,
Any advice welcome and appreciated.

I've been living on my own and paying bills for 6 years, but currently I don't have gas supplied and electric is on a pre-paid meter. Water is inclusive with rent.

Am moving into a new flat soon and will be taking on water, gas and electric.

I have been told by the landlord that meter readings will be done before I move in, from this I can assume they are not pre-paid meters.

Now since I am new to utility billing by DD, I wonder if someone would be kind enough to explain a few things for me as the internet suprisingly doesn't answer these questions so well.

When I move in, will I be provided Gas and Electricity by a specific provider already, leaving me with the only option of singing up to them first before I can switch or do I have a choice of any providers from day 1?
Is there a certain provider that is cheaper for me? As comparison sites are bloated with assuming I am switching provider.
Do these things need to be sorted out prior to moving in or can I do it when settled in? (Obviously I will take my own readings first thing when moving in)

Any help appreciated as I am overwhelmed by all this info, different tarrifs and huge number of providers.
I would prefer web based billing if possible, the less paper work the better.

Thank you so much in advance. :eek:

dogshome

When you move, you will automatically be a customer of it's present Utility suppliers- It's important that on the day you move, you phone them to register and give them the meter readings.
(It's not wise to rely on Landlords or Agents to do this for you), and keep a copy of the date & readings in a safe place

Be aware that as a 'new' account the Elec. & Gas suppliers will put you on the 'Standard' tariff which is the most expensive, but having registered you are then free to switch to other suppliers.

Your big problem is that to use the Switch comparision sites, you have to enter your Annual consumptions of Gas & Elec in Kwh - Kilowatt hours, but as the present supplier/s will have the billing history for this flat, ask them.

If they won't play ball, come back to this site with details of the flat - Rooms/Old or New/Which floor/Power hungry appliances such as Immersion Hot Water & Tumble Driers, someone here will give an educated guess

WATER There are no supplier options for water, you pay the particular supplier who has the monopoly in your area, who you should register with when you move in
CHECK with landlord if there is a water meter, and if so, where it is located - If there is you must give the water company it's meter reading

guitaristanime

Thank you that's very very helpful.
Eased my mind slightly.

In the mean time, if anyone is up for an educated guess:
1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom, Kitchen/Living room combined.

New eco gas boiler, central heating.
New carpets fitted, new kitchen with gas hobs, new bathroom.

It's on the 2nd floor between 2 flats above and below.

It's unfurnished, but I'll be taking in two appliances. 1x Washing machine and 1x fridge/frostless freezer combi (which I run on lowest possible setting to save energy already!)

Don't use tumble drier or portable heaters.

The building itself is new, red brick, purpose build flats. Double glazing etc but apartment has been lived in before, but unoccupied for months during renovation.

notbritishgas

My guess

Electric 3000 kwh

Gas 14500 kwh this is a guess because we do not know your living habits, eg how warm do you like it, what are your working hours.


But if you put these figures into a comparison site it will still list them in order of cheapness, and the figures will not be a million miles away.

guitaristanime

I've been living without heating in a rubbish uninsulated flat for the last 6 years, lol. So heating probably won't get used apart from in the winter when it's dreadfully cold.

Flat will be empty from 8am-6pm every weekday.

Thanks

Also was that supposed to be 1450 kWh for gas??
Is that average for a month, because the cheapest deal that moneysupermarket just gave me was:
This deal will cost you around
£352.47
per month

Which for obvious reasons cannot be right lol.
Figures for Electric 3000kWh and Gas 1450kWh per quarter come back as £128pcm

eurmalian

Those are figures for a full year, however, the gas one is 14500 kWh as stated. The extra zero is meant to be there. Heating takes a lot of energy, however, gas is charged at a much lower rate per kWh than electric is.

guitaristanime

Cool in which case, between £60-£80pm seems to be the average that is if I switch to npower. Currently with EDF/BG according to moneysupermarket.

That sounds fair-ish

Thanks for help everyone, much appreciated.

macman

1,450kWh of gas would cost around £50, so you are putting the wrong figures in somewhere.
14,500kWH pa (quite a conservative estimate) would cost about £43 per month.

guitaristanime

14500kWh Gas and 3000 kWh electric pa, came back at £908.92pa.
I've not put in the wrong figures, does that seem off to you?

I think ~£75pm is fair and adequate.

macman

I was referring to your quote of £352pm!
Yes, £75 total is about right, the electricity will be around £25-30pm.

guitaristanime

Oh sorry mac, yes I thought that was wrong! Glad to hear it though.


Now, does anyone want to come and pack for me?